Page 38 (2/2)

If living in theht now, has me pretty content

The soft lights illuathered around for a little chatting and a lot of coffee The fragrant scents of their brews—froary-sweet—fill the café from wall to wall

Call me weird, but I can smell every last nuance of my drinks, and remember what touches created that exact smell

That little sprinkle of nut and the dash of vanilla in a foamy cappuccino

The heavy crea that latte a little smoother, a little richer, a little closer to heaven

The precision needed toand bold, not bitter and burned

It’s the little things that et the first sip that left the for more

It doesn’t one faster sometimes than the time it takes me to actually make them

Everyone who co home when they catch that aroma, that taste, that special vibe

Which is why I’ht for Andrea Silverton’s whipped les, announcing a new customer

I can’t look up just yet, not until I pile the whipped cream on top in a perfect cone of frostedswirl before I come back to earth

“Ta-da!” I say, pushing the coffee shake across the counter

Andrea, Blake’s punky purple-haired daughter, grins at me

I don’t see that Clark boy with her today But I give it about ten minutes before he’s here to steal her off into a corner where they’ll sit with their heads together, giving each otherher hoive Clark a ride, too

He’ll warht?

He’s got plenty of ti his wife, Peace, is in here al a very thirsty crowd

“Thanks, Feliss,” Andrea says, flashing n and a wink, irreverent as always “How much do I owe you?”

“On the house tonight,” I tease “Your stepmom’s my best entertainment”

Andrea gri over at where Peace Silverton perches on a stool, fingers plucking softly on the strings Her voice rises in a soothing, hypnotic h with the stepmom stuff She’s my friend”

“Okay, babe I’ll stop re you what a dirty old man your dad is”

“Felicity!” Andrea sputters, swiping up her drink and going red to her ears

“That’s h, especially since I have custo a towel to wipe down a few drops of condensation off the gleaone”