He hiked up the corners of his mouth again. “My assistant barista told me you ordered a small skinny vanilla latte on your last visit—but I’ll be happy to make a different drink for you today.”
Hesitating, she gave the room one more survey . . . then slid her umbrella into the stand by the door. “No. That’s fine.”
She was staying.
First hurdle cleared.
“Can I have a name for the order?” He picked up a cup and a pen.
Silence.
He arched his eyebrows at her.
She extracted a five-dollar bill and set it on the counter. “Keep the change. And it’s Kat. With a K.” She eased away.
Second hurdle cleared.
“Got it.” He jotted the name. “I’ll have this ready in a couple of minutes.”
She nodded and escaped toward a deserted table in the far corner—out of conversation range.
Blast.
Thwarted at the third hurdle.
He wasn’t going to find out anything else about her.
But what did it matter? Just because he was beginning to crave feminine companionship—and the pool of eligible women in town was limited—didn’t mean he should get any ideas about the first single, attractive female who walked in.
Yeah, yeah, he’d noticed the empty fourth finger on her left hand.
He mixed the espresso and vanilla syrup together, positioned the steam nozzle below the surface of the milk until the liquid bubbled, then dipped deeper to create a whirlpool motion.
Charley wandered over while Bren prepared his café de olla, watching as Zach poured the milk into the espresso mixture, holding back the foam with a spoon to create a stylized K on top of the drink. “Beautiful. You have an artistic touch.”
“Nothing like yours.” He set the empty frothing pitcher aside and reached for a lid as he signaled to the woman in the corner. “I wish my coffee sold for a fraction of what your paintings bring in.”
“Life shouldn’t be all about making money. My stand isn’t a gold mine, but I enjoy creating tacos as much as I enjoy painting. Customers for both can feel the love I put into my work. Like they can feel the love you have for this shop. It seeps into your pores the instant you cross the threshold. A person would have to be über-stressed not to find peace and relaxation here.”
The very ambiance he’d hoped to create when he’d opened a year and a half ago.
“You just made my day.”
“That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?” Charley motioned toward the foam art. “Why don’t you show that to your customer? Brighten her day.”
Not a bad idea. Perhaps it would elicit a few words from her—or initiate a conversation.
He set the cup on the counter as she approached and offered her his most engaging grin. The one that usually turned female heads. “Your personalized skinny vanilla latte.”
Lips flat, she gave his handiwork no more than a fleeting perusal. “Thanks.”
Not only was the lady immune to his charm, she had no interest in extending their conversation.
Fighting back an irrational surge of disappointment, Zach put a lid on the drink. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” She hurried toward the door, pulled her umbrella out of the stand, and disappeared into the gray shroud hanging over the town.
“I think my attempt to brighten her day was a bust.” He folded his arms as the rain pummeled the picture window.
“Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes the simplest gestures of kindness can touch a heart in unseen ways.”
Zach didn’t try to hide his skepticism. “Assuming the lady’s willing to let her heart be touched. She didn’t exude much warmth.”
“She may be hiding it behind a protective wall. Could be she’s dealing with a boatload of heavy stuff. That can dampen a person’s sociability.”
Zach’s antennas perked up. “You know anything about her?”
“Nothing much—though she seems familiar.” He squinted after her. Shook his head. “It’ll come to me. Anyway, I spotted her on the wharf Monday, sipping a brew from your fine establishment. She was sitting alone on a bench during one of the few monsoon-free interludes we’ve had this week. I got gloomy vibes. Like she was troubled—and could use a friend.”
Zach wasn’t about to question the veracity of Charley’s intuition. The man was legendary in these parts for his uncanny insights and his ability to discern more than people willingly divulged.
Present company included.
How Charley had realized there was an unresolved issue in his past was beyond him. He’d never talked about it to anyone. But the man’s astute comments, while generic, were too relevant to be random. As a result, on more