Cadence of Cranberries - Valerie Comer Page 0,18
she grinned and waved at him. “Hey, Charlie!”
Winnie had failed to mention one of her daughters worked at the bistro. This was the younger one, right? Gabriella?
He smiled at her. “Hi there!”
She turned to fill the next order, and Charlie waited for his turn. When he stepped up to the counter, Gabby tapped the redhead’s arm. “Kass, I’d like you to meet Charlie. He’s Dominic’s fiancée’s dad. Charlie, this is Kassidy Ferguson, one of the owners here.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Kassidy. I’d like a...” His mind went blank. “Whatever Gabriella recommends.”
Winnie’s daughter winked. “Salted caramel latte?”
“Sure.” He couldn’t help chuckling. “Kassidy, I was hoping to speak with you for a few minutes, but it looks like you’re busy. I own a coffee roasting company and wanted to offer you some samples.”
“I was wondering if you’d be by one of these days. Gabby’s mom mentioned you to me a few weeks ago.” Kass glanced around the bistro and beckoned to the older woman. “Astrid, can you please cover the counter for ten or fifteen minutes? Gabby, Charlie’s latte is on the house. Please bring it out to the table when it’s ready, and bring me my usual.” She pointed to a table by the window. “Have a seat, Charlie, and I’ll be right with you.”
Efficiency. He liked that. Charlie nodded. “Thank you.” Thinking of Winnie, he settled in a turquoise chair and took in the whole place for a couple of minutes.
Two young businessmen came in and took their place in line. The older men from the corner came by, clapped the young guys’ shoulders, and greeted them.
Gabby set the two mugs down on the table and turned to the men. “Uncle Ray, you should meet Charlie. Charlie’s going to be Dominic’s father-in-law.”
“Is that so?” The man reached to shake Charlie’s hand. “Raimondo Santoro.”
Charlie stood. “Charlie Jalonen.”
“You’re new to Spokane, I hear?”
“Last spring, yes.”
Kassidy rounded the corner. “Hi, Ray.”
The man studied her for a few seconds. “You look tired. That baby keeping you up all night?”
“Teething. What can I say?” She slipped into the chair across from Charlie.
“You take care of yourself, young lady.” He turned back to Charlie. “It’s nice to meet you. Next time join my brothers and me for coffee, why don’t you? We’re here nearly every morning.”
Wait. Gabriella’s uncles. That made this crew Winnie’s brothers-in-law. The brothers of her late husband. Three men of mid-height, dark hair, and tanned, though it was late November.
Charlie swallowed and studied them. All three looked like they worked out. “Maybe sometime.” And maybe not.
They headed out of the bistro, and a cold wind drove in before the door closed. Yeah, Charlie wasn’t going to join those dudes for a cuppa any time soon. They didn’t need to suspect he found himself thinking about their sister-in-law in the wee hours of the night. Not unless he were going to do something about it, and he wasn’t.
Every time he thought maybe he’d go for it, he pictured Julia’s crossed arms and raised eyebrows. And she was right. Maybe his circumstances had changed somewhat. He no longer worked fourteen-plus hour days, and he was a Christian now. But, inside? He was still the man who wasn’t enough to keep his wife happy.
Charlie opened the briefcase he’d set on the other chair and arranged several sample bags of assorted roasts on the table between him and Kassidy. “I have no idea if you’ve got a coffee you’re completely happy with, or if you’re open to a new supplier, but I’d like to tell you a little about Redband Roasters. If I may?”
Kass took a sip of her coffee and nodded. “Our current roaster is out of Kennewick, so we might be interested. It’s good, though.” She jutted her chin toward his cup. “Try it.”
He took a sip. How anyone could drink coffee with all this stuff in it to disguise the taste was beyond him. “Well, it’s a little hard to tell underneath the other flavors.”
She chuckled. “I bet it is.”
“I purchased Redband last spring from the young couple who started it. They had a fire in their house that gutted the kitchen. I think they were already struggling — both in the business and their marriage — and that was simply the last straw. They sold the business to me and, unfortunately, split up.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Did you have a background in coffee?”
“Only that I consumed vast quantities at my corporate job for many years, so, no. Thankfully their head roaster