Come To Me (Dare With Me #3) - J.H. Croix Page 0,42

evidence there was. Some people blamed anyone who spoke up. The attention was intense and ugly. Even with the increased awareness in the media around these issues, things were still messy and complicated. There was always backlash.

I sighed to myself in my car as I followed Daphne into the parking lot for Cammi’s new café. It was nice to be somewhere where everyone didn’t know the headlines about my old coach and the whispered secrets about what happened. Even though that was years in the rearview mirror, the effects were a boomerang for me with the new case.

As I turned off my car, I gave myself a mental shake. I was going to live in the moment. In this moment, I was having lunch with a friend. A few minutes later, I was walking into the café with Daphne. Cammi waved from the counter ahead as she served a family at the front of the line. I glanced around, commenting, “This place is adorable.”

“Isn’t it?” Daphne agreed. “I love how Cammi’s renovated it.”

“I know she’s the new owner, but what happened to the old owners?”

“I heard they moved,” Daphne explained. Her gaze arced about the space. “I still can’t believe they turned this old building into a café.”

“These were left over from World War II, I think. There are more in the Pacific Northwest too,” I said, referencing the Quonset hut, in which this café was housed. The cylindrical steel tube-shaped structure had been renovated entirely inside. Windows were cut into the sides with sheet rock on the walls. The space had a bright, airy feeling.

“I told Flynn we need to get some of this furniture from Jessa out at the resort,” Daphne added, gesturing as we walked by a small round table painted with a sunflower.

“I think I met Jessa at the opening.”

Daphne nodded as we got in line. “She has her work displayed at Midnight Sun Arts, that’s a gallery by the harbor. She sells it online too. I think it was a smart move for Cammi to coordinate with the gallery for the artwork here. It makes it mutually beneficial.”

“Like your baked goods,” I offered with a grin.

She chuckled. “Absolutely. It’s fun for me. I love to bake. Although it keeps me busy at the resort, my schedule isn’t really that insane because we never serve more than thirty people at a time.”

I stared at her, my mouth falling open. “I can’t imagine cooking for thirty people, and I actually like to cook. You have my full respect.”

She laughed. “I used to run a really busy restaurant in Atlanta, so thirty people seems very manageable.”

“Oh, so you’re a former city girl too?”

At that moment, we reached the front of the line. Cammi smiled between us as Daphne answered, “I sure am. Born and raised in Atlanta. What city did you fly away from?”

“Portland, Oregon.”

“Is my coffee good enough to compete there?” Cammi teased, picking up the thread of our conversation.

“Absolutely,” I said. “You have mastered the art of coffee.”

“Speaking of coffee,” Cammi began, “what can I get you ladies?”

We ordered our coffees, and I got a sandwich along with one of Daphne’s dessert pastries. Before we stepped out of line to wait for our order at a table, Daphne commented to Cammi, “Maybe you can take a break to check in with me about how our schedule is working.”

Cammi nodded quickly. “I can have Amy cover the counter, and I’ll join you ladies. I’m actually starving myself.”

Moments later, I closed my eyes and let out a satisfied moan. Opening them after I finished chewing, I said, “This sandwich is incredible.”

Daphne cast me a quick smile. “It is, isn’t it? This combination of a cranberry cream cheese spread with the pesto is better than I expected.”

“Do you make these too?”

“God, no. I can only do so much. Cammi and I reviewed the menu options together, but the sandwiches are all her.”

Cammi appeared with her own plate with the very same sandwich we had each ordered. She sat down, glancing between us. “How was it?”

“We were just marveling at how good it is,” Daphne offered as I nodded in agreement.

Cammi looked relieved. “Thank goodness. I have to say when I took over this place, I was pretty stressed out about managing a kitchen. Fortunately, all of the staff stayed and they’re great.”

“That makes a big difference. You got off to a running start, and you’re doing really well,” Daphne offered encouragingly.

We enjoyed our sandwiches quietly for a few minutes