“Or Conway?” Randy teased, soft lines stretching from the corners of his eyes. “Seems to me the guy has a sick sense of humor. Like he’s handing you a warning label with his name and laughing that you didn’t catch on.”
“Joke was on me. I never saw it coming. Even now, when I look back, there were no red flags. He seemed so sincere.”
“I hear ya.” He walked to the door, and she followed.
They walked outside, past the parking garage along the sidewalk. The fresh air eased her emotions. “Sorry again about the tears,” she said.
“What tears?”
That made her laugh. “That was pretty convincing. Sure you’re not a con too?”
“Definitely.” He pointed to the street sign ahead. “It’s just around that corner.”
“Okay.” He had a way of making her feel better. As they rounded the corner there was a shiny trailer parked across the parking lot. “Is that where we’re going?” she asked.
“Yep. The best-kept secret of great coffee and tea in Richmond.”
“Love it.” As they got closer she picked up the pace and walked right past him. “Is it a horse trailer?”
“It was,” he said.
And it wasn’t the big fancy kind, just a simple two-horse bumper-pull deal, painted and decorated in a way that was downright adorable. “That is such a cool idea.”
“Yeah, it was just a rusty hunk of junk her son had abandonedin her backyard. He’s got a big fancy rig with the slide-outs now. She gutted it, decorated it, and added the barista counter.”
“It’s gorgeous. Not only unique, but functional.” Natalie was impressed.
The barista counter was polished to a high shine. Live-edge wood added a rustic charm against the glossy paint and shiny accents on the trailer. The ramp, which once made it easy for the horses to load, now served as the walk-up entrance to place your order.
A sign on a black iron easel read:
GIDDY-UP AND GO
COFFEE AND TEA
The name was written in bright chalk paint against a black background that matched the logo on the side of the trailer.
“That is too cute.” Natalie admired how the low-rent stop in the middle of a parking lot had all the touches to make it feel unique and somewhat luxurious at the same time.
“This is my favorite place to stop and take a breath. The caffeine kicks my brain into gear when I’m trying to work through a case.”
“I bet it can be a stressful job, trying to make sense out of situations like mine.”
“It can be.” He walked up the ramp. “Hey, can I get two coffees?” He turned back to her. “Or would you rather have something fancy? They have it all.”
“No. Don’t need the calories. I’ll just take a regular coffee with a dab of creamer if you have it,” she said, directing the last to the gal behind the counter.
“Not a problem. Hazelnut, mocha, or vanilla?”
“Ooh, hazelnut sounds good. Thanks,” Natalie said.
“You got it.” The barista made short work of the order. “Anything else?”
“That’s it. Thank you.” Randy handed her a twenty and she counted his change back to him.
“Come on. We can sit over here.” He led her to a little two-seater folding bistro table. “I hate to see you letting what this guy put you through weigh you down.”
“I can’t let it go. I really wish I could.”
