“Sure.”
She left the office and pulled the door shut behind her. Eli sighed loudly and scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was getting long, and he knew he needed to take care of it soon. The more frustrated he got, the more he ran his hands through it. The longer it was, the wilder it looked by the end of the day.
“So, hear me out,” Cole said.
Eli stared at him, deadpan. “I swear if you tell me to go on a date with her, we’re no longer speaking.”
Cole barked out a laugh and spun around in his chair to face the computer. “You spoil all my fun.”
Eli pulled out his inventory list and made a few more notes on it before passing it to Cole to place the order. Cole worked as the accountant for their bookstore, handling all the bookkeeping, taxes, and ordering inventory.
Their parents used to run the store, but had since passed it on to the kids. They each took a different role. Eli runs the store overall. He oversaw the operations and the book side of things. Megan ran the cafe, which had been her idea to put in. Michelle ran the events to keep people coming into the store, but also helped wherever else she was needed.
Their sister, Kelly, used to run the events but had met her boyfriend while on a trip in Montana. She decided she belonged there and moved. Michelle had been especially excited since she really wanted to take over the job.
Michelle walked into the office and smiled. “She’s gone. You’re welcome.”
Eli stood and kissed Michelle’s cheek as he passed. “You’re a lifesaver. Thank you.”
He stepped out of the office and looked around. The day was winding down as the customers dwindled. Katie and Molly were cleaning the cafe while there was a reprieve. Eli walked around and organized shelves while keeping an eye on the register in case someone needed help. By the time he was done, the last of the customers had left, and he locked the front door.
He walked over to where Katie and Molly were still cleaning up. “Can I help with anything?”
Katie smiled gratefully. “Would you mind stacking the rest of the chairs? I want to mop the floors tonight.”
“Of course.” Eli walked around the cafe and put each of the chairs on top of a table. Molly started on one end and swept the floor after him. He smiled over at her, but she only smiled briefly before her face flamed, and she looked down at the task at hand.
She was slender. Her dark red hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and the blue overalls she wore gave her a younger look, making him wonder how old she really was. It wasn’t something he could legally ask in an interview, and he avoided ever bringing the topic up. He made a mental note to ask Katie if she knew later.
Michelle and Cole stepped out of the office a few minutes later and waved before leaving the store. Eli normally would have left with them, but he kept himself busy while Katie and Molly finished up.
By the time Katie said they were leaving, it was dark outside. Eli walked with them to their cars in the small lot beside the store.
“Bye, Molly. Thanks for today. You did great!” Katie said.
Molly blushed and smiled. “Goodnight.” Then she got into her car and drove away.
Katie turned to Eli. “Thanks for the help closing up. We were behind today since I was showing Molly everything.”
“How did it all go?”
“It went well. She’s a quick learner, and I feel like there’s a break in my future.” Katie laughed lightly.
“Good. You deserve to take time off,” Eli said. “We all do. But, baby steps.”
“That’s the truth,” Katie said. She sighed and pulled open her car door. “Right now, my bed is calling my name.”
Eli frowned. “It’s only seven.”
“Yep. But we’ve got to do it all again tomorrow.” She slid into her car and started it before waving and backing out of her parking space.
Eli waved in return before getting into his own car and driving the short distance to his house.
2
Molly wiped down a table inside the cafe at Storyville’s Stories. The small town of Storyville, Colorado was a breath of fresh air after being in the hustle and bustle of Denver. As soon as she was done cleaning the table, a group of people sat down. The cafe was a hot spot, something she hadn’t expected when starting work there. But it always seemed to be busy. Especially first thing in the morning and around lunchtime.
She moved back behind the counter where Katie was making drinks.
