“Have a wonderful time tomorrow, and if I need anything at all, I’ll call Hugo. He checks on me often.”
Jo was glad for that. “He said he has a big test tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Rose said. “Now, stop worrying about me. Get some rest, because you have a marvelous day ahead of you.”
“I love you, Mamie Rose.”
“I love you more, kitten. Go build your empire. Be the lioness I know you are.”
By six o’clock the next evening, Cuppa Jo’s was standing room only, and the event was unfolding as Jo had planned. She wore a vintage red-and-white polka-dot dress with a nipped waist and full skirt. A matching scarf held her curls. She kept one eye on the entry, watching for Blue.
The long counter had been cleared for the day, and four tasting stations stood along the length of it, each draped and marked with a small placard in Junie’s careful hand-lettering: Queen’s Blend. Sumatran Empress. Imperial Kona Reserve. At the end was the one recently unveiled, Imperial Cloud Forest.
Jo’s staff stood beside each one, offering tastes in small cups and sharing the story and flavor profile.
Dulcie’s cookies sat on cake stands between the stations. Adrian and two other musicians had set up in the corner. The upbeat tunes spilled out the open front door and drew people in from Orange Avenue to see what the music was about.
The crowd was a blur of familiar and new faces. Hank and Sherri had claimed their usual stools early. A cluster of women Jo didn’t recognize, looking like the wealthy summer crowd Maileah had promised would come, were photographing their tasting flights before they’d even taken a sip.
Somewhere near the door, a woman with a notepad and a photographer trailing her were probably from the local newspaper. Two other young women stood with phones angled for video. They were likely food bloggers or influencers Maileah had invited.
“How is it going, Candy?” Jo asked.
“We’re off to a good start,” she replied, arranging items displayed on the table. “The boxed gift sets are doing very well.”
Candy had the merchandise table attractively organized. She’d stacked mugs in pyramids and arranged the sturdy totes. T-shirts were folded into neat squares with Cuppa Jo’s script across the front.
“You’re doing a wonderful job,” Jo said, smiling.
Deb and April stood looking at Cuppa Jo’s branded tote bags and tumblers.
“These tote bags with a tumbler will make nice gifts,” Deb said, examining the sample. “Candy, would you put me down for six sets? One for each of my sisters-in-law, and one for my mother.”
Jo thanked Deb and April before catching up with Maileah, who moved through the crowd with her phone held up at practiced angles, narrating softly to herself as she filmed, occasionally crouching to catch a good shot of someone’s face lighting up over a cup of coffee.
Maileah broke into a smile when she saw Jo. “This video is going straight to Mahina and the other women’s cooperatives. They should see how people are enjoying their coffee thousands of miles away.”
“Thanks for doing that,” Jo said. “Let them know their names are displayed and will be on the bags, too. And thanks for your help with the turnout tonight. I’ve spoken to some you invited.”
“Not everyone is here yet,” Maileah said with a worried look. “I heard the ferry is having mechanical problems, so some people from the mainland might be late or might not make it at all.”
The ferry was the only means of public access to Crown Island. “Can they repair it soon?” Jo asked.
Maileah shrugged and shook her head. “Mechanics are working on it, but who knows?”
“Last night, I thought of driving to pick up my grandmother,” Jo said, imagining what a disaster that would have been. “I tried to get Hugo to come, too. If I’d done that, I might not have made it to my own party.”
“Good thing you didn’t,” Maileah said. “I’ll take lots of photos and videos for her. Are you going to make your welcome speech soon?”
Jo glanced around the room. “I should, but since some people are running late, I’ll wait a little longer.”
“Don’t wait too long. Folks who came early will start leaving.”
“Good point,” Jo said. “Ten minutes. I’ll check with Junie and Rocky.”
Jo glanced around, looking for Blue, but she still didn’t see him. Had yesterday been too good to be true?
She couldn’t think about that now. Spotting Junie and Rocky by the coffee tasting stations, she made her way toward them.
