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“Are you kidding? Hell no. It’s way too far out of town for me. I want to be where the action is, and I’m not really needed out there. I do spend a few days there in the spring, when it’s time to brand and castrate the calves.”
I turn and blink at her. “That sounds…horrible.”
Millie chuckles and tucks her dark hair behind her ear. “I’m just used to it. Been doing it all my life. Anyway, that covers everyone in my family. Tell me about yours.”
I open my mouth, but then a group of about eight people hurry inside to order coffee and food, and we’re busy for the rest of the morning.
***
Since Millie has the early shift at the coffee shop, she gets off work early, and I stay by myself for the last two hours to close on my own. On our off days, the other two girls, Candy and Marion, who happens to be the owner, work the same shifts.
At first, I was surprised that there are only four employees, but given that the café is closed on Mondays, it works out well for us. We all get along well and keep the place running smoothly.
I enjoy the couple of hours by myself in the afternoon. By then, things are usually pretty quiet in here, so I can clean and mop without too much interruption.
Untilhecomes in. Every single day. Right about…now.
The bell over the door dings, and I glance up to see my least favorite customer walk through the door. He’s tall, probably in his mid to late thirties, and always wears a baseball cap. Today, he’s just in a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled just below his elbows, with dark blue jeans and boots.
He’s a cowboy, that’s for sure.
And he’s handsome.
If you like the grumpy, surly type.
“Hello,” I say with a forced smile as I lean the mop against the wall and walk behind the counter. I’ve never asked his name because he’s never been talkative enough to make conversation. “What can I get for you today?”
“Coffee, black,” he says.
“Sure. We have huckleberry lemon muffins today. I have three left, if you’d like one. They’re popular.”
I smile, but he doesn’t smile back. He does, however, eye the last of the muffins in the case.
“I’ll take them.”
“All of them?”
He levels a look at me. “Yes. All of them.”
“Okay. Must be hungry.” I happily ring up the muffins and coffee into the computer, and while he does his thing with his credit card, I bag up the treats and pour his coffee. “It’s sure a nice spring day out there today. You know, for as cold as it got this winter, I’m surprised by how quickly it’s warming up.”
“Hmm,” is all he says in reply as he taps the screen on the computer, finishing the sale.
“Okay, well, here you go. I hope you have a nice afternoon.”
“Yeah.” He grabs the brown paper bag and his coffee and turns to go. “You, too.”
The door closes behind him, and I let out a long breath. I can usually get a smile out of people, especially if I meet them more than once, but this guy is impossible.
Grouchy cowboy.
I shake my head and get back to work. Before long, it’s time to lock the door and set the alarm, which Marion put in just this past winter, and set off for home. I like to walk through town, taking the long way back to my place. I found the cutest apartment above the garage of an elderly guy in town. I like to take him soup and a cookie from Mama’s Deli just down the street. He always tells me that I shouldn’t bother, but I can tell by the way he lights up that it’s his favorite part of the day.
I never see anyone come to the house to visit him, and he reminds me of my grandpa back in Seattle.
“Hello, Erin,” Jeannie, the manager of the deli, says when I walk in. “I have his favorite today. Beef with barley.”
“Oh, that’ll make his day.” I smile at the other woman as I pull out my credit card, but she shakes her head.
