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Once Upon a Christmas Reunion
CIARA KNIGHT
ChapterOne
Coffee.
The elixir of life and an escape from the insanity of caring for a bed-bound aunt who thought giving up bungee jumping would be her only restriction post-hip replacement surgery.
Scarlet Cherish poured coffee beans into the fancy machine with enough buttons to control a top-secret underground elf network well beyond the borders of Cherry Creek, Tennessee.
Another unnecessary expenditure that her aunt couldn’t afford. The piles of receipts and bills overflowed the tin basket on the desk at the other end of the humble café kitchen. A café that had been in her family for three generations but might be lost by the end of the year.
Her heart ached at the thought, but the fresh, smoky aroma of dark roast filled her lungs with a soothing coat of a good morning promise. She’d tackle the financial issues after the morning rush, which would be even busier than normal with only twelve days until Christmas.
The machine screamed, choked the beans through the grinder, and spit out liquid with a steam-rising crescendo. Scarlet slid her cup out and cradled it to her chin, sniffing the caramelized, nutty scent, but she didn’t take a sip. The first sip needed to be savored while standing in her favorite spot, so she shuffled from behind the register counter and settled at the red-painted bistro chair in the center of the large picture window.
With a view of the distant snowcapped mountains, a backdrop to the colorful awnings dotting Main Street, she held the cup to her lips. The majestic site provided the perfect oasis to enjoy that first luxurious sip. Add a dash of Christmas lights glowing in the pre-dawn grayness, and it looked like a holiday movie set. From the sky, she thought, the red and green dots must make the street look like a runway for Santa Clause to land his sleigh.
Her eyes landed on the cute chalkboard sign on the sidewalk, inviting friends and neighbors in to try their holiday special.Try our new Chocolate Cherry Coffee special, a perfect blend of rich and sweet goodness to celebrate love. Add a dash of peppermint for the holiday season.
Small-town life had little to lure her into permanent residence, but Atlanta could never offer this kind of peaceful, quiet calmness and simplistic holiday cheer from friends and neighbors.
She tipped the Cherished Café mug up. Steam coated her skin and tickled her nose. One more inhale would seal the taste like fine wine.
Chugga-chugga-pop. Chugga-chugga-boom.
The old diesel truck grumbled like a toy soldier tooting an announcement of Duke Trenton entering town. She lowered her mug and glanced at the cuckoo clock her aunt had brought back from a backpacking trip through Bavaria a few years ago.
Why would Duke be making deliveries fifteen minutes earlier than normal? The two-foot-tall pile of organic vegetables flashed past along with the handsome man-that-could-never-be.
She pressed her cheek against the chilly window, but the truck disappeared around the corner. Of course, he wouldn’t stop. He knew she’d been here for two months and not even a drop-by for a cup of Joe. What did she expect? She hadn’t spoken to him since Christmas Eve ten years ago.
It didn’t matter. She’d be back in Atlanta soon enough.
Atlanta.
A far and loud, distant city with smog and noise and job and boyfriend.
Perhaps this had been a respite from life, but she needed to return.
Maybe next month.
She took a whiff of coffee, closed her eyes, and brought the decadent promise of bliss to her lips. Finally ready for that first sip.
Kerplunk.Bang.Smash.
Scarlet jumped. Hot liquid splashed onto her white shirt like an antiquing technique gone horribly wrong. Heat assaulted her chest. She plucked the wet shirt from her stinging skin with a loud groan and hiss.
Abandoning her coffee on one of the white-topped red bistro tables, she grabbed the stapler from the register. She slid along the short hallway to the kitchen with the weapon high over her head.
“Who’s there? I’m armed.”
“Put the stapler down and help me. This ain’t the big city, no one’s gonna be stealing bad food.”
Aunt Laura’s muffled voice drew her gaze to the open refrigerator. Fruits and vegetables littered the white-tiled floor while her aunt’s butt peered from behind the silver door, one hip higher than the other.
“What on earth?” Scarlet croaked.
