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“You mean you got into a fight?”
How was it that Brianna knew her so well? “Maybe.” She bit her lip.
Spooky stood and stretched and let loose a yawn.
“Oh, are we keeping you up, Spooky?” Brianna asked, walking toward the cat.
Spooky turned on his stand and showed Brianna his butt.
“I swear that cat doesn’t like me,” Brianna said under her breath.
“He’s very particular about who he gives his attention too. You wouldn’t believe the way he cozies up to Jimmy. He actually jumped into his lap.”
Brianna’s eyes rose in surprise. “He did not.”
Roni laughed. “He did. I’m not kidding.”
Brianna scowled at the cat. “Traitor.”
“Look what else we got for you.” Owen opened one of the bins and pulled out two big bundles of mistletoe. “We thought you could cut these up into pieces, tie red ribbons around them, and sell them for a dollar.” Owen held up a piece.
“That is a great idea.” Roni rushed over to peer into the bags. “See, now I’m guaranteed to win.”
Owen took a piece, grabbed a ribbon from the basket, and wrapped it around the branches, then tied the small green bundle and handed it to her. “Now you have no excuse not to get a Christmas kiss from Jimmy,” Owen said with a large grin.
“Thanks, Owen. I appreciate that,” Roni said dryly and tried not to think about how many nights she’d fallen asleep during the last year dreaming about kissing Jimmy again.
She let out a heavy sigh and dropped the mistletoe bundle onto the counter.
“How many people do we have signed up for tonight?” Brianna asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Thirty, and they all paid ten dollars to be here.” Roni picked up the Styrofoam wreath rings and carried them to the tables in the back room where the event would be taking place.
“Perfect. Jenni is going to be thrilled. Is she coming?” Brianna followed and helped her get the tables ready.
“Yes. She’s going to bring a few kittens over for people to cuddle with.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant. I bet they all get adopted.”
Roni held up crossed fingers. “Candy is cooking up a bunch of cookies and brownies to sell. She’s going to decorate a baked goods table and man it for us.”
“Perfect. We really should do this for Jenni more than once a year,” Brianna said, setting out a hot glue gun on every table and making sure all the power strips were in place.
Roni agreed. “Not only will it be a great fundraiser for Jenni, but it will make my place more than just a coffee shop. It will be a destination.”
“I love it.” Brianna looked around the room. “I think everything is ready. You know this weekend is Jenni and Bryce’s one-year anniversary. Do you know what they have planned?”
Roni grinned. “Apparently, it’s a big secret. Do you think he’ll pop the question?”
Brianna bit her bottom lip as she smiled. “I hope so.”
Soon the bells jingled over the door and the first of the women started to come in.
“Welcome,” Roni said, moving the closed for a special event sign over the opening for the second room. “Come on in.”
Brianna led them to the tables and explained the process for making the wreaths just as Candy arrived with all the baked goods. Roni filled up the coffee canisters with decaf and set out a tray of cups. Jenni came in soon after with two carriers of kittens.
Two hours later, the women were walking out the door with finished wreaths in their hands and chatting happily. Three of the kittens were adopted, and more donations were made. “Thank you, guys. Love you!” Jenni said as she hurried out the door.
