AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 1
Evelyn
The sun shone down on my face as I walked to the coffee shop. It was my favorite part of the day, this morning walk. My little taste of freedom. But for the first time in a while, there were other things that competed for my favorite part of the day.
The scent of dry air and the distant sound of traffic. The glint of sun off sweating stucco and rushing water in a nearby arroyo.
Albuquerque hadn’t been high on my list of choices, but I was pleasantly surprised by the flat city that was bordered by mountains. The people were down to earth and didn’t ask questions. I’d found friends quickly, and the past six months seemed like they’d lasted forever. Hopefully, they continued to feel that way.
I’d always heard that phrase “it’s a dry heat” about the Southwest, but I hadn’t understood what it meant until living here. The temperature climbed into triple digits during the summer days, but it didn’t feel that way given the absence of water in the air. Back home in Florida, eighty-five degrees could be unbearable if the humidity was high. This, I could live with.
I turned the corner, and the Sandia Bean coffee shop came into view. When I’d first gotten to town, I’d stopped there on a whim to get a cup of coffee and noticed the help wanted sign. Once I’d stepped inside, it was all over. It was an adorable little space with a wall of windows that showcased a gorgeous view of the mountains. The place had turned into home more quickly than I expected.
I was a manager now. That was new, but welcome. I’d never thought I would love working in a coffee shop this much, but I did. Something about being able to make even the grumpiest customer smile with the blessing of caffeine. And now, I was finally putting down some roots.
The little bell over the door chimed when I entered followed by a chorus of hellos. No customers currently, but one of the baristas, Jess, was at the espresso machine. She was determined to perfect a new concoction that she swore would be a bestseller. She hadn’t found her version of perfection yet, but her results were delicious enough that no one—the owners included—minded her experiments.
“Hi, Ava.” Jess waved to me from behind the counter. “Unbearable out there yet?”
I laughed. “No, not yet. It’s actually gorgeous out. I parked far away on purpose.”
“Of course you did.” She shook her head. It was an open secret that I liked to walk to work, but I also lived on the other side of the city across the river. So I made a compromise and parked my car a few blocks away when I drove over.
Plus, it kept my car from being associated with the shop. Just in case. But Jess didn’t know that part.
A crash broke through the air like thunder, and I jumped, diving under the nearest cafe table.
“Sorry!” Jess called. “Just me being clumsy. I swear this machine keeps moving or something considering the number of times I’ve knocked things over in the past week.”
My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath was short. A pair of giant hands squeezed my lungs until there was nothing left. Adrenaline pulled me down into a vortex that was far too familiar. I couldn’t breathe. I needed to run.
With far too much effort, I forced breath into my lungs.
Calm down, Evelyn. He is not here. You are safe.
It took another three full breaths for me to force myself out from under the table and stand up. Steamed milk flowed across the floor behind the counter where Jess had knocked it over.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Must be a bit jumpy this morning.”
“It’s my fault,” Jess said. “Don’t know how these things manage to make as much noise as they do when they fall, but c’est la vie.”
“It always seems that way.” I smiled, but my breath still felt tight in my chest, and the smile itself was forced. Fake it until it’s real. It’s the way I’d had to live for far too long. The panic would pass soon enough, and I could go back into the happy bubble that this place provided for me.
I started toward the back office, stepping over the spilled milk as I went. “How’s the latest experiment?”
She made a face. “How is it ever? Not perfect.”
I laughed.
“Oh, Ava, I forgot. Someone delivered something for you about an hour ago. I put it on the desk.”
“They say what it was?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Not completely out of the ordinary. Probably a sample of some kind. Local suppliers sent the managers samples by name, hoping that we’d take a chance on them and start using a new product. Sometimes we did, but more often we didn’t.
I flipped on the lights in the office. A small, rectangular box sat on the desk I shared with two other managers. Maybe an instant coffee sample?
