AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was important for her to see that he followed through on his threats. He needed to be strong and unmoving. He had to make her scared that she chose to open up shop where she had.
“I don’t see why it’s such a bad idea. You said it’s a bookstore. So what? People will still get their coffee at Mountaintop Java because they’re creatures of habit.”
“You don’t get it. Haven’t you been to Billings?”
“Well, yeah.” Corbin gave him a funny look, his green eyes almost laughing as much as his grin seemed to suggest. “Everyone’s been to Billings.”
“Not everyone,” Daniel muttered, though he was probably wrong on that, too. “Have you gone to that bookstore? The one with all the specialty coffees and teas? It’s a destination place in town where people go to read and have a latte. They’re always busy when I drive by.”
“So?”
It was getting increasingly harder not to snap at his favorite employee. He had to remind himself that his stress over potentially losing the coffee shop wasn’t a good enough reason to take it out on Corbin. Forcing his voice to drop to a calm, monotone, he tried to explain. “She’s doing the same thing. She’s going to sell specialty coffees and teas. She’s going to gather the interest of our clientele and she’s going to turn them into her customers.”
“Ah, I guess it’s possible. But you realize there are a lot of people who come here because they know us, right?”
“The point is that she’s going to get to know people, too. She’s planning to up the game. How long do you think it’ll take before the folks around here forget about us? We’re just your run of the mill coffee shop—maybe one small step above Starbucks.”
“We’re a lot better than Starbucks,” Corbin scoffed. “We offer so much more—like friendship.” It was a small shift, but Daniel had seen it. Corbin was finally getting the gist of what he was trying to tell him.
“One day folks are going to head over there to get a new book and their daily coffee. Then we’ll have to close up shop and…” And what? He’d have to fire all three employees. He’d have to go crawling back to his family’s ranch and start working a lot more in the fields—something he actually missed but also something he knew wasn’t the kind of life he’d planned on leading.
He couldn’t be the reason his employees were out of a job. They trusted him. He needed to do something quickly before the place opened up for good.
Based on what he could see through the front shop windows, he probably only had a few days. That wasn’t enough time at all.
A familiar, twiglike figure passed in front of the bookstore then stopped. She faced the coffee shop, her hands on her hips.
Oh no.
Not now.
Why did she have to take note of his place right now?
He most assuredly looked a sight. There had to be bags under his bloodshot eyes. His shoulders were hunched, and he could barely stay on his feet.
And yet his little prayer went unanswered.
Because here she came.
The coffee shop wasn’t filled to the brim, but it would be when the rush kicked in. Megan’s arrival turned more than a couple heads when the bell over the door jingled.
Daniel stared down at the screen of his monitor and did his best to keep his features smoothed. If she didn’t come to his side of the counter, he wouldn’t have to speak to her.
Thankfully, Corbin was great at his job. He hailed her over with a wave of his hand. “Welcome to Mountaintop Java. What can I get for you?”
Megan didn’t pay him any attention. She made a quick beeline for Daniel and came to stop in front of him. When Daniel didn’t immediately look up, Corbin muttered, “Daniel. You’ve got a customer.”
Daniel took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face. He lifted his gaze, hating just how much her eyes could throw him off. “What can I get for you?”
She leaned her elbow on the counter and glanced around the shop. “I don’t want anything.”
“You realize this is a coffee shop, right?” Corbin chuckled with confusion.
Megan winked at him. “What kind of business owner would I be if I didn’t check out thecompetition?”
The smile faded from Corbin’s face, and he blinked once before turning his attention to Daniel. It was written in his eyes the second he made the connection. He knew who Megan was and he wasn’t sure how to react.
Daniel refused to give her the satisfaction of getting to him. She’d infiltrated his home and his town, he wasn’t going to let her do the same to his business. “I don’t know how you plan on running things once you open up shop, but here we don’t take kindly to loiterers. So, either buy something or leave.” He flashed her a smile for good measure.
