Page 6 of Beanful Wishes

“It could help with fulfilling the wishes.” I stare at him, willing him to see the good that can come from this.

“How?” He crosses his arms across his broad chest.

“Go grab a card. The next wish you want to work on fulfilling,” I say, my voice soft enough so it doesn’t carry through the noisy place.

Despite this, he looks first over my shoulder, then his before walking up to the Wishing Wall. He returns a moment later with a card in his hand.

“Interesting choice.” I read over the wish. “I can work with this.”

“Can you?” His eyebrow raises in a move that’s becoming oddly familiar.

“Of course I can. Watch and be amazed.” I turn to walk back to my spot, pulling my phone from my back pocket, ready to get to work.

A large hand grips my shoulder. “Wait.”

“For what?” I hear the challenge in my voice.

“You really think you can help make this wish come true?” he asks, handing me the index card.

“I do.” My eyes fly over the information for a second time, ideas racing through my mind. “We can give them a day they will never forget and document the process for posterity.”

“What about them?” Jake points to the card that holds the wish of a father and daughter for a special day out together. “Wouldn’t having a camera crew follow them ruin the whole thing?”

“Not if we do it right,” I say. “And we will. I promise we won’t get in the way. And it could do a lot of good.”

Jake doesn’t look convinced.

“It could encourage more people to post wishes, and I promise it’ll open doors to help make them come true.”

His features soften ever so slightly.

“And I promise we won’t go ahead with this until we talk to the dad. If he doesn’t think it’s a good idea, we won’t film.” I takea step closer. “And I’ll help you give them the best day of their lives, no matter what he decides.”

“Sure about that?” His eyebrow raises again.

“Pinky promise.” I hold out my hand and watch his lips twitch up into a grin.

He links his pinky with mine. “I’ll take you up on that.”

“Great. I better get to work then.”

By the time I walk out of Coffee Loft and back to my car, I have pages full of notes and several irons in the fire to give one little girl a day she won’t soon forget.

“I hope you have an update for me,” my boss says when I call him. “When do I have my Wishing Wall story?”

“With a little luck, by the end of the week.” I catch him up on everything that’s happened, including my promise to Jake.

“The father better come through then,” he grumbles. “And you watch yourself. From where I’m sitting, you sound smitten with this Jake guy.”

He isn’t wrong, and I can’t wait to see more of my favorite barista over the coming days.

Chapter Four

Jake

“Ready to get started?” Sophia calls out as I walk up to Coffee Loft.

I look at my watch. It’s barely eight-thirty and we’re not supposed to meet for another half an hour.

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