Page 37 of All You Need Is Macchiato

"Soon, from what I heard. Beth said the suits were talking about 'quick turnaround' and 'minimal disruption.'" Sara stands, gathering her things. "Shame, really. Just when it was starting to feel special again."

Special. Like the way Kathryn's eyes lit up when a wish came true. Like her laugh during storytelling night. Like the quiet moments between events when she'd watch the community she was building, pride and purpose radiating from every inch of her.

Like the way she made me believe in impossible things.

"I have to go." I'm already standing, papers scattering.

"Now?" Sara blinks. "But the festival plans?—"

"Can wait." I grab my keys, my jacket. "Some things can't."

I take the lodge stairs two at a time, my mind racing faster than my feet. All those moments I wasted pushing her away. All those chances I had to tell her the truth—not just about Cam, but about how she makes this town feel more alive. About how she makes me feel more alive.

Her room is empty when I reach it. The bed is made, the desk cleared. No laptop, no tablet, none of the papers usually scattered across every surface.

"She checked out an hour ago." Lisa's voice makes me turn. She stands in the doorway, concern etched on her face. "I tried to tell you earlier, but you were busy with the festival plans."

"Did she say where?—"

"Just that she was leaving." Lisa twists her hands. "I'm sorry, Nolan."

I'm back in my truck before I realize I'm moving, gravel spraying as I turn toward town. The Coffee Loft is dark, closed early for the first time since Kathryn arrived. Through the window, I can see the Wishing Wall, wishes still waiting to come true.

My phone shows no messages, no missed calls. Only silence where her name should be.

The porch light flickers on as dusk settles over the mountains, and there she is. Kathryn sits curled in one of the rocking chairs scattered around the porch of the lodge, notebook in her lap, her tablet propped against the railing. Relief hits me so hard I have to grip the doorframe.

"You're here."

She looks up, startled. "Where else would I be?"

"Lisa said—" I stop, pieces clicking into place. "Lisa said you checked out."

"Oh." Kathryn tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Evie moved me to Cabin Four this afternoon. Said I might be more comfortable there, since I'd been living out of a suitcase in the suite. I guess Lisa didn't get the message."

The simple explanation makes my panic feel foolish. But seeing her empty room, thinking she'd left without a word...

"Can we talk?" I move closer, careful, like she might disappear if I move too fast.

She closes her notebook. "About what happened in the kitchen, or about Cam selling the coffee shop?"

"You know about that?"

"He told me this afternoon." Her voice is steady, but I catch the hurt underneath. "Right before he suggested I 'cut my losses' and move on."

"That's not going to happen." I settle into the chair next to hers. "You leaving, I mean. Not if I can help it."

She studies me for a long moment. "Yesterday you could barely look at me. Today you don't want me to leave. That's quite a change of heart."

"Not a change." I force myself to meet her gaze. "More like finally being honest about what was already there."

The porch light casts soft shadows across her face, reminding me of that first evening when she arrived at the lodge. When possibility felt as endless as the mountain view.

"I'm sorry," I say quietly. "About how I acted. About letting old wounds cloud my judgment."

"Old wounds?"

"The winter festival wasn't the first time Cam betrayed someone's trust." The words come easier than I expected. "Three years ago, when he bought the franchise, my family offered to help with the transition. We knew the community, understood what made the coffee shop special."

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