Page 43 of All You Need Is Macchiato

"Mom loved hazelnuts." The memory warms instead of hurts. "Said it reminded her of the mountains in fall. I worked on that recipe for weeks, wanting to surprise her. Every time someone orders it now, I think of her smile when I finally got it right."

Kathryn's hand finds mine, our fingers weaving together. "Tell me more? About what this place was like then?"

"It was more than just a coffee shop." I play with her fingers as I talk. "It was where everything happened. First dates, study sessions, community meetings. Old Joe would read stories to the kids every Saturday. Marie started her flower business with just one bucket by the door."

"And now they're all coming back."

"Because of you."

She shakes her head. "Because of us. Though sometimes..." She hesitates. "Sometimes I wonder if I can really do this. Make it last."

"Hey." I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against her cheek. "You've already done the hardest part."

"Getting Elk Ridge to trust again?"

"Getting me to trust again."

She looks up at me through her lashes, and the vulnerability in her eyes makes me want to pull her closer, shelter her from every doubt.

"I never expected this," she whispers. "To find somewhere that feels like it was waiting for me. Someone who feels like..."

"Home?" I finish when she trails off.

She nods, and I feel her pulse flutter under my thumb where it rests against her wrist.

"You know what Mom used to say about home?" I shift so I can see her better, memorizing the way the fairy lights catch in her eyes. "She said it's not about the place. It's about the moment you realize you've found where you're supposed to be."

"And have you?" Her voice is soft, intimate in the quiet shop. "Found where you're supposed to be?"

Instead of answering, I lean in, pressing my forehead to hers. She sighs, a small sound of contentment that makes my chest tight with emotion.

"I wanted to hate you when you first arrived," I admit. "This beautiful city girl in impractical shoes, here to change everything."

She laughs softly. "I wanted to prove you wrong so badly."

"You did." I brush my nose against hers. "About everything. About what this place could be. About what I could feel."

Her free hand comes up to rest against my chest, right over my heartbeat. "Nolan..."

"I'm falling in love with you," I whisper against her lips. "Think that wish can come true too?"

Her answer is a kiss, soft and sweet and full of promise. When she pulls back, her eyes are shining.

"Some wishes," she says, "come true the moment you make them."

Outside, the mountain night deepens to velvet. Inside, the Wishing Wall glows with possibilities. And here, in this quiet corner of a coffee shop that feels more like destiny than business, I hold everything I never knew I was wishing for.

Chapter Seventeen

Kathryn

"Two hazelnut macchiatos, one maple scone, and..." Annie glances at her notepad. "Three wishes waiting to be pinned up."

"The wall's getting full again." I hand her the lattes, smiling as Old Joe and his new knitting circle claim their usual corner. "We might need to expand."

"Already?" Nolan appears behind me, his hand finding its familiar place at the small of my back. "We just added the second board last week."

"Look around." I gesture to our packed shop, where every table hosts a story. "I'd say we're victims of our own success."

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