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There was no one in line, so Beth read my application when I handed it to her. “Looks good. Any chance you have a few minutes to talk to Mary, the owner?”

Thankfully, I did. I didn’t want to appear too eager, so I glanced at my watch before answering. “I do. Thanks.”

I only had to wait a few minutes before Mary introduced herself and offered me a cup of coffee.Yes, please. Free coffee is always hard to resist. I cradled the warm cup hoping it might hide my shaking hands.Hopefully, Mary can’t see how nervous I am.I hated talking about myself during interviews.

“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Weatherford is a small town. Everyone here knows everyone else.” She chuckled, “And here at Grannie’s, we’re one big happy family. I know a lot of businesses say that, but here it’s true. My grandmother bought this building when I was a little girl.” Her eyes had that faraway look as she glanced around. “She renovated the beat up old bar and turned it into a coffee shop. My mom was the owner before passing the torch to me. And Beth,” she tilted her head towards the counter where Beth was stocking cups, “isn’t just my right-hand woman, she’s also my best friend.”

“Did your grandmother name it Grannie’s?”

“No, she called it Rita’s Coffee Saloon. She kept saloon in the name because she wanted to tie into the history of the building, plus she loved the cowboy saloon decor.” She sipped of her coffee. “I changed the name to honor her when I took over ownership.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Thanks.” A soft smile formed on her lips. “Granny wanted the shop to be warm and inviting, so she mixed the saloon decor with soft floral fabrics and pastels.”

I wrinkled my nose as I tried to envision the two different styles together in the shop. I felt bad for making a face, until she laughed.

“Exactly! My mom and I got rid of most of the granny decor after she passed. I’ve thought about redesigning it completely, but I can’t bring myself to do it. The cheesy decor is part of the shop’s charm.”

I laughed. This wasn’t quite what I’d expected when I sat down to interview with Mary. I felt a lot less nervous as we talked about the history. “It must have been nice working with your grandmother and mom.” I would’ve loved working with my grandmother and listening to her tell me stories as we prepped the kitchen for the dishes we’d cook together. My favorite memories were of the times I spent with her in the kitchen. Sadly, I didn’t have memories like that of my mother.

“It was, most of the time. Though I was glad to get away for a bit when I went to college.” She laughed. “You’d think I’d be tired of the theme by now. But when I was away, I actually kind of missed it.” She shrugged. “People seem to like it, so I’ll probably never change it. We have a steady flow of locals, and tourists love taking pictures inside.”

“That’s good. Do you think you’ll pass it on to one of your kids someday?”

“Nah, my two oldest sons, Jamie and Jack, work with their dad, John, as private investigators. My youngest son and only daughter are still active duty in the military.” She sighed, “Maybe I’ll get lucky and one of them will give me a grandkid to pass the shop to.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I took a sip of coffee to buy a few seconds. Before I could figure it out, Mary spoke.

“Enough reminiscing.” She picked up my application. “Your application looks good, but I noticed you have an extended stay motel listed as your current address.” Mary sounded inquisitive rather than judgmental, but it didn’t matter. I started fidgeting with my purse strap. I hoped she didn’t think I wasn’t worth hiring. An extended stay address screamed, “I’m not sticking around.”

“It’s temporary. I moved to Weatherford last week, and unfortunately, I need a job before I can sign a lease for an apartment.” My words ran together.

She nodded. “What made you decide to move to our small town?”

“I wanted a change of scenery and always thought a small town in Texas would be a great place to live.”Please don’t ask for details.

“Can’t argue with that. How did you like being a barista on a college campus?”

“I liked it. It was always busy, so my shifts flew by and I got to meet lots of people.” I lifted my coffee cup. “And free coffee for a college kid is always a nice perk.”

She raised her own cup. “I bet. I missed the free coffee when I was in school.” She asked me a few typical interview questions. What’d you like best, least? How’d you get along with your co-workers, managers?

I asked about pay, benefits, and hours. The job paid better than I’d expected and had typical benefits for a small business. The hours were mostly weekdays, which was a bonus.

“Beth used to be my only full-time employee, but I realized having a second full-time person during the weekdays was good for business. Our morning regulars like the consistency. Unfortunately for me, my other full-time barista is moving.”

Unfortunate for Mary, but good for me.

Mary stood up and shook my hand. “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I’ll check your references and run a background check. I think you’ll be a good fit, so if everything checks out, you’ll be hearing from me.”

I had a good feeling I’d be getting the call. Not wanting to jinx myself by getting too excited, I prayed.Please, please, let me get this job.

After leaving Grannie’s, I went to my next scheduled interview. It was a part-time receptionist position at a motel. Not only was the place dirty and run down, but the manager gave me the creeps. The motel I was staying at wasn’t great, but it was better than this one. I cut the interview short and practically ran out the door after saying goodbye. On the drive home, I said another quick prayer, begging to get the job offer from Mary.

Mary called me later that evening and offered me the job.Thank God!I accepted and told her I could start right away. The sooner I started earning a paycheck, the better.

I did a little happy dance after hanging up.Thank God I don’t have to keep job hunting.

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