Page 32 of There’s Trouble Brewing

Emily took a deep breath and then finally began. “The owner of the Brave Badge Roasting Company called me. He offered me a promotion.” Her voice wavered, the confession tumbling out awkward and unsure.

The table erupted in exclamations as the women looked around at each other.

“A promotion?” Macy echoed, her voice soft but insistent. “Where would it take you?”

Emily paused, feeling the weight of their questions pressing in. “Montana,” she finally disclosed. “It comes with a significant raise and lots of travel.” The admission hung there, suspended between her own conflicted hopes and the reality she hadn’t yet faced. “And then there’s the offer from Mark. He wants to make me the manager of the Brave Badge here in Faith Valley.”

Sue blinked, clearly taken aback. “That’s huge, Emily. What are you going to do?”

She shrugged, playing with the stem of her glass. “I don’t know. I see reasons to stay and reasons to go.”

Macy fixed her with a disappointed look. “You’re not thinking of taking it, are you?”

“She could,” Sue chimed in, her tone gentle but honest. “But I’d be glad if she stayed.”

Layla tilted her head, studying Emily with an intent gaze. “I think you need to talk to Mark about it.”

Emily bit her lip, their words tangling with her thoughts. Talk to Mark? Did he even care what she decided? She tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear, her mind a whirlwind of maybes and what-ifs.

Sue nodded in agreement, a knowing smile forming onher lips. “Yeah. He might have a good reason for you to stay.”

Emily’s fingers tapped on the table, her nails revealing her nervous energy. “I don’t know if—” she started, but Lacy cut her off with a gentle but firm, “You need to.”

Sue reached across, giving Emily’s hand a supportive squeeze. “Just so you know, I’d love to have you as my boss.”

“Thanks for that.” Emily forced a smile, but her eyes betrayed her turmoil, darting to the window where the rain ran in frantic, racing lines. She was more conflicted than ever, but one thing was clear: she’d have to talk to Mark. The thought settled uneasily as the storm pressed against the windows with unrelenting force.

“I guess on that note, I have somewhere to be,” she told the other women as she stood up. With a lingering glance at her friends, she stepped away, her mind already racing ahead to where she needed to go.

The wind whipped her face as Emily stood outside Mark’s apartment, indecision sharp and stinging. She bit her lip, tasting rain and nerves. One moment more, two, and finally, she knocked. The door swung open, light spilling out and around her, his surprised expression framed like an unfinished picture. Emily steeled herself, pushing past the uncertainty that howled as loud as the wind. “Can we talk?”

Mark stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. The space felt warm and close, and Emily struggled to catch her breath, both from the sudden change in temperature and from the weight of what she had to say. He shut the door against the storm’s fury, a quiet barrier between the wild outside and the tension that settled around them.

“Didn’t think I’d see you tonight,” Mark said, a hint of surprise lingering in his voice.

Emily nodded, awkward and unsure. “Yeah. I—” She broke off, looking everywhere but at him. She had to do this; she had to get the words out. She focused on his expression, trying to read what was beneath. “I wanted to tell you...Joe Griffin offered me a promotion but it would be in Montana.” Her voice was thin, trembling slightly with the effort.

Mark didn’t react right away. He was so still, too still, and it made Emily’s heart race with a nervous rhythm. “That’s big,” he finally responded without any emotion showing.

She felt her resolve falter, then stiffen under the scrutiny of his blue eyes. “I guess.” She brushed her damp hair from her face, her hesitation lingering in the air like a half-formed question.

His gaze didn’t waver. “What are you thinking you’re going to do?” he questioned, his tone serious but soft.

Emily fumbled for the right words, feeling them slip through her fingers like sand. “I—I’m not sure,” she admitted, the confusion raw in her voice. “I always wanted a job that would give me a chance to travel, and the pay is great.” She wanted to say that she also really likes Faith Valley, that she likes him, and she is tempted by his offer. But she was also afraid his offer stemmed from his appreciation of her work, not something romantic. And that kept her from bringing up how she felt.

Mark’s expression remained unreadable, his silence stretching long and thin between them. “Sounds like you’ve made up your mind.” The calm acceptance in his tone caught her off guard.

Emily’s heart sank, her earlier conversation with the women echoing cruelly. Did she misread everything? She’d thought—hoped—there was something real formingbetween them. “Is that it?” she asked, struggling to keep the hurt from her voice.

He blinked, surprise or confusion—she couldn’t tell. “Emily, you have to do whatever is right for you?—”

She couldn’t let him finish. “I thought maybe...” She trailed off, feeling the enormity of the space between what she’d wanted and what was real. Her words stumbled, awkward and raw. “I should go,” she muttered, turning toward the door, her heart twisting painfully.

Emily couldn’t find the strength to look back as she stepped outside. The wind and rain were a fierce but welcome distraction from the sharpness of his words and the ache in her chest.

Even though shedidn’t want to, Emily knew it was the right thing to finish her final day at the Brave Badge and say goodbye to the staff.

The air inside the coffee shop was thick with the scent of espresso and uncertainty as Emily entered. She shook off the storm that had been raging outside all night.

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