Page 3 of In for a Treat

Five dollars wasn’t much for a thirty-minute private walk, but I hadn’t found the courage yet to tell her I raised my prices last year. And even then, I charged way below the national average. I guess it felt weird asking lots of money for something I loved so much, even though business-wise, it was a dumb move.

“Have a nice day, Olive,” Mrs. Hudson said, giving me a warm smile.

I said goodbye and walked to work. My car was at the shop – again. Honestly, my vehicle got towed so often I wondered if I should just bring it to the scrapyard and be done with it. I could swap the faulty thing for a bike and get around just as easily.

I arrived at Sip’nBean with only two minutes to spare. The scent of fresh coffee and cake wafted to me as soon as I pushed the doors open. I took a deep breath. To me, coffee was one of life’s best scents.

I greeted my colleague Juliet with a quick hello and ran into the back room to change into my Sip’nBean T-shirt and navy-blue apron. Both pieces of clothing had a coffee cup embroidered on them, giving the uniform a nice touch.

As soon as I got changed, I headed out front and took my spot behind the counter.

“Anything interesting happen today?” I asked Juliet.

She shook her head while frothing milk. “Not really, just the usual. I did hear a rumor about some property going up for sale and Dave wanting to start a food truck.”

She handed a cup of coffee to her customer and wiped her hands clean on her apron before untying it.

“Well, I’d better go. I’ve got an appointment at the hair salon.”

“Will I be able to recognize you tomorrow?” I jokingly asked. Juliet loved drastically changing her hairdo every six months or so.

She laughed. “Of course. I might come back as a brunette, though. See you tomorrow, Olive.”

I waved at her and arranged some of the supplies behind the counter. We were running low on takeaway cups, so I went to the storage room to get a new load.

When I came back, a dark blond guy was standing in front of the counter, scanning the menu on the wall behind me. I hadn’t seen him before, which could only mean one of three things: either he was new in town, he was here visiting someone, or he had been a recluse up until that moment, and the thought of fresh coffee had finally lured him out of his house.

“Welcome to Sip’nBean,” I said. “How can I help you today?”

The guy pulled his gaze away from the menu and smiled at me, making my heart skip a beat. Recluse or not, he was one gorgeous stranger and one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen in real life. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his suit pants matched perfectly with his fancy shoes. He looked like an important guy on his way to a meeting, except this wasn’t Wall Street, but downtown Old Pine Cove.

He bit his lip while thinking, then spoke in a British accent. “A cappuccino, please. No sugar and to go.”

I reached for a disposable cup.

“Wait,” he said. “Make it a double shot. I’ve got a busy day ahead.”

“Will do. What’s your name?” I asked, marker in hand.

That was the beauty of working as a barista. I always had the perfect excuse for finding out someone’s name without sounding like a creeper.

“The name’s Lewis,” he said in that adorable accent of his. “Nice to meet you.”

Well, hello, Lewis. If I had a tail like Butterscotch, I would’ve wagged it for sure. I had no clue what this guy was doing in Old Pine Cove, but I hoped he would stay for a long, long time.

Chapter Two

Olive

As I prepared Lewis’s order, I caught him perusing the flyers on the counter. He picked up one of mine, advertising my tarot card readings for dogs, and I broke out in a smile.

“Are you a dog lover?” I asked him, motioning toward the flyer in his hand.

He nodded. “I am, but this is complete rubbish, don’t you think?”

Ouch. He could’ve just as easily put a dagger in my heart and slowly pulled it out. “Excuse me?”

He crinkled his nose while reading the text on the flyer. “Tarot card readings for dogs? What a money scheme.”

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