Page 21 of Caffeinated in Amesbury
"Then we'll think of something else," I interjected confidently. "We always do."
"Exactly." Cole clapped me on the back. "Now, let's close up. We've got a big day ahead."
"Indeed, we do."
"Think it'll work?" Cole asked.
"Guess we'll find out," I murmured.
Together, we walked home under the blanket of stars, leaving footprints in the fresh snow—the only evidence of our late-night labor. And as the chapter closed on our tireless efforts, the question lingered:
"Hey," Cole said suddenly. "I know we've been at each other's throats, trying to keep this ship afloat... but I just wanted to say—"
"Say no more," I replied, cutting him off with a knowing smile. "We might be polar opposites in every conceivable way, but I wouldn't want anyone else by my side."
A shared grin blossomed between us, and for a moment, we simply stood there, two brothers bound by blood and ambition, allowing gratitude to bridge the gaps where stubbornness often widened us.
"Besides," I added, my tone playful, "who else would entertain my ridiculous promotional schemes?"
"Or challenge your stubborn streak with a dose of reality?" Cole quipped back. They both chuckled, the sound mingling with the distant carols from the town square.
"Reality? You mean your harebrained antics?" I teased, shoving Cole gently.
"Exactly!" Cole exclaimed, eyes twinkling like the festive lights strung up along the shopfront.
Would Caffeinated Bliss see the dawn of a new chapter, or was this the end of our story?
"Look what the cat dragged in!" Blair exclaimed, hair bouncing as she stood up for a hug that enveloped me in a cloud of cinnamon perfume—a scent as effervescent as Blair herself.
"Only if the cat went all the way to New York," I quipped, with a laugh that didn't quite reach my eyes. We settled into our seats, the leather creaking beneath us.
" I saw one of your authors just hit the bestseller list again! Aren’t you ready for that bonus?”
"I guess, the money is starting to not really matter to me," I replied, voice tinged with a note of practiced ease. Yet inside, I harbored a twinge of discontent that echoed like a faint murmur among the clinking of coffee cups.
"Speaking of books," Blair said, her expression dimming, "Caffeinated Bliss is going through a rough patch again." She fiddled with her spoon, creating whirlpools in her peppermint mocha.
"Rough patch?" I probed, eyebrows knitting together.
"Thomas and Cole are barely keeping their heads above water," Blair confided, worry crinkling the corners of her lively eyes. "I mean, I knew running a coffee shop wasn't going to be a piece of cake—or a slice of pie, in this case—but this is serious."
"Financial troubles? Again?" I asked, already picturing the brothers in my mind—Thomas with his furrowed brow buried in a novel, and Cole with that lopsided grin that seemed impervious to reality.
"Big time," Blair sighed. "They're drowning. It's like watching a slow-motion car crash. Cole barely tells me about it, but it’s obvious. Thomas isn’t as quiet as he is."
"Yikes," I breathed out, the image of Caffeinated Bliss, once a sanctuary of literature and caffeine, now teetering on the brink of disaster, striking a chord.
"Is there anything they can do?" I mused aloud, the wheels in my head beginning to turn.
"Unless a Christmas miracle comes along, I don't know." Blair's tone was equal parts jest and genuine concern, a concoction only she could brew.
"Christmas miracle, huh?" I repeated softly, a spark igniting in the blue depths of myt= gaze. I took a sip of mt latte, the frothy heart on the surface breaking into a chaos of cream and coffee—a sweet disarray that somehow felt fitting for the moment.
Thomas was shelving books with a furrowed concentration, his green eyes scanning titles like a hawk. Cole was behind the counter, attempting latte art with the focus of a child wielding a crayon for the first time.
"Look," I began, my fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on the tabletop, "I heard about your troubles, and I might have a way to help."
"Help?" Thomas raised an eyebrow skeptically. "We're not exactly in the market for a publishing deal. My brother and I have a huge event today. It’ll help."
