Page 56 of Knot Your Sunshine
Neat rows of glossy shrubs cascade down the hillside, dotted with flashes of red. Beyond them, mountains stretch toward the sky, their summits crowned with wisps of cloud, all bathed in warm golden light.
"What is this place?" I lean forward, taking it all in.
"You'll see." He grins, and there's something mischievous in it. "Pull over by that gate."
When I kill the engine, the world fills with sound. Birds call out in complex melodies, leaves rustle in the breeze, and somewhere water trickles over stones in a steady rhythm.
I step out of the van as Josh hops out and moves to open a simple wooden gate. When he turns back to me, something fundamental has shifted. His shoulders have dropped, his stance has widened. He looks... home.
"Welcome to my coffee plantation."
The words don't compute. "Your—what?"
"Every tree and every bean." He gestures with obvious pride. He starts walking and I follow, our shoulders occasionally brushing. The path is narrow enough that we can't help but stay close.
"How did this happen?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"After we sold the company five years ago, I finally had time for hobbies." His fingers flex as he talks. "I've always loved working with my hands, building, creating things."
"Not just code?"
"Definitely not just code." He stops, turns to face me fully. "Don't get me wrong, I'm a tech nerd. But there's something about watching a seed become a tree, nurturing it through seasons, creating something that people can taste, can share..." He trails off, color rising in his cheeks. "Sorry. I get carried away."
"No." I touch his arm without thinking. "Don't apologize. It's beautiful. You're—" I catch myself. "This is beautiful."
We stand there for a moment, my hand on his arm, his eyes on mine. Then he clears his throat, gently takes my hand.
"Come on. Let me show you around."
His fingers interlace with mine so naturally I don't think either of us planned it. We walk deeper into the rows, and he points out different varieties with his free hand, explaining things like soil conditions and altitude effects.
"I apprenticed with a master roaster in Kona for six months," he tells me. "Learned everything from the ground up. Soil composition, processing methods, roasting curves."
"That's incredibly dedicated."
"When I commit to something, I commitfully." The last word comes out low, and I look down, heat flooding my face at the way his eyes focus on me.
"These are Gesha trees," he says, voice rougher now as stop in front of the most pristine rows, their branches heavy with perfectly ripened fruit. "Incredibly difficult to grow, but the flavor..." He reaches up with his free hand, plucks a red cherry, and splits it open with his thumbnail, revealing two pale seeds nestled inside. "Those are coffee cherries. Here. Smell."
I lean in, catching bright, almost citrus notes.
"Now." He moves behind me, and suddenly his chest is against my back, his arms coming around me to guide my hands to the leaves. "Feel for the ones that are ready."
His breath warms my ear as he shows me how to test for ripeness. "Gentle pressure here... see how it gives slightly? That means it's perfect."
His thumb strokes across my wrist as he adjusts my grip, and I shiver. I can feel his heartbeat against my back, definitely faster than normal. When I successfully pluck my first cherry, he doesn't move away.
"Perfect," he murmurs, close enough that I feel the word as much as hear it.
"Josh..." I turn in his arms, the cherry forgotten in my palm.
"Shall we..." His gaze flickers to my lips before returning to my eyes. "See how your cherry tastes?"
* * *
The processing station is built into the hillside, with natural stone basins carved to hold coffee at different stages. Water flows through channels between them in a gentle current.
"Josh, these are works of art."
