Page 59 of Tides of Discovery
Jack’s reply came right away.
On it. I’ll start compiling evidence. It’ll take some time, but we’ll prove they’re fake and get them removed.
I closed my eyes and breathed in slow, shallow pulls. Jack was on it. Jack wouldn’t let this go unanswered. But even his tenacity couldn’t erase the damage already spreading like a virus.
I stood there, rooted in place, helpless to stop it.
I couldn’t fix it.
I couldn’t defend myself.
I couldn’t even breathe properly.
By the time the friendly chatter of the lunch rush should have been filling the shop, thick silence had taken hold instead. The review-bombing had already crippled my business with surprising speed. Tourists must have been checking the app and falling for the scam.
I wiped down the counter again. I organized the pastry case. I precisely aligned the coffee cups.
I pretended everything was normal while the floor crumbled beneath me.
Hours blurred together in a miserable fog.
I was refilling the coffee bean hoppers when the bell jingled again, and I glanced up out of habit?—
—and nearly sagged in relief. Mason charged through the door.
His brown hair was messy, like he’d been running his hands through it all morning, but there was a determined light in his eyes that cut through my despair like a lighthouse beam through fog.
He marched straight to the counter. “I saw,” he said grimly, not wasting a single moment.
I opened my mouth to deny it, to downplay it, to keep my pride intact. But the words stuck in my throat.
Because Mason already knew. And the look on his face said he wasn’t here for platitudes. He was here for me.
“We’re not letting this stand,” he said fiercely, his hands flat on the counter. “So here’s what we're going to do.”
I blinked at him, stunned by the force of his conviction.
Mason’s grin broke through the grimness. “Promotion time. Ten percent off all drinks through Valentine’s Day. We’ll create positive buzz to drown out those fake reviews.”
I stared at him, uncomprehending.
He barreled on. “I already rallied Main Street—Tides & Tales, Coastal Light Gallery, Seabreeze Gifts, Landon’s hotel, Declan at the diner, even The Nest Boutique. We’re all promoting The Coffee Cove. Flyers, word of mouth, social media blasts.”
A rush of emotion, so sharp it made my eyes sting, hit me like a wave.
“You—” My voice cracked. I cleared my throat. “You did all that this morning?”
Mason gave a shrug that didn’t hide the intensity in his eyes. “Seacliff Cove looks after its own.”
I pressed my palms to the counter and willed myself not to collapse. Not here. Not now.
“Just design a simple coupon,” he said more gently. “Print up a bunch. I’ll distribute them.”
I nodded, feeling raw, hollow, and overwhelmingly grateful all at once. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll get on it.”
Mason clapped my shoulder, his grip warm and grounding. “Hang in there, Coop,” he said softly. “You’ll be okay.”
As he left to deliver coffee to his assistant, I stumbled into the office like a man dragging himself to dry land after nearly drowning. I opened my design program with trembling hands and forced my focus onto the screen.
