Page 33 of Sweet Christmas Wish
Before he could get started on Sarah’s drink, the bell at the front door jingled as Louise Thomas came in. Sarah gave Louise a huge smile, calling out a cheerful greeting as Louise made her way over to them. As usual, she was dressed in a skirt, her sneakers poking out from beneath the hem and, even though she wasn’t at Frosty’s Shack this morning, she still wore her old-fashioned apron. Will grinned at her.
“Morning, Mrs. Thomas. Good to see you,” he said.
“Good morning, young man. I had to come in and see what all this fuss was about.”
“Fuss?” Sarah asked.
“Word all over town is that you’ve got a handsome barista working for you.”
Will couldn’t help but be flattered when he saw Sarah blush a little and shoot him a shy look.
“And,” Louise continued with a sniff, her expression becoming slightly disapproving, “that you’re serving all sorts of fancy coffees. I don’t know that we need all that, but I suppose what you do in your own establishment is your business.”
“I can make you a black coffee, Mrs. Thomas,” Will assured her smoothly, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Sarah’s bulging eyes and pink cheeks. “No frills, no fuss, the way God intended—wasn’t that what you told me?”
“It is, it is,” Louise agreed, but she bestowed one of her rare smiles on him, a twinkle in her eye. “I suppose since you have all of these newfangled ingredients out anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to try a new drink, just this once. What do you recommend?”
“I promise you’ll love it,” Sarah chimed in. “I wasn’t sure at first, either, but Will hasn’t made a drink yet that I don’t love.”
“Oh, stop, you’ll make me blush,” Will teased. “Now for you, Mrs. Thomas, I think I’d recommend a pumpkin spice latte. It’s a classic comfort drink, especially on a day as cold and snowy as this one.”
“A pumpkin spice latte?” Louise pursed her lips, not looking convinced.
“It’s like having a warm slice of pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee, all at once.”
“That does sound rather nice…”
“It really is,” Sarah promised. “And if you don’t love it, we’ll get you a black coffee, on the house.”
“Well, I suppose I have nothing to lose,” Louise replied. “Go ahead. I’ll be your guinea pig.”
“You’re hardly a guinea pig if I’ve made this drink a thousand times,” Will said with a laugh as he began making her drink.
A minute later, he had Louise’s drink all prepared and he presented it to her with a flourish. Louise picked it up, giving it a sniff, then took a careful sip. Will watched with pleasure as Louise’s eyes widened and she looked up at him in wonder.
“Oh,” she breathed. “I didn’t know that coffee could taste like this.”
“Why, Mrs. Thomas, I do believe we’ve made a new convert out of you.”
Louise took another long drink. “I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. To think, I’ve spent decades of my life drinking my coffee black.” She shook her head ruefully. “I suppose this old dogcanlearn new tricks, after all.” She took another drink, as though she couldn’t help herself. “If all your drinks taste this good, I have no doubt that all the praise I’ve heard around town is well warranted.”
“Business has definitely been booming since Will brought in this espresso machine and started helping out as a barista,” Sarah said. “You know, he’s even thinking about adding a few adult beverages to the menu.”
“Adult beverages?”
“There’s nothing like a mimosa to go with pastries as delicious as the ones Sarah makes,” Will said with a smile.
“It sounds like the two of you have big dreams. What a good team you make!” Louise replied, giving Sarah a knowing look that sent Sarah’s cheeks pinking up all over again. She looked over at Will. “I look forward to trying one of those mimosas, young man, so hurry up and add them to the menu.”
It was all Will could do to keep a straight face, especially with Sarah looking like she wanted to sink into the floor behind Louise’s back. At the same time, a bit of worry began niggling at the back of his mind. If folks around town were starting to notice that he and Sarah had a connection, he couldn’t hide from the fact that he was starting to have feelings for her, and he wasn’t sure how to handle that. After all, he’d come back to see Michelle, not Sarah, and here he was starting to feel things for Sarah that had taken him completely by surprise.
“I’ll do my best, ma’am,” he replied meekly.
“Could I get a croissant to go with my coffee, Sarah?” Louise asked.
“Chocolate filled or plain?”
“Chocolate filled,” Louise said decisively. “I’ve already tried one new thing today, might as well make it two.”
