Sixty-two

“You oversee the two shops and the roasting,” Matt said, “but I run the import business. I do the sourcing. I attend the auctions, and I have the connections.”

“So?”

“Well, what if something happens to me on one of these sourcing trips? Our whole business goes down the drain, that’s what. I leave you and my mother ruined. When I listened to Cody Wood’s pitch, I thought about my mother’s future, Joy’s future, and your future, too.”

“What brought on this sudden outbreak of responsibility? Did you find a new volcano to surf in Burundi?”

“No,” he said. “I’m just realizing that I’m, you know, getting older, and if anything were to happen to me—”

“Stop! If the worst happens, I can take care of myself, so can Joy, and your mother is already taken care of.”

“I wish.”

“What does that mean?”

“When Pierre died, he left my mother the Fifth Avenue apartment and a generous annuity. But the property taxes and monthly maintenance fee on her place have gone up every year. She won’t admit it, but it’s becoming a real strain on her finances.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying don’t be surprised if she welcomes a generous financial offer that all of us can benefit from.”

“You’re wrong,” I said.

“We’ll see. It’s possible she’ll feel the way I do. The money Cody is offering would provide a cushion, some security—”

“There’s no such thing as security, Matt. It’s an illusion. We could walk out of here and be struck by lightning. A nor’easter could wreck your warehouse and blow us all away.”

I paused to let that sink in before telling him something I believed from the heart—

“After just one day with those determined young writers who showed up at our shop, I learned something. If you want to feel alive, you don’t give up your dreams. You accept the risks. You fly across oceans, hike up mountains, surf volcanos, and you don’t trade away what you love for so-called security.”

Matt’s brown gaze softened at my words and a slight smile lifted his face. “Given the potential hazards ahead, those words are pretty ballsy. But I have to admit, they’re nice to hear.”

“All your life, you’ve embraced risk,” I said. “Don’t stop now. Keep doing what you’re doing, and I’ll keep doing my job. We’ll get through this. All we have to do is reject Cody’s offer.”

“It’s not for us to say. While my mother is alive, she’s the controlling party when it comes to the Village Blend.”

“Your mother is going to say no to selling to Cody in four of the dozen languages you speak—with a few choice expletives to boot. And I insist on being there when she does. I don’t want you talking her into something she’ll regret.”

Matt snorted. “I can’t talk my mother into anything. I never could. Just don’t jump to any conclusions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t be so sure she’ll reject Cody’s offer. Her main concern is going to be what’s best for your future, my future, and the future of her granddaughter. I’m betting she’ll welcome the chance to cash in our chips, leave the table with millions, and free you, me, and Joy from a struggling business.”

I tried to push Matt’s view aside, but he was persuasive enough to plant a seed of doubt.

“She’ll say no,” I insisted again, though it came out less strongly this time.

“Even if she does, that might not be the end of it.”

“Of course it will.”

“I told you Cody has been working on this for some time. He’s already approached your new city councilwoman with his proposal. She’s all in—”

“What?! The Village Blend hosted her nomination party! So much for loyalty.”

“I warned you,” Matt said. “Cody has a silver tongue and a determined plan. He cited improvements he’d make to the neighborhood, an increase in employment. He even promised more security after a spike in crime around the Village Blend—”

“Spike in crime?”

Matt nodded. “Are you ready for this? When we sat down for lunch, Cody informed me that there was an assault in an alley behind our shop the night before—”

“That was Mr. Scrib,” I said. “But how could he know?”

“He claimed he’s been keeping tabs on crime in the area.”

“Right. I’d love to know how Cody Wood is ‘keeping tabs.’ A creep like him would resort to any number of nasty tactics to get what he wants. And don’t forget, he has a vendetta against us. We have a history of bad blood.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that a man who resorts to spying and stealing might have been sick enough to hire a thug to assault someone on our property. It would certainly reinforce his ‘spike in crime’ theory. And now I’ve got to wonder: Is he willing to go further than that to get what he wants? Are my baristas and customers at risk?”

“Don’t be paranoid. I know you dislike Cody, but you’re reaching with that theory.”

“Just the same, I’d like this drifter’s offer off our plates. Let’s tell your mother tonight.”

“No.” He shook his head and sat back. “In the next few days, Cody and his people are going to provide a written proposal. When I have it, we’ll go to my mother and review the whole offer.”

“As long as we do it together,” I insisted. “And when she says no—”

“If she says no.”

“When she says no, I’m going to tell Cody where he can stick his invitation to put our neck in his noose.”

Just then my phone buzzed. I checked the screen.

“Speaking of your mother,” I said, waving my mobile, “it’s a text from her. She’s coming by the Blend this afternoon with her new beau.”

“Another one?”

“Like mother, like son.”

“Low-hanging fruit, Clare.”

“Well, you’re both social butterflies—though your style is more buzzard.”

“Hey, I get no complaints,” Matt said. “So, what is he like?”

“I haven’t met him yet, but from her description he’s out of this world.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s a former astronaut.”

Just then, another text came through, this one from my youngest barista.

“Hey, good news! Nancy says we’re packed, and they need hands!”

“For now,” Matt said.

“Don’t be a killjoy.”

“I’m not. It’s nice to know there’s a temporary boom, but if you can’t sustain it, Cody’s offer might be our only hope.”

“Stop already. I can’t argue anymore. I won’t change how I feel, and your mother and her astronaut are expecting me.”

“Then I guess you better blast off.”