Page 70 of Mountain Bean Dream
“You have lots of time. We’re not rushing things. She knows I love her, and I know she loves me. And that’s all we need right now.” The sparkle in his eyes was enchanting.
Planting a quick kiss on his lips, I moved back behind the counter, taking in the scene before me. Smiling customers. A steady job with the best bosses ever. And true friends and family. I felt a quiet sense of contentment. This was my life now—simple, steady, and full of meaning. I had a job I loved, music to play, and people who genuinely cared about me.
And Jeremy. Always Jeremy.
As if reading my thoughts, he caught my eye and grinned. “Hey, Molly, think you’ve got time for one last cup of coffee before closing up?”
“Only if you promise not to steal my bear claw again,” I shot back.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Scout’s honor.”
I brewed his flat white with a pump of hazelnut syrup and added a heart foam art to the top of his Snoopy and Woodstock mug before sliding it across the counter.
As he took the first sip, his eyes softened, and for a moment, the bustling coffee shop faded into the background. It was just us, caught in the quiet rhythm of a life we’d built together, one laugh, one note, and one cup of coffee at a time.
“So,” he said, leaning on the counter with that crooked smile I’d come to adore, “how do you feel about trivia night next week?”
“It’s themed, right?”
“Yup, a classic. Trivia from the Friends TV show.”
“And how do we dress for that?”
“Hmm…” He tapped his perfectly manicured beard. “There’s lots of options. The chick and the duck? A holiday armadillo? Spud-nik?” His laughter—the kind of sound that felt like home—filled the space between us. “Actually, that one suits you.”
“Yes, it does.” I winked and turned back to the espresso machine, humming along to the music overhead. In this moment, I realized something I hadn’t fully understood before.
I wasn’t just making coffee. I was making a life. A good one. A happy one.
And maybe, just maybe, it was the best thing I’d ever brewed up.
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