“Hey, if the lady wants to see goats in ‘jamas, then the lady should get to see goats in ‘jamas.”
Chapter 4
Frankie
By Wednesday, I was grateful it was supply day. I hadn’t been sure what to expect, but since it had been a while since the coffee shop sold fresh baked goods, I didn’t anticipate a huge number of sales. Cap had laughed and said I had a lot to learn about small towns. Apparently, the local grapevine was lightning quick, and a fantastic marketing ploy. Ripley had gone with me last Friday, and we’d filled the back of his hot pink Jeep up, and I’d thought the amount of stuff I’d purchased would last well past now, but I would’ve had to change the menu for tomorrow if the supply truck wasn’t coming. It would’ve been a shame because both my orange cranberry and my currant scones had been selling out by mid-morning each day.
Ripley was thrilled I’d found a job, and even more thrilled it was at Cap’s place, but he wasn’t very happy about me getting a house. I knew it was the right choice, though. I loved the ranch. Ripley and Reed were creating something special there, but it wasn’t for me, and that drive into town at 3:30 a.m. each morning was a killer. I popped the last of this morning’s scones in the oven and started on the chocolate chip and cinnamon streusel muffins for today. I could hear Cap in the front getting everything set up, and the smell of coffee wafted in. I loved the smell of it. I just didn’t much care for the taste. I could dress it up with enough cream and sugar to make it tolerable, but why do that when a nice cup of tea would do just as well?
I was playing with the timing of the first of the morning baked goods and being able to open the shop, but I thought it was going to work. I should be able to get the coffee going and the front set up while the first batches were in the oven, then put them out just in time to open the door. We weren’t going to try it for a couple of weeks, though. Cap still had to show me how to set up the front, and I wanted to get my baking feet back under me first. I was really excited to start doing cakes. Cap had been right about the interest, and the first day I had three people up front asking to speak to me about making them cakes. I’d been able to accept two of the jobs because they weren’t until next month, so I was off to a decent start.
Sherrie was coming by this afternoon to take me to look at a couple of her rental properties, and Ripley had agreed to go with me. I was excited about settling in. I took the scones out and was putting the muffins in when Cap came into the kitchen. He was such a big man, every time he came back here it felt like the kitchen shrank. I reminded myself for the hundredth time that he was off limits. Ripley had been teasing me non-stop about him. He knew that Cap was exactly my type, but I was determined to be adult about this and keep it a working relationship. Besides, he hadn’t shown any interest in me whatsoever, and I’d heard stories about Jefferson, his ex, from Ripley and from Miller and from what they said, it seemed that while Cap might be my type, I wasn’t his. So I ignored the little rush I got when he came in and focused on what I was doing.
He grabbed one of the hot scones off the cooling rack and broke it in half, smelling it. “Oh, man, Frankie. These smell wonderful.” He smiled and popped a bite in his mouth. He groaned and said, “This may be the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Even better than the orange cranberry I had yesterday.”
“People really seem to like them,” I agreed.
“No, people love them, that’s why I wanted to try one. Everyone has been talking about how they didn’t know currants were so tasty. Are these ready to go up front? I have everything all set up so I can take them.”
“That would be great, thanks. If you take those, I can get started on the queijadas.”
“On the what?”
“Queijadas. They’re sort of a Portuguese cupcake. A friend of mine taught me to make them from his grandmother’s recipe. They’re like a crustless tart. Really good. I wanted to try them today. I figured they would be great to have for the afternoon customers. They’re perfect with a hot cup of tea.”
“Or coffee,” Cap said with a wink, taking the trays and going back out front.
By the time I got the queijadas out of the oven to cool, it was time to go look at houses with Ripley. He was waiting out front for me. I let Cap know that we were leaving and started down the sidewalk to the real estate office to meet Sherrie. “I don’t understand why you think you have to do this. You have the whole freaking wing of the house to yourself, for heaven’s sakes,” he grumbled.
“Sweetie, you know I’ve loved staying with you guys, but I need to be in town. I have to be here too early to be driving in like that.”
“It isn’t that far. We have lots of people who live at the ranch, so it’s not like you would be intruding. I don’t see why you need to spend your money on rent when you can live there for free.”
“I like it here, Rip. I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to keep me out at the ranch, I promise.”
“I missed you when I was here and you were still in Dallas. I like having you close.”
Sherrie greeted us when we walked in, “Hey, boys, you ready to go find a place to live?”
“I am.”
“I have three empty ones to show you. Two of them are my rental properties, and the other is one I manage for the owner. All three are in town and one is within walking distance of the coffee shop. We’ll start with the one over on Butternut. It’s the furthest, and then we can work our way back.”
“Sounds great,” I told her. “Let’s go.”
The first one had a tiny kitchen, so I discounted it right away. The second was a cute, little, brick ranch with a small fenced-in yard, and it would work fine if the third one didn’t work out.
“Now this last one I’m going to show is the oldest of the three, but it’s one of mine and it’s well-maintained, so don’t be put off by the age. It’s small, but it’s cute.” She pulled into the driveway of a little cottage-style house. It was small, but it had a wrought iron fence around the front yard, and it was in great shape. It also had a small covered front porch and a carport off to the side.
“It’s really cute,” I said. “And it’s only a couple of blocks from the coffee shop. I wouldn’t have to drive over unless I wanted to.” We got out and went inside, and it was as adorable inside as it was outside. It had a good sized eat-in kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms. It wasn’t any smaller than the apartment I’d shared with my roommates in Dallas before moving into Ripley’s condo. “It wouldn’t take much for me to furnish this at all.”
“You can take whatever you want from the condo, too. If you aren’t going back, I’m not keeping it and I don’t need the furniture.”
I thought about what was there and where I could put it. “I think everything would work but the table. I’ll need to get a smaller table, but I don’t think there’s anything else I’d have to buy.” I’d given up arguing with Ripley about giving me things years ago and instead, just tried to accept that was the way he showed he cared.
“So you want it?”