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Cal
Because I have a patient at 8
Aiden
So grab a coffee on your way in and one for that hot piece in your office. Or I could bring her a drink after I meet Theo
Cal
I’ll be there in seven minutes. I’m not waiting for y’all to order, so move your asses
Aiden
Wow. Tell Rowan if she ever needs more than a two-pump chump, she can call me
I shoved my phone and wallet in my pocket and walked the three blocks to Karma, going slow to avoid the ice that lingered on the sidewalk from the snow melt the day before. When I reached the café, Aiden climbed from his truck and greeted me with a fist bump.
“Did you speed getting here?” I asked since he lived a good fifteen minutes from Main Street, out in the farmland that surrounded Peace Falls.
“Nah, I was already here when Cal finally answered.”
Cal pulled to a stop behind Aiden and flung open the door of his SUV, his wet hair swirling in every direction.
“Couldn’t even last five minutes,” Aiden said.
Cal pointed at Aiden. “Fuck you.”
Aiden laughed as Cal joined us on the sidewalk and gave me a one-armed hug.
“Morning, brother,” I said.
Cal narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips in a line. “How much sleep did you get last night?”
“Enough,” I said, walking toward the café.
“Doubt it,” Aiden said, opening the door to Karma.
The inside was warm and filled with people enjoying their morning coffee, some talking in pairs and groups, others clicking away on laptops. Aiden tossed his jacket on an empty chair to claim the last free table and headed toward the counter. Theowner, Lauren, glared at him. Then she noticed Cal and me and broke into a welcoming smile.
“Morning, Theo, Cal. What can I get you?” she asked, completely ignoring Aiden.
I stepped up beside Aiden. “Shot of espresso, please.” I didn’t drink coffee often, but when I did, I always ordered espresso since it came closest to the coffee Mana used to brew in her briki. An intricately decorated snowflake cookie in the display case caught my eye.
“Want to add a cookie?” Lauren asked, sliding open the case.
“No thanks. I avoid sugar.”
Lauren waved her hand and reached into the case with a piece of wax paper before sliding the cookie into a paper bag. “On the house,” she said, handing it to me. “You can admire Poppy’s handiwork, then give it to Max.”
I accepted the bag with a nod. Aiden and Cal both had doofy grins on their faces. I questioned why I’d asked to meet them.
“I’ll take a coffee with a little cream and a Cinnamon Toast Latte for Cam. Both large and to go,” Cal said, glancing at his phone.
“Sure thing. Anything else?” Lauren asked.
“I’d like a triple-shot coconut milk cappuccino with extra foam and a pump and a half of vanilla syrup,” Aiden said. “Extra hot. For here.”
Lauren ignored the stack of colorful mugs and poured the dregs from a pot of decaf into a paper cup. She slid it across the counter to Aiden who took a long sip and hummed in appreciation. “Thanks, beautiful,” he said, shoving a fifty in the tip jar.