Apple Cider (Cupid's Coffeeshop Book 9) Read online

  APPLE CIDER

  ninth in the

  Cupid’s Coffeeshop

  Series

  By

  Courtney Hunt

  APPLE CIDER

  Copyright © Courtney Hunt 2016

  All Rights Reserved

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First Digital Edition: September 2016

  www.Courtney-Hunt.com

  Chapter One

  When Harper Wells dashed into Cupid’s Coffeeshop just after nine on Monday morning, she’d already been awake for hours, getting her five-year-old daughter ready for her first day of Kindergarten. After making French toast from scratch, packing her lunch, and overseeing no fewer than three outfit changes, Harper felt she’d put in a full day already.

  Heaving a deep sigh, she joined the back of the lengthy queue—when had the coffeeshop grown so popular?—and checked her watch. She had just a few hours to work on her special project before a brief shift at the card store. Then she’d race across town to pick up Layla from her mother’s house and rush back home for dinner and bedtime. Harper was already exhausted just thinking about it.

  As the queue inched forward, she closed her eyes and practiced her yogic breathing, letting the constant exhaustion of being a single mom to a vibrant, active five-year-old seep through her, ignoring her aching back and a slight headache. Should she be this tired at only twenty-eight? Harper would really have liked nothing more than a nap, but, since she only had a few child-free hours, she really needed to focus on work instead of curling up, snoozing in the September sunshine. No matter how much she longed for the well-earned break, she just couldn’t do that.

  Just as she started drifting into a doze, she snapped her eyes open and quickly moved forward in line. She rubbed her tired eyes and did a few unobtrusive shoulder rolls. She’d been looking forward to the start of school for weeks but now the big day was here, Harper felt strangely reluctant to start on her project.

  What if it was not at all as wonderful as she imagined?

  What if she couldn’t really do it? What if she was a failure—again? Could she face the humiliation, the shame, the embarrassment? Her stomach churned, her single slice of French toast settling like lead. Was she crazy to pursue this?

  Maybe she should have just gone out to breakfast with her mom and her mom’s friends, following their long-cherished start-of-school tradition of a champagne brunch followed by a day at the spa. She couldn’t imagine it was all that challenging for her Mom to get Alice—Harper’s self-sufficient little sister—off to her Junior year of high school, though. Mom had probably woken up only two minutes before Alice dutifully pecked her cheek and headed out to catch the bus on her own. No, Harper didn’t fit in with her mom’s crowd. For one thing, they were all at least twenty years older. Harper’s own friends were different, too, all either still single or newly married; she was the only twenty-eight-year-old divorced, single mom for miles.

  Her friends’ transparent matchmaking attempts were growing tiresome, as they tried to pair her off with an older son or nephew, or some random acquaintance; she was quite done with that part of her life, had no time, no patience and no need for romance. It was nothing but a big disappointment anyway; hadn’t she learned the hard way that she had no one to rely on but herself? Instead, she’d focus on her future and on building a more secure life for her and Layla; hopefully, she wouldn’t fall flat on her face, but, if she did, well, she’d suffered humiliation before and could do it again. At least she’d try to make her dreams come true and provide a good example to her daughter.

  She hoped so, anyway.

  “What can I get you, then, Harper?” dark-haired Patrick Lockhart asked when she finally reached the register.

  “What’s your drink of the month?” Harper asked. Everyone in town loved to see what crazy concoction the three Lockharts would come up with next.

  “Spiced Cider,” Patrick answered, raking a hand through his floppy bangs. Idly, Harper found herself wondering about her best friend Kennedy’s claim that Patrick was crazy about Kennedy’s other best friend, Joy. Patrick was kind of cute, even if he was way too young and baby-faced to catch Harper’s own interest. What did a guy like Patrick see in mousy, boring Joy? “You want one?” Patrick added, breaking her daydream.

  “It’s Caramel Apple Cider, actually,” his handsome cousin, Joe, corrected, never stopping his quick movements behind the hissing espresso machine. According to Kennedy, Joe had fallen in love with some girl named Molly over the summer; Harper hadn’t met her but Kennedy assured Harper it was the real deal.

  Then again, being newly head over heels herself with none other than Harper’s younger brother, Kennedy viewed everything as tinged by love. She and Alex were so deliriously happy together, they might as well have little cartoon hearts circling their heads. Kennedy didn’t have Harper’s bitter insight into how quickly and completely things could fall apart.

  “What? I thought we decided on vanilla?” Zooey Lockhart complained as she slipped behind the counter, an overflowing tray of dirty coffee cups carefully balanced. Harper watched her slide it onto the back counter with a relieved sigh, before leaning over the side to give a handsome man in a suit a quick, smacking kiss. He returned a blinding smile, his turquoise eyes sparkling brightly, before heading out the door. Must be Zooey’s boyfriend, the town’s newest lawyer. Was everyone in town turning into love-struck couples? Maybe it was something in the coffee. If Cupid even thought about taking aim at her, Harper would spank his chubby little butt.

  “Why not just offer all three?” Harper suggested, long used to negotiating contentious playdates among the five-year-old set. Joe grinned at her as Zooey set to work washing the cups. “That’d work,” he said.

  “Would you like a spiced, caramel, or vanilla apple cider, Harper?” Patrick offered. “On the house.”

  “Sorry. Need the caffeine today. Just give me a double espresso.” Harper turned toward the packed cafe to look for a place to sit. The only open table sat in the far corner, crammed against the windows overlooking the street. She started heading in its direction after grabbing her coffee, but, as she wove her way through the maze, a couple moved forward and claimed it; they were looking far more interested in each other than in the delicious coffee.

  Harper paused, cursing under her breath, awkwardly juggling her hot coffee and ancient laptop. She took a fortifying sip, letting the rich taste of coffee linger on her tongue as the much-needed caffeine began working through her system. She could just go home and work but if she did that, she’d end up asleep, or doing laundry, or both. She needed to use her limited, precious free time wisely. She tapped her foot, internally debating getting her coffee in a to-go cup.

  “Harper?” a male voice behind her said. Harper knew that smoke-and-whiskey voice, just a hint of honey softening the vowels. It was Cooper Mason, her drop-dead sexy neighbor; she’d suffered a massive crush on Cooper since the day she’d first spotted him, sweat glistening on his tanned skin, moving boxes into the house next door. Wishing she’d stopped to put on lipstick and something other than her oldest workout clothes, she pivoted on her heel to greet him, ignoring the delightful frisson down her spine at his Southern accent’s effect on her name. Cooper grinned up at her, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners and the morning sunlight catching the silver in his hair. Gorgeous. Harper fought the urge to swoon.

&n
bsp; “Hey, Cooper,” Harper smiled, her voice sounding just the slightest bit breathy to her own ears. “Did Noah get off all right?”

  “Oh yeah. Second graders don’t even want to be walked to their classrooms. He jumped out of the car and barely remembered to yell goodbye before dashing off with his friends.” Cooper tilted his head, the sunshine setting his tan skin to glowing. Really, Harper thought crossly, does he have to look so ridiculously handsome this early in the morning? Even the sun flirted with Cooper Mason and every single mom she knew had a crush on the silver fox. The man must be drowning in casseroles and pies if the parade of single moms trotting up his front walk for the past two years was anything to go by, not that Harper ever stooped to such desperate measures. Yet.

  Cooper shifted back in his chair and picked up his coffee cup. Harper forced herself to focus on his words and ignore how the soft-looking cotton clung to his thick biceps and strong shoulders. “Did Layla start today, too? First day of Kindergarten, right?” he asked.

  “She did great. Excited to go to big girl school.”

  “And how are you doing?” he said. That was the thing about Cooper. Not only was he gorgeous, but he was also unfailingly nice, always with a kind comment, a smile, or a wave for the legions of Ashford Falls’ single moms who filed past his porch. He was friendly to everyone in their tiny town but never more than that; her crush on him was just hopeless.

  “I only peeked in the window once,” Harper said.

  Cooper raised a single eyebrow at her and Harper flushed, feeling desire surge through her to the tips of her toes, leaving delicious tingles in its wake. “Okay, three times.”

  Cooper barked out a laugh, his remarkable eyes crinkling at the corners. His hazel eyes were the color of sunshine streaming through just-turning autumn leaves, an amazing combination of gold, brown, and green.

  “She’ll be fine,” Cooper laughed.

  “I know,” Harper nodded. “She’s ready.”

  “And you’ll be fine too.” Cooper patted her arm, his long, warm fingers sending another flash of heat through her. “Even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

  “I just keep thinking,” Harper said. “I’m thinking about that little tiny baby burrito I brought home from the hospital five years ago, you know?”

  “I do know. I think the same thing with Noah. Where’d my baby go?”

  “I’m trying to enjoy my child-free time,” Harper said, glancing around at the still irritatingly packed shop. Giddy parents filled every table, delighted with the freedom school brought after a long summer at home. “Should have gotten here earlier. I guess I’ll go work at home. It’s just after a long summer, my house is too messy to work in.”

  “Mine too.” Cooper chuckled before waving to the empty seat across from him in the tiny booth. “We can share.”

  Harper glanced around again. No one seemed to be vacating. Didn’t any of these people have regular jobs? Conscious of her precious free minutes ticking past, she slid into the chair, careful not to knock knees with Cooper under the postage-stamp sized table. She set her crimson coffee mug down and unwound her laptop power cord. Cooper took it from her and plugged it in. Though she didn’t want to face it, her wheezing laptop was on its last legs and her budget wouldn’t stretch to replacing it at the moment; she’d just have to make do. She jabbed the power button and waited as it shuddered slowly to life.

  “What are you working on?”

  Harper swallowed; she hadn’t told a soul about her idea. She was feeling like she used to at the top of the high dive at the Ashford Falls community pool as a carefree kid. Words whooshed out. “My website,” she said.

  “What kind of website?” Cooper asked, sipping his coffee. He seemed genuinely interested; at least he didn’t laugh.

  “Well, I’ve always been good at arts and crafts so…” Harper wiggled in her chair, not quite able to articulate it. “I started blogging a while ago, just to get my thoughts out and posting crafts and activities Layla and I did. At first, it was just a way for me to get my thoughts out and now, it’s gotten really popular so I’d like to see if I can make it profitable. I thought I’d start selling some activity kits and stuff like that. It’s probably a silly idea and I should just use this time to find an actual job like my mom says…”

  “No, not at all.” Cooper shook his head. “You don’t want to live with regret.” Something flashed in his eyes then, sad and deep. She wondered what he regretted; possibly something to do with his late wife? He shook himself and gave her a smile, though Harper thought it seemed a bit strained around the edges.

  “I’m always looking for activities to do with Noah. It sounds like a great idea. What are you going to call it?”

  “I thought I’d just go with what I’ve been using. Apple of my Eye.”

  “Wait. You’re Apple of my Eye?” Cooper’s amazing kaleidoscope eyes widened. “I make your chocolate chip banana muffins all the time. Noah loves them!”

  “You’re kidding!” The pleasure of Cooper already knowing her blog warred with feeling suddenly, shockingly exposed. Other than her family and a few very close friends, no one in town knew about her online life.

  “After my wife died, I had to learn to cook. Your blog was a lifesaver.” Cooper beamed at her. “I can’t wait to see your site.”

  “Assuming I can get it to work,” Harper muttered.

  “You will,” Cooper said, the confidence in his voice spreading to her.

  “Thanks.” Harper took a deep breath, clicking open her web browser. Suddenly, creating her own site didn’t seem quite so intimidating. Alice and Alex could probably create a website for her in a matter of minutes but Harper wanted to do this one herself. Her hard-won independence had strengthened over the last few years on her own. Just as the website builder loaded, a blond man came to the table and tapped Cooper on the shoulder.

  “Grayson!” Cooper stood and shook his visitor’s hand before turning back to her. “I’ve got to run to my meeting, Harper. Talk to you soon.”

  And if Harper snuck a peek at his rear view as he left the shop, before settling down to work, well, she was only human after all.

  Chapter Two

  Two days later, Cooper was standing on a ladder cleaning out his second storey gutters, when a flash of bright coral caught his eye. On the sidewalk below, Harper jogged past, her glossy, dark hair in a swinging ponytail. Under the protection of his sunglasses, he admired the view until she turned the corner. Over the past two years, he’d certainly enjoyed his glimpses of the young, lovely, vibrant Harper Wells often enough.

  How could he miss her? Everyone on the street knew friendly, cheerful Harper Wells. Her little mini-me of a daughter was cute as a button, well-mannered and polite; Noah loved to ride bikes with her. Harper was a wonderful neighbor, responsible and quiet. Everyone liked her, including him. For the past two years, though, he’d kept Harper at a careful distance, not wanting to take the risk of getting to know her. Well, that was until the other day at the coffeeshop.

  He’d enjoyed chatting with her, listening to her hopes and dreams of the future. Up close, he’d noticed her scent, clean, like laundry dried in the sunshine, enticing and homey at the same time. If he were ten years younger, he’d ask her out to dinner, hold her hand at the movies, and steal a kiss in her comfy pillow-strewn porch swing that creaked in the early fall breeze. But, if he were ten years younger, he wouldn’t have Noah, he wouldn’t be a bitter, lonely widower, and he wouldn’t know that he and romance just didn’t mix.

  Harper was way too young, too full of verve and energy for a tired, cynical widower over 40, no matter how beautiful and tempting she was.

  She had her whole life ahead of her. What would she want with an old guy like him?

  Two years ago, after riding out the first wave of his grief after the death of his wife, Cooper brought Noah here, to the tiny town of Ashford Falls, seeking a fresh start to rebuild their lives together. Cooper gladly made Noah his first priority, his focus, his reason
for keeping on breathing on the days it seemed it would be easier just to give in to the grief and follow Cathy into the grave. Slowly, one day at a time, father and son emerged from the maelstrom of grief and loss.

  Noah thrived here in the tiny town of Ashford Falls, and Cooper didn’t want to do anything to risk their hard-won stability. So, he’d carefully kept his distance from the single women of the town, shutting down any and all invitations to be more than friendly. Instead, he focused on Noah and took handyman jobs that kept him close enough to meet the school bus every day. But Cooper wasn’t stupid.

  He knew exactly what all the women wanted who paraded up to his door, casserole dishes in hand. While Cooper was unfailingly polite to everyone, unable to overcome the manners his southern mama had drilled into him, he carefully kept things platonic. Despite all the single moms’ best efforts to catch him, only one caught his eye; his lovely, not-for-him next door neighbor.

  When he saw another bright flash of coral turning the corner, Cooper resisted another peek, keeping his focus and concentration on the messy task before him. Finally, he heard Harper’s front door click safely shut.

  But, if he spent the rest of the unseasonably warm morning thinking about the lovely way she filled out those tight jogging pants, well, he was only human, after all, and thinking wasn’t the same as doing anything about it. Cooper had long ago decided against that complication, no matter how distracting Harper might be.

  Later that afternoon, he strolled out to meet Noah’s bus, the same as usual. As he walked out of his garden gate, the fresh sunshine scent of Harper hit him, only seconds before she did herself! He banged his hip on the post of his white picket fence but instinctively grabbed her upper arms to steady her. She gave a slightly surprised cry, her fists gripping his t-shirt. They stood frozen, nearly embracing for a second, the warmth of her curves washing over his front before Harper released his shirt and stepped back, her cheeks nearly the same coral as her tight tank top.