Bury the Cups: A Dragon Cozy Mystery (Hill Country Mysteries Book 5) by Verena DeLuca & NAK Baldron & Sabetha Danes

Author:Verena DeLuca & NAK Baldron & Sabetha Danes [DeLuca, Verena & Baldron, NAK & Danes, Sabetha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aconite Cafe
Published: 2021-10-13T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Wednesday, June 24th

HAVING ZACH COME into the café three extra days a week ended up being a blessing in disguise. While previous summers Tona and I tackled the influx of tourists and summer Texans, this year doubled our usual customer numbers. I could only assume it was either because of the recent improvements to the lake area or the statewide population spike meant the tourist towns unknowingly would get their own boost in popularity. Either way, in summer fashion, it was an all-hands-on-deck afternoon.

“If I have to make one more jimsonweed iced coffee today”—Aubrey leaned against the back counter—“I am banning you from making it the poison of the week for at least six months, and never again in the summer.”

I laughed but completely agreed. “It’s a messy one.”

The jimsonweed iced coffee consisted of coffee, milk, sweetened condensed milk, ginger, cloves, and cardamom, shaken with ice. When I thought it up, it sounded easy enough, but after a million eighth teaspoons, all the employees were over it.

“I gave up on using the spoon days ago.” She pushed the strands of her chin-length bangs out of her face. “A dash of this, a dash of that. All to go home smelling like cloves.”

Zach chuckled beside me and shook his head. We never called him out on his quietness or tried to force him into our conversations, but hearing him laugh at us made me smile. I hoped he knew how much I enjoyed having another introvert in the café.

I glanced at the counter of spice bottles in disarray. This summer proved that in the future, only easy drinks would be on the special’s menu, or maybe we would move to a monthly drink during peak months. Almost missed the ding of my latest French press, being lost in thought.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I said, and picked up the beaker of freshly pressed coffee to take to a table as theirs sat empty. “We’re going to have to re-look at the summer menu before next year. I can’t believe how much our traffic has increased.”

I replaced the customer's beaker with a full one, and they handed me exact change for the order. Another table of tourists flagged me over to order an additional beaker as well, giving me their card to run through the machine. Once back through the dropped flap, I set the two empty beakers next to the sink and started on a second beaker.

“I’m just glad we ordered more beakers before June hit,” Aubrey said. “Adding a full French press option to the menu seems to be a huge hit.”

“I really didn’t think it would be, but boy, I feel like I am on a rotation of them today.”

“I think I’ve washed about a million of them,” Zach said as he washed the current dirty ones.

I looked around the café and smiled at the full and excited customer base. Tona would be proud of the increase in business and changes to the menu. Though most of our regulars requested permanently reserved tables.

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