Stamped Out by Tonya Kappes

Author:Tonya Kappes [Kappes, Tonya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tonya Kappes
Published: 2019-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

TEN

I’d like to say I got a lot of sleep so I could be nice and prepared for the full day of walking ahead of me, but Mac, Chuck, and the entire country club situation weighed heavily on my mind, so much that I didn’t even get one wink of shut-eye.

Even Rowena was sick of me moving around in the bed, leaving me at about two a.m. to find a more peaceful place to sleep.

I gave in to my restlessness and got ready for work. I didn’t even bother making coffee because I knew it would be perfect timing to stop at the Roasted Bean on my way to work. I filled Rowena’s bowl, grabbed a piece of bread for my duck, and headed out.

The Roasted Bean was a coffee shop on Main Street between the community center and Tabor Architects. It was perfect for me to park my car at the post office and walk across the street.

Matilda Garrison was the young and hip owner of the coffee shop. She had gorgeous long black hair she wore in dreadlocks. She’d grown up in Sugar Creek Gap but moved away to go to an actual roasting school located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. After she completed school, she worked there and saved up enough money to come back home and open her own shop.

“You’re in here awfully early.” Matilda was behind the counter, hand drying a few of the white ceramic coffee mugs. “I usually only see my regulars.” She nodded toward a group of elderly people at a table in the corner.

The tables were at the front of the left side of the shop. There was a long counter on the right side with some barstools. The building had been an old-time soda fountain that had stood empty until Matilda revived it. The entire town had been happy to see she’d kept the original structure and interior.

“You’re not delivering mail already, are you?” she asked as she put the mug on the hook with the others.

“No. I couldn’t sleep with all the ruckus going on around here.” I eased down onto one of the stools.

“I heard about Chuck.” She shook her head. “It was a shame. He was just in here a couple of days ago with Ashley Williams.”

“He was?” I asked.

“Yeah. I remember because he ordered a caramel frap, and she ordered one too. Normally she gets a pumpkin spice latte this time of year.” Matilda smiled. “He even complimented that I had just the right amount of the good stuff, he called it.”

“I’m glad you have that fond memory of him,” I said. “Can I get a large hot coffee with cream to go?”

“Sure.” Matilda turned and grabbed one of the white to-go cups.

“Did you hear what they were talking about?” I asked.

“I hear a lot of things.” After she filled the cup, she opened the refrigerator and grabbed the creamer. “She was saying something about the country club. They were whispering.”

She put the black lid on the cup and slid it toward me.

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