The Whisper in Wind by Rachael Bloome

Author:Rachael Bloome
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Secret Garden Press

Vick absentmindedly sliced a chunk of apple and tossed it to Buddy, who’d benefited from his lack of appetite that morning.

He’d barely touched his coffee, too lost in his thoughts. He wasn’t sure how he’d get through the next few days until dinner with Lucy. It was all he could think about.

Although, he still wasn’t sure what he was doing. He had solid reasons for never getting close to anyone, and his boundaries had served him well over the years. This was the first time he’d considered breaking his long-held rules.

What if he was making a mistake?

His phone buzzed in his cargo pants pocket, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Hey, Colt.”

“Hey, I hate to do this to you, but I need a favor.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“I promised Frank I’d help him roast today, since all the guests had activities lined up elsewhere. But one of them had a change in plans, and I can’t get away. Can you cover for me? I heard you’ve helped Frank before.”

“Yeah, I can do it.” He’d appreciate the distraction.

“Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

After ending the call, Vick sliced the rest of the apple and set it on the porch. “It’s all yours, Bud.” He patted him on the head before ducking inside to grab a few things.

Unsure how long he’d be gone, he lobbed a protein bar and water bottle in the back seat, adding a jacket at the last minute in case it rained.

The entire ride to Frank’s place, his excitement grew. He’d had a blast helping last time, and reading Frank’s book had only increased his interest in the unique roasting method. It would be fascinating to experience it again but armed with his newfound knowledge.

He rolled to a stop in the gravel driveway, and immediately spotted the smoke billowing from behind the house. Frank didn’t earn any points for patience, given he’d only arrived five minutes past the time Colt was supposed to be here.

As he rounded the corner, he expected Frank to be surprised. Colt hadn’t mentioned giving him a heads-up about the switch. But Frank didn’t even raise one bushy eyebrow and simply waved him over.

For the next twenty minutes, the gruff taskmaster leaned against his smooth manzanita cane and barked orders. When they’d finished, and the coffee was left to cool in the glass mason jars, Vick grinned, once again completely exhilarated by the process.

“Why are you smiling?” Frank grunted. “We’re not done.” Using his cane, he pointed to a large barrel of green coffee beans. “Fill the bucket with three scoops of Costa Rica, three Sumatra, and four Kenya. I’ll show you how to load the machine. Try not to muck it up.”

They went through the entire roasting routine four times before Frank sanctioned a break.

“How much coffee have we roasted?” Vick drained a large gulp from his water bottle, beads of sweat scattered across his brow despite the cool breeze.

“Enough to supply the businesses around town. But we still need to put together the donation for the veterans shelter.

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