Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jake

I t's barely dawn when I arrive at Coffee Loft the next morning, but my mind is already racing, replaying yesterday's events. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kathryn rushing over, nearly avoiding a collision with someone riding their bike down the quiet street.

Digging around for my keys, I reflect on what a difference Michael and Lily's special day has made. Still lost in memories, I unlock the door and hold it open so Kathryn can slip in after me. It was everything I'd hoped for when I first dreamed up the Wishing Wall, and then some.

And that ‘then some' is all thanks to Sophia.

I can't help smiling as I remember her excitement, her attention to detail, and the way she balanced capturing the story with letting father and daughter enjoy their time together. She brought a whole new dimension to fulfilling wishes that I hadn't even considered.

"Earth to Jake," Kathryn's voice breaks through my reverie. "You planning on turning on the lights, or are we going for a romantic candlelit vibe this morning?"

I laugh, flipping the switches. "Sorry, just lost in thought."

"Thinking about a certain reporter?" Kathryn waggles her eyebrows as she ties on her apron.

"I was thinking about yesterday's wish," I say, avoiding her gaze as I start prepping the espresso machine.

"Uh-huh, sure." She doesn't sound convinced. "Speaking of wishes, we had quite a few new ones pop up on the wall yesterday. Want me to catch you up?"

I nod, grateful for the change of subject. "Hit me."

As Kathryn runs through the list of new wishes and hands me a note of the names of the people who posted them, I can't help feeling a sense of accomplishment. The Wishing Wall is really taking off, touching more lives than I ever imagined possible.

"Oh, and you might want to check out social media," Kathryn says, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Sophia's posts about yesterday are blowing up."

I pull out my phone, curiosity getting the better of me. Sure enough, Sophia's posts about Michael and Lily's day are everywhere. The comments are overwhelmingly positive, with people praising the idea of the Wishing Wall and asking how they can get involved.

"Looks like you've got a hit on your hands," Kathryn says, peering over my shoulder. "And a pretty talented partner, to boot."

My cheeks warm. "Sophia's just doing her job."

"Right, and the way you two were looking at each other yesterday was nothing but professional courtesy?" Kathryn snorts. "Face it, Jake. You're smitten."

Before I get a chance to respond, the bell above the door chimes and the first stream of customers pour in. It doesn't let up long enough for us to catch our breaths.

"Is it me, or is it busier than usual?" Kathryn asks while making yet another pumpkin spice latte.

"Definitely busier." I'm taking orders and making drinks as fast as I can to keep up.

By the time Matthew walks in, the coffee shop is humming. He looks around and a huge grin spreads across his face. "Business is booming, isn't it?"

I nod and get back to work. He ties an apron around his waist and takes over at the register.

An hour later, there's a lull and I get a chance to catch my breath and make myself a much needed Americano.

"Jake, I have to hand it to you." Matthew walks over, clapping me on the shoulder. "This Wishing Wall of yours is the best thing that's ever happened to this franchise!"

I can't help smiling at his enthusiasm. "Glad it's working out for the business, Matthew."

"Working out? It's a goldmine of good PR!" He pulls out his tablet, showing me how often the small coffee shop has been mentioned across various social media sites in the past twenty-four hours. "If we keep this up, we could be looking at expansion opportunities by the end of the year."

As Matthew continues to gush about potential growth, a fresh set of customers stream in. I excuse myself to help Kathryn fulfill the counter, grateful for the distraction.

As I work, my mind wanders to the Wishing Wall. What should the next wish be? There are so many deserving ones, each with its own potential to make a difference. A young student wishing for help with college tuition, an elderly couple hoping to renew their vows, a single mom looking for a break...

"One Lofty Caramel Macchiato," I call out, handing the drink to Fiona, one of our regular customers.

"Thanks, Jake," she says, then hesitates. "Hey, I just wanted to say... what you're doing with that Wishing Wall? It's really something special."

A warmth spreads through my chest. "Thank you. That means a lot."

By the time Julie and Kathryn come in and the morning rush dies down, I find myself gravitating toward the Wishing Wall. I scan the new wishes, each one tugging at my heartstrings in its own way.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. Sophia's name flashes on the screen, and the flutters in my stomach have nothing to do with the three shots of espresso I had this morning.

"Hey Sophia," I answer, trying to keep my voice casual.

"Jake! Are you busy?" She sounds excited. But when have I ever seen her anything but enthusiastic? The woman is a powerhouse.

"Just the usual morning madness. What's up?" I ask.

"Could you meet me at the local community center? There's something you need to see."

I glance at the clock, then at Kathryn, who's already shooing me toward the door. "I can be there in twenty minutes. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great," Sophia assures me. "Just... trust me on this one, okay?"

I end the call and hang up my apron, my mind spinning with ideas. Whatever Sophia's planned, I have a feeling it's going to be good. And if I'm being honest with myself, I'm looking forward to seeing her just as much as I am to finding out what she's up to.

I make us each a coffee to go and look around the building to see if there's anything else I should take care of before heading out.

"Go on," Kathryn says, practically pushing me out the door. "I've got things covered here. And Jake?"

I turn back, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't forget to breathe when you see her," she teases.

I roll my eyes, but the heat rises in my cheeks as I walk out, eager to drive off.

I spot her car the moment I pull into the community center parking lot. My heart rate picks up a notch as I grab the two coffees from the cup holder. I'm not sure when I started automatically getting her a Lofty Spiced Vanilla Latte along with my own drink, but it's becoming a thing.

As I walk toward the entrance, I see her through the glass doors. She's pacing, her dark hair swaying with each step, completely absorbed in whatever she's reading on her phone. The sight of her hits me like a punch to the gut. I'm falling for her, hard and fast, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. Who knows what will happen when she's done with her story about the Wishing Wall?

"Hey," I say, as I push through the door. "I come bearing caffeine."

Sophia looks up, a huge smile spreading across her face that makes my knees weak. "My hero," she says, reaching for the cup. Our fingers brush as I hand it to her, and I feel a spark of electricity that has nothing to do with the dry air or the carpet below our feet.

"So, what's this all about?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Future Wishing Wall projects," she says, excitement evident in her voice. "But first, catch me up. Any new wishes?"

I nod, pulling out my phone. "A few. There's one from a high school student looking for help with college tuition and another from a couple wanting to renew their vows."

"I've been meaning to ask. How do you keep track of who's wishing for what?" Sophia asks, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "There are no names on those index cards."

I chuckle. "It's an elaborate system that involves everyone working at the coffee shop."

She raises an eyebrow. "Explain."

"I roped my fellow baristas into paying attention to who puts up a card. We make a note of their name and take it from there. So far, most of the wishes have come from regulars."

"How do you get their names?" she asks.

"It's on their credit cards."

"What if someone pays with cash?" Sophia looks up at me, her gaze intent and her mind whirling.

"It's rarely an issue and no matter what, we need at least their first name so we can call out the order." What I don't tell her is that most of us are good at small talk and get a surprising amount of information out of even the briefest of interactions. Provided we aren't as slammed as we were this morning.

Sophia's eyes light up. "Clever. Do you have names for these new wishes? Or whatever you want to work on next."

"I do." They are on my phone in a file backed up to the cloud, so I don't risk losing it.

"Wanna share with the class?" Sophia asks, motioning to a large table with more than a dozen chairs set up around it.

From the look of it, she's occupied one of them. Her laptop, several notebooks and various papers are scattered across it.

I follow her and take the seat across from hers. "Why don't you tell me why you asked me here?"

Sophia looks around, then shakes her head. "I'm waiting for someone to join us. Looks like they are running late. Let's start with the next wish."

I scroll through my phone and show her what I have so far. It isn't much.

"Mind if I do a little digging?" she asks, fingers hovering over her keyboard.

For the half an hour we huddle together, Sophia working her social media magic to find out more about each wish maker. It's more than I've ever been able to learn about them in the past.

I notice her eyes flicking to me every few seconds, and I wonder if she's feeling the same pull I am. Taking a sip of my coffee, I tell myself I'm imagining things and get back to work. I'm furiously taking notes when something catches my attention.

"Wow," I mutter, scrolling through her feed. "Your posts are really taking off. The engagement is through the roof."

She glances up at me, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "Yeah, it's been pretty crazy. I posted an update this morning, and it already has thousands of likes."

"You know," I say, leaning in slightly. "I couldn't have done any of this without you. Your coverage has taken the idea of the Wishing Wall to a whole different level."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Sophia glances down at her phone and mutters something under her breath. "Looks like the deputy city manager won't be able to join us after all."

"Why would he? Or she?" I ask. I have no idea who this person is.

Sophia smiles and wrinkles her nose in the most adorable way. "Well, I've enjoyed being a part of this. It's not often you get to work on something that makes such a difference."

"Yes?" I have no idea what any of this has to do with the city or the community center.

As she reaches for her coffee, her elbow catches the edge of her notebook, sending the cup flying. Coffee splashes across the table, soaking her notes and the front of her shirt.

"Oh, no!" she gasps, jumping back.

I leap up, instinctively moving to help, but then I hesitate. My hand clutches a single napkin that has the Coffee Loft Logo printed on it. My eyes are fixed on the dark stain on her chest.

Sophia doesn't seem to notice. She's already grabbing napkins, trying to salvage her drenched notes.

"I've got it." I hand her the napkin and take over dabbing the paper.

"Well, that's one way to make an impression," she says with a self-deprecating laugh, pressing the napkin to her shirt.

As we clean up the mess, she starts talking, her words tumbling out in excitement. "So, I've been thinking. What if we expanded the Wishing Wall concept? Turn it into a community event to celebrate the start of fall."

"This is why we're here?" I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."

"We could get local businesses involved, maybe some artists too. Make it a real celebration of our community and the power of wishes." She pauses, grinning. "Did you know that children's book author is now booked solid? All from that one post about the custom book for Lily."

"Seriously?" I'm impressed but not surprised. Sophia has a knack for this.

She nods enthusiastically, then looks down at her soggy notes with a rueful smile. "I had it all written down, but... well, you can see how that turned out."

I lean in to look at the coffee-stained paper. Despite the smudges, I can make out enough to get a glimpse of her ideas. Ideas that will keep us spending time together for quite a while longer. "I think you're really onto something here."

She beams at me, then reaches out and takes my hand. Her touch sends a jolt through me. "I couldn't have done any of this without you, Jake. Your dedication to the Wishing Wall, your positivity... It has restored my faith in humanity. In the goodness of people."

I'm speechless for a moment, lost in the warmth of her hand in mine and the sincerity in her eyes. "I... thank you," I say. "That means a lot."

We stay like that for a moment, hands clasped, eyes locked. I'm acutely aware of how easy it would be to lean in, to close the distance between us.

Sophia clears her throat and pulls her hand away. I immediately miss its warmth.

"So," she says, her voice a little breathless, "what do you think? Should we start planning this fall event?"

I nod, trying to gather my scattered thoughts. Her proposal would take the concept behind the Wishing Wall further, reaching parts of the community that would never set foot into Coffee Loft.

This feels like we're on the cusp of something big. Something with the potential to spiral out of my control. Not just for the Wishing Wall or the community, but for us. Whatever this is between Sophia and me, it's growing stronger by the day. And it's scaring the heck out of me.