Chapter One

Seventeen years later

Edwin Wesley slides up to the counter, a heartfelt smile displayed across his face. "Howdy, folks. What can I make for you today?"

Tapping his foot against the mat on the floor, he begins to sing along to the music playing on the jukebox. Although it's not a traditional jukebox where you deposit coins through the little slot then select the song you want to play, the modern version is pretty nifty too. If it were up to him, he'd have it playing the "Best of Elvis Presley" station all the time.

"…I'm all brewed up. Hmmm, ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah…" he sings, adding his own twist to the popular lyrics.

The cute brunette on the left cranes her neck to get a better view of the menu overhead. "There's so many choices," she says to her friend. "They all sound so good."

"I know, right? I don't know if I want to go with something hot or cold." Both girls giggle as they discuss various flavors and blends.

Noticing their struggle, Edwin quickly offers a few suggestions. "Peppermint mocha is always a popular flavor, especially since we're shifting into fall. And so is salted caramel."

"Ohh, peppermint mocha sounds delish," the brunette folds her arms across her chest, covering the front of her Tahoe Community College sweatshirt.

"Are you going to school there?" Edwin points at her shirt then presses the palm of his hands against the counter while he rocks back onto his heels. Having never met a stranger, he's always looking for ways to make casual conversation.

It's one of the reasons the customers love him so much. Well, that, and the fact that he genuinely enjoys making people smile.

"I am. Reba and I are rooming together," she says, her gaze drifting from the menu overhead to directly making eye contact with him. "We just got everything moved in and thought we'd stop by for a coffee. I don't know if you know it or not, but this place is highly recommended by everyone on campus. What about you? Are you a student, too?"

Edwin wrinkles his forehead as he tries to come up with a not-so-confusing- way to explain his situation. "Kinda, sorta."

"Oh?"

"I'm a music major, so I've ‘technically' taken all of the classes I'm allowed that I will get credit for. I'm planning to attend UNLV next year—they have an excellent music program—but I'd like to raise my GPA to better my chances of getting a scholarship. So, I'm retaking a couple of core classes." He doesn't mention that his parents have offered more than a few times to assist him financially. With them being older and so close to retirement, it's the last thing he wants either of them to be burdened with.

"That makes sense. I'd probably do the same." She pushes her sleeves up, revealing a homemade friendship bracelet, the ends slightly frayed.

A smile lights up on Edwin's face seeing the lettered C-H-A-R-L-O-T-T-E beads meticulously placed between the reds and blues and yellows. "Charlotte, eh?"

Brushing her hand along the top of the bracelet, she nods. "Yeah, it's cute, isn't it? I babysat over the summer for a set of twins and one of them made it for me. She insisted it had to have my name on it."

"That is so cool," he says excitedly, extending his bare arm out in front of him. "I may be a tad jealous now."

"Have you decided what you want?" Reba nudges Charlotte on the elbow, interrupting their conversation.

"Huh? Oh, I guess we do need to figure out what we're getting." Looking up at the menu again, she places her finger underneath her chin while she scans the selection.

"I'm going to have an iced peppermint mocha. Can you also add an extra squirt of peppermint?" Reba asks. "I like mine to have a tad more mint flavor than chocolate."

"You got it." Edwin punches in the order on the iPad in front of him and waits for the sticker to print so he can attach it to the outside of the cup. "And for you?"

"Go ahead and give me the same." Charlotte takes a step back from the counter then turns to look around the shop.

"Just to confirm, you want the extra peppermint as well?" Edwin stands poised, ready to hit the total button.

She quickly looks back at him and nods. "Mmm, hmm."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll have them ready for you."

"Can I go ahead and insert my card?" Reba asks just as Edwin is getting ready to step away from the counter.

He stops, the two plastic cups balanced in the palm of his hand. "These are on the house tonight, ladies."

Reba and Charlotte exchange glances. Shrugging her shoulders, Charlotte asks, "Are you sure?"

"Yep, it's my treat. I almost forgot. Do you want whipped cream on them?"

"Definitely," Reba acknowledges, nodding her head. "You can't have an iced coffee without it."

"Please." Charlotte immediately looks away, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink.

Reba lowers her voice. "I'm so glad we decided to give this place a try."

Stealing a look back at Edwin, Charlotte agrees. "Oh, me too. I have a feeling we're going to be stopping by quite often."

Edwin sets to work preparing both of their beverages precisely to their liking. He's certainly fun to watch as he glides from the refrigerator to the blender then over to the sink without missing a step. When he pulls the canister of whipped topping out, giving the can a flip mid-air, Charlotte and Reba can't stop giggling. Especially knowing his little performance is for them.

Carrying both drinks and a bottle of chocolate syrup over to the counter where the girls are standing, he adds the finishing touches. At the last second he drops a few chocolate sprinkles onto the whipped cream.

"…everybody in the whole entire shop, was dancin' to the Coffee Loft Rock…"

He does a quick spin then pushes the peppermint mochas towards them. "Here ya go, ladies." Wiping his hands on the towel, he bows before taking a step back. Edwin lives for these moments, seeing his customers grinning from ear to ear.

Reba peels the paper off of her straw and inserts it into the frozen concoction. She looks over at Charlotte and laughs. "What in the world are you doing?"

"I'm taking a picture of mine." Charlotte snaps a couple of shots of her beverage with her phone before placing it into her back pocket. "It's almost too pretty to drink."

"Don't mind her," Reba tells Edwin, and slides her purse onto her shoulder. "Come on Charlotte, we've got tons of boxes to unpack. Our break has turned into a lot longer than we'd planned."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Except she doesn't budge. Her smile from moments ago slowly begins to fade.

Noticing the disappointment on her face, Edwin gives her a wink. "When you're ready for another one, come back to see me. Peppermint mochas are my specialty."

"We certainly will," both girls say in unison before making their way over to the door.