Love's Last Cup of Coffee_A Romantic Suspense Book Read online

  Love’s Last Cup of Coffee

  Café de Maison Series (Book 1)

  JANE KEENE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2018 Jane Keene

  All rights reserved.

  www.janekeene.com

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Keene Marketing

  www.keenemarketing.com

  ISBN: 172097568X

  ISBN-13: 978-1720975687

  OTHER BOOKS BY JANE KEENE

  Book 2 & 3 in the Café de Maison Series COMING SOON!

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  RESISTANT HEARTS: A Sweet Contemporary Romance

  Read Now on Amazon: http://bit.ly/resistant-hearts

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “You can’t be serious, Joe? How can you expect me to leave my Billy alone for the weekend? You must have rocks in your head if you think I would even consider it.”

  Taking him by the arm, she pushed him not so softly into the far corner of the room.

  “Easy, there Maise, I just wanted to do something nice for you, you work so hard, I thought you could do with a break, that’s all.”

  Maisey shook her head and clicked her tongue against her cheek. Joe wasn’t good looking in the conventional manner of speaking, he had charm and many women would have fallen for it.

  “I could do with a break, a break from here, yes,” she gestured around the cafe, “but you know I can’t be away from Billy for more than a day, he needs me, he has never spent one night away from me, he is doing so well, I couldn’t think of what it would do to his progress.”

  Joe looked down at his tan crocodile leather shoes; they were so shiny he could almost see his own reflection in them.

  “Billy is thirteen years old; don’t you think it’s time you thought about yourself and your own needs?” replied Joe with a note of impatience.

  “Joe, I want you to listen close,” he edged in nearer towards Maisey’s comely figure, his lips trembled slightly at the thought of being so close to her ample bosom. “The only reason you want me to come away with you has nothing to do with me needing a break, but everything to do with you wanting to get laid!”

  Caught unawares, Joe jumped back into the magazine rack causing newspapers and magazines to slip and slide all over the floor. Maisey stepped forward and pushed her finger into his chest,

  “You don’t think that I haven’t noticed you practically undressing me with your eyes every time I walk past you. What did you think would happen on this so-called ‘break’? Did you think that I would be so grateful to get an opportunity to leave town for a while that I would just happily fall into bed with you out of gratitude?”

  By now the commotion had started attracting the attention of the other patrons, looks of interest and concern turned to their direction.

  Joe, red-faced and fully aware of the attention, tried to gain his composure. He pulled at the hem of his sea-green collared shirt and looked at Maisey, pure hatred spreading across his face, he grabbed Maisey’s arm and picked up a strand of her honey blonde hair in his other hand, twirled it around his fingers, and whispered loudly in her ear.

  “You little tart! I can’t believe I wasted all this time on you! You nothing but a washed-up has-been, one day you will be begging for attention from me like a stray dog. And, you know what I do with stray dogs? I kick ‘em!”

  At that moment, a large hand calmly removed Joe’s sweaty paw from Maisey’s arm.

  “I’m going to give you ten seconds to leave my premises, if you do not leave in those ten seconds I will show the rest of my customers what I do to customers who I don’t believe are always right.”

  “Alright, alright Mick, no need to get all tetchy, just keep your workers on a lead in future,” with one more withering look directed at Maisey, he skulked out of the café.

  “Are you ok Maise? Take some time to sort yourself out; I will get Breda to cover the rest of your shift.”

  “No, it’s grand. I’m fine, Mickey. I should never have let it get so far. I knew I wasn’t interested, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him to get lost.”

  Mickey could see the hurt in Maisey’s eyes, she was such a wonderful woman, and she did not deserve to be treated so badly. He had never understood women in general. Even his Evie, God rest her soul, had been a puzzle to him.

  He watched Maisie walk off; she planted a fake smile on her face and carried on serving the customers. Mickey leaned against the door post at the back of the coffee shop, he folded his arms and let out a slow sigh, he was proud of what he had achieved over the past ten years, the Café was doing well, and it had an excellent reputation. Its comfortable feel combined with modern touches finished with contemporary lighting and high ceilings, made it a popular choice with the young and old alike.

  But it was not always so easy; the time after Evie’s death was too painful to think about. He referred to those times as the “dark ages.” Dark, because he could not see his way out of the pain, and unfortunately, each day he had tried to seek solace at the bottom of a scotch bottle.

  Where would he have been if it had been for…?

  “Mick! You’re needed out back, Big Tom Rafferty has brought the fresh produce, and he refuses to deal with me, only the boss will do for Himself”.

  “Thanks, Ryan, you’d better get back to your beloved machines, there are some ladies queuing for their daily fix, but maybe it’s not only for the coffee.” Mickey nudged Ryan playfully and made his way out back.

  Ryan strode purposefully towards the coffee bar; he flipped the counter lid skillfully with one strong arm while reading the coffee orders in the other. He diligently focused on the task at hand making sure no mistakes were made, he never attended any fancy barista courses, but he knew coffee and he sure knew how to make it, latte’s, cappuccinos, mochas, he made them all with such proficiency.

  “So, tell me, Luv, where did ya get to be so good with ya hands?” Mrs. Jenkins, the owner of the hair salon next door was not so subtle in her appreciation for Ryan. Ryan knew she had a soft spot for him, but he dared not encourage her, not with Mrs. Jenkins’ “man-eating” reputation. “I have had a lot of practice, Mrs. J”, answered Ryan professionally, he used the shortening of her name purposely to emphasize the difference in age between the two of them, and he certainly did not want her to get any funny ideas.

/>   “I was just saying to our Angela, that with hands like yours, you should be working in my salon”.

  Ryan gave out a throaty laugh, “Me in a salon? Now, that’s a gas. No, Mrs. J, I can safely say I’m where I belong.”

  He handed her, her coffee order, she gave him a wink with a heavily made-up eye, turned on her obscenely tall, post-box red high-heels and swaggered towards the cashier.

  Ryan’s attention suddenly caught by the beautiful brunette at table 10, he could not take his eyes off her, every day at the same time she would come in. Her dark chestnut coloured hair hidden in a demure bun; her piercing green eyes and porcelain skin. Cheekbones that would put any top model to shame. He shook his head and turned to his next order.

  At that moment Maisey was getting ready to take her order.

  “Miss, are you ready to order?”

  “Mm, what? Oh, yes right. Yes, just the cappuccino for now, thanks”. Victoria put her head back down and buried herself into the report she was busy with. How could she allow herself to get so distracted? She had been so focused on her work up until that moment. She heard his laugh from across the room, the sound rumbled down, fast through her body like a gumball falling through the machine after a coin had been dispensed inside of it.

  She purposely sat with her back towards him, but now that her attention was disturbed, she could not help but turn around, she watched him move around the coffee bar, his pale skin set off by his short clipped black hair.

  She didn’t usually like men with facial hair, but there was something about the shadowy-beard neatly dispersed across his chiseled jaw bone that made her mouth dry and her brow sweaty.

  She continued to watch him move, and pull levers expertly, his tattooed bicep flexing and stretching to the rhythm of the coffee machines. Victoria stuck her arm up and beckoned Maisey to her table, “Mm, excuse me, waitress? Please add an extra shot of espresso to my cappuccino.”

  Yes, Victoria thought, with a perfectly manicured hand, she tugged at her starched white shirt cuffs and pulled them over her expensive Cartier watch, the strong coffee should certainly bring back my focus.

  Chapter 2

  Maisey had finished her early shift at the café; she was spending the afternoon with her mother. “Mam, of course I’m getting out and about, and before you ask I haven’t had a date for a few months, but I have been busy.”

  Not wanting to bring up her mornings un-pleasantries with Joe. Maisey felt incredibly irritated, this was the same conversation she had been having with her mother every month for the last few years.

  “Maisey, dear, what is it that keeps you so busy that you don’t have time for yourself? You are in your prime; you have a lovely figure and a beautiful complexion. With a little maintenance, haircut and a bit of makeup; you would look fabulous and totally irresistible.”

  “Oh Mam, you make me sound like some prize cow, I don’t have time for that now. Have you seen the men in this town?

  They are either after one thing, care more about their own appearance than you or I do, or they are over the age of fifty, no offense, Mam. My life is very full with Billy and the Cafe for starters.”

  Maisey looked at her mother, she was in pretty good shape for her age, her hair was perfectly cut and set. Maisey could see tiny flecks of grey in her mother’s golden, corn-colour hair, but it did not make her old, but more sophisticated. Just then a commotion from Billy’s room wrenched their attention, followed by intense screaming and shouting. Maisey was quite used to this, she ran towards Billy’s room, which was not too far. Although her flat was neat and modern, it was incredibly small and pokey.

  Maisey found Billy in a heap on the floor in the middle of the room, he was crying with frustration. Maisey calmly approached him, talking softly and soothingly, she knew if she tried to touch him now he would start shouting again, eventually after five minutes, Billy had stopped crying, he allowed Maisey to put her arms around him and help him up off the floor.

  She sat him down on the bed.

  “I’m sorry, Mam. I was only trying to fix my model airplane, but the glue wasn’t working,” Billy blubbered out the words; his shoulders shaking up and down from crying. Maisey’s heart ached for her child, it had been ages since he had made such a big scene, he was making excellent progress with the new group he was enrolled in.

  “Never you mind, my dear. We will get you better glue tomorrow. Why don’t you go wash your hands and put on your favourite movie? I will clean this up. When dinner is over, we can sit together and fix your plane. Would you like that?”

  Billy’s facial expression changed, and he started to smile, he nodded his head eagerly, he got up off the bed and loped past his grandmother who had been standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

  Isabelle watched her daughter cleaning up her grandson’s mess on the floor, pieces of model airplane debris strewn across the room. Maisey really got dealt a tough hand in life. At one stage, everybody thought Maisey would be living the high life on Broadway, her dancing career ended abruptly with a horrific fall during a performance, this meant her ankle would never withstand the demands of a professional dance schedule.

  She never really fully recovered from the news. Then, she met Paul; she was so young and vulnerable and what could they say about Paul?

  He was a rotten good-for-nothing. As soon as he heard Maisey was pregnant, he up and did a runner.

  That was almost fourteen years ago, and nobody had heard from him since. Maisey was left with the responsibility of bringing Billy up all by herself.

  The biggest blow was finding out that Billy was on the autism spectrum. Fiercely independent, Maisey refused to take help from her parents, she wanted to raise Billy on her own, the only money she accepted from her parents was for Billy’s therapy. Everything else she labored hard for in the Cafe.

  Billy had come a long way and was making progress. He was doing well in school, and he even trusted Isabelle to look after him, but it was Maisey who could not let go of the reins.

  Isabelle followed Maisey into the kitchen, “Dad and I were thinking, we are prepared to lend you the money for that Business Management course you are interested in”.

  Maisey picked up the drying cloth and sighed, “That’s very kind of you, Mam, but who will look after Billy? The course is in the evening and it’s twice a week, I’m not sure if I can give over so much of my time.”

  “Well, I have discussed it with your father and he has agreed that for the duration of the course, Billy could stay with us on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It will give you some time to work on your own without any distraction. We will set up a room, and we will let him choose all the decor that will go in the room, which should make him feel that he is at home. Come on, what do you say?”

  “Mam, in theory this would be great, but you know how Billy is about change, I really don’t want him to regress in his program, he has worked so hard.”

  “I know, Love, but don’t you think it’s time to do something for yourself? You are going to be 38 years old next birthday, and you have not spent any time on yourself for over thirteen years. You are still young and have so much still to do”.

  Maisey, shook her head, her mam did have a point. “Okay, how about we try this, before I’m due to start the course, why don’t we test to see if Billy would be comfortable at yours? I don’t want to commit myself to something and Billy hits a wobbly, and I have to give up half way. What do you think?”

  “I think that’s grand, my girl, I really do, and I think we should start this next week”.

  Maisey looked at her mother, and suddenly laughter just bubbled up, and she couldn’t stop laughing. At first, Isabelle thought her daughter had gone mad, but soon she too was laughing. Billy came running through, “what’s wrong, Mam, Nan?” He asked with concern. Maisey cupped his beautiful angelic face in her hand, “Nothing’s wrong, my darling, in fact hopefully all will soon be fine.” They both did not quite know what was so humorous, but the laughter felt good, she almost l
ighter afterwards.

  Chapter 3

  It was a Monday morning and things were hotting up in Victoria’s office. “Liz, would you get that darn phone, it has been ringing nonstop all morning! Where the hell are you Liz…?”

  Victoria hated inefficiency, her usually super organized PA was MIA, and all hell was breaking lose.

  “Oh Vicky, I’m soo sorry,” Liz came puffing out of breath into the room, “Orla from Accounts caught me on the stairs, she was in a state about her sister leaving for New York”.

  “Liz, you are super lucky that you are so good at your job, and that you are my best friend, and what have I told you about calling me Vicky at work, it makes me sound like a little girl skipping in the school yard. You know I have a reputation to protect. Please get onto these calls, and push tomorrow’s appointments back for an hour later, I have a meeting with the big boss, fingers crossed it’s about the partnership”. Victoria clapped her hands excitedly, a gesture rarely seen, but clearly this meant a great deal to her.

  Liz sincerely hoped for her friend’s sake that the meeting would bring Victoria’s big dreams to fruition.

  Liz sat down at her desk and started working in Victoria’s diary; she was the only person who knew about Victoria’s past. It was completely opposite to Liz’s upbringing with ponies and overseas holidays. As far as anyone else was concerned, Victoria looked as if she was from a privileged background, private school educated. How far this was from the truth! Vicky grew up in a small village outside Limerick, she was an only child and her parents had tried farming, but with no success. Her dad had a problem with the drink, he was never violent, but it meant that whatever money they had was used to support his habit.