Finally, A Family. Callie Endicott

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СКАЧАТЬ about their powers. Meeting new people and discussing their ideas was one of the things she loved about the shop.

      It was sad that her brothers had preferred visits with their grandparents to be brief. Maybe it was because they had other interests, but they’d never really gotten to know Granddad, and would never have the chance now. She was grateful for the move she’d made to Seattle the previous year. She’d been offered a good job at a department store during a visit and then her grandparents had insisted she move into the other side of the duplex they owned in the small community of Regen Valley. It meant she and Cyndi had spent more time with Granddad before he was gone.

      There was an encouraging stream of customers in the first part of the morning, though some just came for coffee. Eventually she’d learn the names of the regulars and what they liked.

      Shortly before noon, her grandmother bustled through the door. “Hello, dear,” she said. “How is everything going?”

      Penelope Parrish was a lively, beautiful woman of seventy-two. She had a keen intelligence and a generous heart. A few people thought she was flaky, but Jessica figured it was from her involvement with the store and extensive knowledge about the beliefs and legends surrounding rocks and gemstones. Her grandfather had shared the same reputation, even though he had been a published anthropologist before opening the Crystal Connection.

      “Pretty good so far,” Jessica replied.

      “Have you had a lot of customers?”

      “About what you said there’d be.”

      Jessica didn’t care if she got rich, but she hoped to expand the shop’s customer base. Her grandparents hadn’t used social media to promote the business, and they’d never considered selling over the internet. By adding online sales she could save more for her daughter’s future and have a cushion to tide them through slow times.

      Doing well was important to her, just not at the expense of being a good mom. Her own parents had been so intent on making money there’d been little energy left for their children; she didn’t intend to make the same mistake.

      “Remember what I told you,” Penny said. “Whenever you need me to cover for you, just say the word. I plan to stay active so when I get old, I won’t feel it so much. In the meantime, I’ll take my great-granddaughter home so we can have a serious bout with a new jigsaw puzzle.”

      “That’s a terrific idea.” Jigsaw puzzles had been a constant presence during Jessica’s childhood visits with her grandparents. Working on a puzzle together was a great time to talk, or just be in silent accord. She was glad her daughter would have the same experience. Though they’d lived next door since early last summer, she’d rarely accepted her grandmother’s offer of babysitting. It had been clear that Granddad was failing and she’d wanted her grandparents to have as much time together as possible.

      In the early afternoon there was another flurry of customers for coffee. Several were from Moonlight Ventures and she hated feeling intimidated in their presence. For the most part they were startlingly good-looking. Who would have guessed she would someday serve coffee to Nicole George—now Nicole George Masters—or Adam Wilding, two of the hottest models in the past fifteen years? They weren’t just average attractive, they were bigger than life.

      Logan Kensington came back at 2:00 p.m. Of all her customers from that morning, he stood out the most. Maybe it was because she’d taken a better look at his gorgeous calendar; there was a biography on the back, along with a thoroughly intriguing picture of him, the image of a bold adventurer. He was ruggedly handsome and had an unusual background, having grown up not just in the United States but in various countries as a diplomat’s son. It explained the faint hint of an accent in his voice. With a degree from Oxford and a postgrad stint at Harvard, he was as far removed from her realm of experience as a man could be.

      She’d also noticed he was described as “committed to bachelorhood.” The remark must have come from him and she had rolled her eyes upon reading it. Some men felt the need to advertise their lack of interest in settling down.

      “Where’s Cyndi?” Logan asked as she started a fresh batch of the organic medium roast coffee he wanted.

      “With Grams. She’s helping me with childcare.”

      “That’s nice. The coffee this morning was superb,” he said as he waited. “I admit to being skeptical when I realized someone else was making it for the shop.”

      “You aren’t the only one who was concerned. With two major coffee companies having been founded here, Puget Sound residents are passionate about their brew.”

      “Did your grandmother show you how to make it?”

      Jessica shook her head. “Actually, I’m the one who taught her and Granddad when they decided to put in the coffee corner. I’d been working as a barista, so I kind of knew the ropes.”

      “‘Kind of’ is an understatement.”

      “Thanks. It’s been years since I had that job, so it’s good to know I haven’t lost my touch.” She’d enjoyed being a barista, though there’d always been a few customers each day who thought they were too busy to wait their turn. The main reason she’d looked for another job was her need for a higher income.

      “Did you grow up in the Seattle area?” Logan asked.

      “I visited every summer as a kid, but until moving here last year, I mostly lived in the Washington, DC, region. I saw from your biography on the calendar that you aren’t a Seattle native, either. What is it like, living outside your own country?”

      Logan rested an elbow on the narrow coffee bar. She’d found it at a barn sale a couple of weeks earlier, along with four brass barstools. They’d come from an old bed-and-breakfast inn under renovation. The new setup didn’t take much room, but it helped separate the coffee corner from the rest of the shop and gave customers a place to sit if they wanted.

      “Living abroad can help broaden your view of the world and its people,” Logan explained. “You realize it’s ridiculous to assume that everyone does things the way we do at home.”

      “Conjuring a sense of humility?”

      “In a way, I suppose. Still, it’s easy to slide back into being egocentric. My folks might have been even more successful as diplomats if they’d fully embraced other customs and viewpoints.”

      Jessica was aware that her smile had become strained. “My parents have a similar problem. They know people make different choices than theirs, but usually believe those choices are foolish or wrong.”

      Logan gave her a sympathetic grin. “Including the ones you’ve made yourself?”

      “They would have understood me becoming a high-powered lawyer or going into a corporation and climbing the ranks. Or even if I’d become an actress. But my lack of interest in wealth or fame is a mystery to them. Instead I prefer my grandparents’ way of living. Simplicity, core values and not leaving too big of a footprint on the earth.”

      “An old-fashioned girl, huh?”

      Girl? She cocked her head, wondering if Logan was showing his true colors.

      “I wouldn’t put it that way,” she said casually. “People claim you’re old-fashioned if you choose certain things an earlier generation valued. But there’s СКАЧАТЬ