May the froth be with yo.., p.1
May The Froth Be With You (The Coffee Loft Series), page 1
MAY THE FROTH BE WITH YOU
THE COFFEE LOFT
GINNY STERLING
CONTENTS
Introduction
Menu
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Afterword
Want more of the Coffee Loft?
Michael’s Story…
Remember Love
FLYBOYS
In Love with the Rogue
About the Author
Copyright © 2024 by Ginny Sterling
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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INTRODUCTION
What do you get when you mix caffeine, a crush, and a secret together? – A MESS!
Madison ‘Thing One’ Petersen liked her coffee just like her men… tall, dark, strong, and in hot water! Unfortunately for her, the man that checked off every box on her list was none other than the tall jerk walking in with Michael, her twin.
Emmett Wilkes was being harassed by the most frustrating pest who kept bumping into him everywhere he went – including his favorite coffee shop. There was nowhere to hide in Yonder, Texas, it seemed - compounded by the fact that his best friend was her brother.
When an unexpected offer tenuously begins a fragile friendship between the (fr)enemies, could one small mistake bring down an entire empire in the making?
The Coffee Loft
Tyler, Texas
Owner, Madison Petersen
Cloud Coffee
A light blend of coffee with a touch of honey, a splash of milk, and topped with blue foam.
The Fighter’s Brew
A deep-roasted coffee with a shot of espresso. Coffee, like coffee is meant to be consumed. Hot, strong, dark, and no ‘frou-frou’ stuff.
The Bomb Shelter
Three shots of espresso… and a bottle of water.
Line ‘em up, boys - it’s time to get the day started!
The Warthog
A pour-over coffee concoction with jolt of enough caffeine to keep your nerves firing constantly - all day, every day… and possibly late into the night.
This drink isn’t for the faint of heart.
(It’s strong, just like the plane - only brewed)
The Princess
A whipped blend of frothy, sweet goodness with enough sugar and caffeine to kick you in the shins – this drink is served with a local cinnamon roll treat perched on top.
(The cinnamon roll is a delicacy from Dixie’s Café in Yonder, TX)
The Flyboy
A hazelnut roast with a hazelnut cream ‘float’ garnished on the top – thick, rich, decadent, and delicious – guaranteed to make your tastebuds soar… or fall in love!
(Good Luck, Flyboy!)
The DeathStar
A custom cold-brewed coffee you’ll never forget! Welcome to the dark side – where we never sleep and deal with caffeine addictions with a smile on our faces.
Black ice, black coffee, a shot of green matcha, and a splash of cayenne to create a deep heat that burns a trail despite the cool chill of the cup in your trembling hands. You’ll never forget your first taste of power in liquid-form… and grow to dread the last sip.
A local favorite!
Wow! I was finally able to get into this series and wow! Wow! WOW! It’s starts with tragedy and there’s almost tragedy near the end and then this amazing band of brothers pull through for each other. There’s also an amazing love story woven throughout. Each of these men, egotistical, loud, cocky and wonderful have hearts of gold and their own personal demons to overcome. I can’t wait to binge on the rest. Flyboys here I come.
— ~ AMAZON REVIEWER OF FOREVER FAITHFUL
This was amazing story about how 2 pen pals complete a cross the world ended up falling in love and getting married. A beautiful and wonderful book. Was hard to put down. Now got to read the others.
— ~ AMAZON REVIEWER OF REMEMBER HOME
What a beautiful, fun, and thrilling sweet Romance. I loved all of the humor, quirky characters, and daring moments as a firefighter. There were so many cute inside joke moments that stick in your head and make you fall even more in love with this book. I can't believe I hadn't read any of Ginny's books before now and now I need to read ALL of them!!!
— ~ AMAZON REVIEWER OF COURAGEOUS BEGINNINGS - FLIRT’S BATTALION
Cindy Gagne-Caron
Robin Ratcliffe Warnick
Holly Dahle
Vickie Jameson
Janet Kanady
Krystal Holwell
Lisa Haywood Gill
Gayle Zurcher Wiese
And Birthday Girl - Stephanie Stallings!
You ladies are amazing and so glad you are part of my Facebook Community - thank you for making me smile!
Ginny Sterling Newsletter
CHAPTER 1
MADISON
Tyler, Texas
“Long ago… in a city far, far away,” Madison whispered to herself in the mirror… and winced at her reflection. “Cue the movie scroll and majestic orchestra music any time now, because I must be insane to follow through with this harebrained scheme.”
This had been a cute idea when she thought of it, but now?
Not so much.
Now, she was having major regrets at the choices she’d made – especially when her brother Michael had laughed at her over dinner several months ago and her mother started volunteering to help plan the event. Her parents indulged her horribly, and she knew it, spoiled rotten from the earliest moments she could remember.
“You freakin’ nerd…” Michael snorted out, wiping his eyes from laughing so hard, while she glared at him across the dinner table. “You are doing a ‘May the Froth’ event at your cafe? What is that -a spoof of ‘May the Fourth’? I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous…”
“Shut up, Michael…” Madison growled in frustration.
“Hey,” her father snapped hotly, immediately swiveling his head toward her in frustration. “We don’t say ‘shut up’ in this house… except your mom. She can say whatever she wants.”
“I love you, Smoochie-poo.”
“Love you too, Dumplin’…”
Madison rolled her eyes – and saw her twin do the same across the table in a shared awareness. Her parents were saccharine-ly sweet to the point it was nauseating sometimes. They were always together, always making kissy faces at each other, and if you weren’t careful… they were very ‘loving’ toward each other. The twins had interrupted ‘a private moment’ they shouldn’t have over the years – and that sight, that mental scar, could not be unseen. Therapy might be required at some point because her parents acted like a couple of weirdos who couldn’t keep their hands off each other – instead of acting like grownups.
They could act like adults… like a real set of parents? Or even just a normal everyday Mommys and Daddys? Instead, they were… touchy-feely.
Excessively.
Ugh, she thought shivering at the thought and getting back to the issue at hand – her brother. “Sorry, Daddy,” she replied immediately and turned to her brother.
“Please ‘mute yourself’ Michael – permanently,” Madison simpered politely and then glared at him again as her brother burst out laughing once more – causing her to look to her parents for help. “Can you stop him for once? It’s not a bad idea. It’s marketing genius because there are a lot of people out there that love Star Wars and coffee, and both things have a cult following.”
“I think it’s brilliant, honey… and I think it's a perfect way to open your shop.”
“I can’t believe you guys are encouraging her,” Michael grimaced, making a gagging face before continuing. “You told me I couldn’t put a pin-up girl on the side of my car door like what we’ve got on the plane at Flyboys – but you gave ‘Dweeb-a-saurus’ the capital to start her own Star Wars café?”
“Now, now…” her father began, frowning. “First of all, we gave you the same amount of money, and we’re very proud you are saving it, Michael. Secondly, nicknames are a sign of affection in this household – never slanderous – and I don’t like your tone toward your sister.”
“She’s my twin, Dad… and still a dweeb.”
Madison stuck her tongue out at Michael – who immediately stuck his out childishly in return like they were five years old again and arguing over who was going to get to ride with their father in one of the airplanes at Flyboys.
“It’s not a ‘Star Wars’ café,” Madison corrected primly. “Star Wars is trademarked, and my café is part of a franchise that I bought. Do you know what a franchise is, zoomie?” she sassed pertly, sticking out her tongue once more.
“Uh, Dad?!” Michael snapped, pointing at her but looking at their father as if to say ‘Hello? Did you hear her call ME a name?’ reminding him of what he’d just said regarding nicknames.
“Zoomie I’ll allow…” her father said indulgently.
“What?” Madison blurted out in surprise and glanced at Michael, who was a little more vocal about his frustration.
“DO WHAT?”
“I’m a zoomie – and it’s a term of endearment at the office. If you were a Marine or serving in the Army, it would be a much different matter,” her father explained – and winked at her mother, giving her a look. “You look divine today, Sweetie.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you, Snickerdoodle,” her mother preened sweetly as her father blew her mother a kiss across the table.
Madison and Michael shared a look, and both gagged in awareness.
“Look, I just want to try to make the café a success,” Madison began, sharing her fears with her brother and practically pleading for help. “There are so many cafes out there, fancy coffee shops, and other places people could go…”
“Like Starbucks?” her brother quipped pointedly.
“And I will need all the help I can receive from you, getting people in the front door,” she interrupted him. “I’m hoping the theming will help start things out right before they just see it as just another gimmick coffee shop that will succumb to the massive chains.”
“It doesn’t have to ‘succumb,’ and do you need to be so dramatic?”
“Most restaurants fail…”
“This isn’t a restaurant.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No – I don’t. Explain - and show us all how smart you are… dweeb.”
“Michael…” her father warned quietly, and Madison spoke again quickly before anyone else could jump into the conversation ahead of her.
“Look, just tell your friends, invite people, and spread the word…”
“You want me to tell Emmett and invite him to your ‘Space-place,’” her brother taunted, crossing his arms – and Madison immediately sputtered, retreating mentally and backpedaling.
“Noooo?!” she retorted, feeling a flutter of panic. “I’m telling everyone we know. Caspar, Amelia, Charlotte, Luke… everyone,” she stressed. “No one is going out of their way to single out any one person nor am I doing this to get Emmett’s attention. He doesn’t notice me, and I’m not into him. Period. Done. Besides, he’s gloomy… and much too tall.”
“Tall? That’s what you are going with? That he’s ‘tall’?”
“Hush… and are you going to help me or not?”
“Of course, he is,” her mother interrupted – and both of their heads turned, only to see her mother was now perched on their father’s leg with her arms around his neck, hugging him, as they both watched the two of them. “Family is there for you – no matter what. It doesn’t matter if it’s by blood or by choice… family is family. So yes, your brother will help you – and so will we. I’ll ask your Aunt Harley to help make the flyers.”
“Smart and beautiful,” her father mumbled, kissing her mother’s cheek. “I love you, Glory.”
“Mom, I’m getting my master’s in marketing too, you know… I can do this on my own. I don’t need…”
“Your aunt is a genius,” her mother interrupted pointedly. “And the two of you working together? You’ll be unstoppable…”
“Your Aunt Harley practically created Flyboys – your uncle and I were just along for the ride and got to fly the planes,” her father grinned, winking at her. “I’d at least consult the guru and let her poke holes in it before the event – because I think you’ve got a real hit on your hands, pumpkin.”
That had been two months ago – leading her to this moment.
Madison sighed heavily and rubbed her face, trying not to panic because they were going to open in ten minutes. Everything was perfect on paper but in reality?
She was having second thoughts… big time.
The menu was sublime.
The location even more so!
Her franchise store, The Coffee Loft, was near the college in Tyler so there would be easy access for any students or faculty to swing by and grab a ‘cup of joe’… which meant a constant stream of income – and her aunt had been a tremendous support during the planning phases.
“Keep it simple, keep things clean…” Aunt Harley had said, offering suggestions. “It’s an event, but you want to make sure that people can come back in a week and order the same thing.”
“But…”
“I know you’ve got some cool names picked out for your flavored coffees, but tie it to something that is easily remembered. When you think of your location – what is the first thing you think of?”
Madison had rented an old bunker that looked like something out of World War Two. It had been used as a storage facility and once was a taco shop. While half of the building was sunken underground, leaving a massive hill of grass on one side – the other had a large door that reminded her of the hangar door at Flyboys, allowing in fresh air and providing shade.
“Airplanes, the military, or even a tornado shelter…”
“And your coffee names?”
“Well, I was thinking ‘The Vader’ for a large black coffee served with…”
“Change it to Fighter’s Brew… then for your event, it could be called ‘Tie-Fighter’s Brew’ – see what I mean? Mesh the two - that way, if someone returns later and orders it again, your staff knows what they are referring to.”
… That had been an eye-opening moment, snapping together all of her classes, her education, and seeing the realm of Flyboys in a whole new fashion. Application, execution, and seeing it in a different light from the customer’s point of view – if they returned.
“My blue milk latte… could be ‘Cloud Coffee’ – light, frothy, with a touch of the wild blue yonder?”
“Exactly!”
“Aunt Harley – you are brilliant!”
“Feel free to say that in front of your father…” her aunt teased, hugging her.
“Actually, he’s the one who told me to talk to you,” Madison admitted, smiling. “He said you were the mastermind behind Flyboys and…”
“Your dad said that?” – and she saw the touched expression on her aunt’s face, nodding. It was no secret that sometimes the two of them didn’t see eye-to-eye, but in the grand scheme of things? The twins were extremely close, just like her and Michael… although she would never tell the big dork.
A voice called out, immediately interrupting her musings and putting off the inevitable – and she grimaced.
“… Madison! Madison? Are you almost ready?” came once more as someone knocked on the bathroom door.
It was showtime.
“Yes,” she replied and took a deep breath, looking at her reflection in the mirror and trying not to notice all the flaws she felt were there in her mind. “You can do this. Just get out there, smile, have fun, and keep that in mind. YOU CAN DO THIS, PETERSEN!”
CHAPTER 2
EMMETT
“I can’t do this, Petersen…” Emmett repeated for the tenth time, looking at the stack of paperwork before him and glancing up at his best friend. “I appreciate you asking, but…”
“I’ll wait,” Michael said simply, plopping down in the chair before him and tapping his fingers on the arm silently.
“Michael,” he sighed heavily and put down his pen. “I’m working, and I don’t have time to fool around with you. You know this. I just landed this position, and I don’t want to risk losing it. Jobs at the FBI don’t just open up, but my uncle pulled a few strings… and I just can’t let him down.”
“Dude, to think you are a federal agent now…”
“You are making it sound exciting,” Emmitt chuckled, pointing at the paperwork in front of him. “Don’t you see this stack? This is my job – daily. It’s not like you see on television shows or like people imagine. It’s documentation, a lot of paperwork, and a lot of reports.”
“You hate it,” Michael said flatly.
“I love it,” he countered, smiling. “Which is why I am not going. I have things to do, and I’m knee deep in…”
“Madison is dressing like Princess Leia,” Michael interrupted, grinning at him like the Cheshire cat as Emmett snapped his pen in half the second the words were out of his friend’s mouth. “I don’t know why you don’t ask her out, buddy.”
