Free Coffee Scoop by Kathleen Y'Barbo

there’s another one.”
    Narrowing his eyes, Ryan leaned a bit farther over the rail and tried to see what caught her attention. All he saw was a lemon grove that stretched to the edge of the property and the coffee growing along its border.
    “Don’t you see them?” When he shook his head, Carrie grabbed his arm and pulled him to her side. “Come over here and look right down there. See? Oh, there’s another one. A baby.”  
    Rather than look at whatever caught Carrie’s interest, he stared at her. Why hadn’t he noticed before that the journalist wore a sprinkling of cinnamon-colored freckles on her nose and cheekbones?   And when she smiled, when had she developed those dimples.
    Surely those things had all been in place before she came to Costa Rica. Why were they so noticeable now?
    Because you’re seeing her in a new light.  
    “They look like foxes by they’re silver. How is that possible?”
    “Silver foxes,” he said as he continued to stare at Carrie. “In this part of Costa Rica, they usually shy away from people. You’re lucky to have seen them at all, much less on your first day here.”
    The length of her lashes captivated him, as did the tilt of her chin and the way her earlobe had a single freckle where an earring should be.
    “This is absolutely unforgettable, Ryan.”
    His heart skidded to a stop then lurched to a gallop. “Yes, absolutely.”
    And in that moment he knew he’d lost his heart to the reporter from Austin. To be truthful, he’d probably lost his mind too because he barely knew her. And yet he felt like he’d known her forever.
    He should tell her, give her at least a hint of what he felt. It made no sense; and it made complete sense. Better to be up front with his intention, especially since Carrie’s purpose for coming down here was business and not pleasure.
    Clearing his throat, he said a prayer that he might come up with something brilliant. As an afterthought, he asked the Lord to stop him if he should keep his peace about his feelings.
    While Carrie continued to watch the silver foxes play below the deck, Ryan waited for God to give him the perfect words. When nothing specific came to mind, he decided to step out in faith in hopes the Lord would meet him there.
    “Carrie?”
    She turned her attention to him and smiled. What a beautiful smile. He could stare and that smile and forget to breathe.  
    Stop it, Baxter. You’re acting like a teenager.
    “Yes, Ryan?”
    “There’s something I need to tell you.” He paused. No, that didn’t sound right. “I mean, I have something I should say.” Again the words didn’t quite fit the moment. Finally he decided to just blurt it all out; state his feelings flat out in plain language and let the chips fall where they may.
    “Carrie, look. I didn’t have any idea this would happen until I saw you in the airport, and I wasn’t really sure until just now, and I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I need to tell you that I think I am beginning to fall in-”
    “Ryan,” came the familiar voice of the owner of Casa Negrita, “is that you?”

CHAPTER TWELVE

    Carrie sat at the small table in her room and opened her laptop. While she waited for it to power up, she walked to the window to watch the last purple fingers of twilight extend over the mountain. Already the night had come alive with sounds, some familiar and others distinctly unfamiliar.  
    As the innkeeper warned, the evening air had turned chilly. She reached to pull a sweatshirt out of her bag and shrugged into it then closed the painted wooden shutters guarding her window. Tonight she would surely need to cozy quilt now folded on the chair beside her bed.
    Her laptop sounded a greeting and Carrie walked over to attempt an Internet connection. To her surprise, the little inn had a wireless network. In a modicum of steps, she opened a browser and retrieved her E-mails.  
    Deleting the junk mail came first, followed by a note to her mother