Free Creamed at the Coffee Cabana: A Cozy Mystery (Sweet Home Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Constance Barker Page B
Authors: Constance Barker
Perhaps she thinks she’s onto a new trend. Go grey naturally I say.”
Hildie took a seat at one of the shop’s tables. I covered the tables with blue and white plaid tablecloths. I wanted to use red and white but Essie said people would think it was a pizza shop and I had to agree. The blue offered a calming quality against the backdrop of a caffeine explosion. Something we all needed at the moment.
“But you do use bottled grey hair dye,” Hildie replied.
Essie tossed the paper into the trash. “That’s not the point Hildie. It’s nobody’s beeswax what I do. Besides, my hair is grey…just not the color grey I want it to be.”
I set my coffee mug on the counter. “You know there is this new trend of young girls dying their hair grey.”
Essie stared at me with vacant eyes. “And what’s that got to do with me?”
I looked down at my coffee. “Um…nothing.”
Essie sighed. “I’m sorry Lily. You know how she gets me going.”
“You need to ignore her,” Hildie remarked as she added more honey to her coffee.
“Easy for you to say,” Essie replied. “She hasn’t bothered you for almost five years.”
Essie turned to Hildie. “And why is that?”
Hildie shrugged. “Guess I live a boring life.”
“Maybe it was the cease and desist letter,” I replied.
When my aunts and I went in together to purchase the Coffee Cabana, Fannie took it upon herself to try and squelch the deal by suggesting we didn’t have the funds to buy it or to get a loan. It was humiliating and unnecessary and I was tired of her shenanigans so I contacted a lawyer in Orlando and had him send the letter. We never heard or read another word about it. Luckily, Hildie and I were ignored from then on, but Fannie’s hatred for Essie didn’t allow that good fortune to spread to her. Fannie knew my Aunt Essie tried to look her best and she was determined to undermine her at every opportunity.
“I’d give my left thumb to get her paper shut down,” Essie seethed.
I walked over and put ones, fives and tens into the cash register. “After twenty years I doubt it can happen, otherwise someone would have done it by now.”
“Just ignore her Essie. You play right into her hands when you get upset like this.”
“Fine for you to say little sister.” Essie threw up her hands. “I know you’re both right. Let’s forget it and get on with the day.”
Hildie and I knew Essie well. She just needed to vent and get it out of her system. Essie could blow hard but once it was over, she be as calm as the morning dew. Hildie and I would weather the storm knowing gentle breezes were on their way. We were the anchor in Essie’s stormy pattern. Unfortunately, the calm atmosphere was deceiving. We were only in the eye of the hurricane.
Chapter Two
My busiest time in the Coffee Cabana was in the morning from 6am until 9am when most of the work people stopped by for a coffee and muffin to go. Sometimes we’d sell out of muffins before eight bells. By a little after 9 am, the crowd thinned out and the rest of the day filled with stragglers, usually from the retired communities that surrounded Sweet Home, Florida. Most of the retirees showed up in golf carts, their favorite mode of transportation around the retirement villages, and to the chagrin of vehicle owners, downtown Sweet Home as well.
Honestly, I loved roaming around in my Aunt’s golf cart in which they had decorated into a tropical paradise including painted palm trees on the front hood and pink flamingos on the sides. Strings of lights hung from the golf cart roof. My aunts weren’t the only ones with a colorful transportation…most of the carts you saw had some type of distinguishing marks on them. People loved decorating or painting their golf carts, with some painted into a police car, ambulance or even tiny seashells glued to the entire surface of the cart.
One of my
Hildie took a seat at one of the shop’s tables. I covered the tables with blue and white plaid tablecloths. I wanted to use red and white but Essie said people would think it was a pizza shop and I had to agree. The blue offered a calming quality against the backdrop of a caffeine explosion. Something we all needed at the moment.
“But you do use bottled grey hair dye,” Hildie replied.
Essie tossed the paper into the trash. “That’s not the point Hildie. It’s nobody’s beeswax what I do. Besides, my hair is grey…just not the color grey I want it to be.”
I set my coffee mug on the counter. “You know there is this new trend of young girls dying their hair grey.”
Essie stared at me with vacant eyes. “And what’s that got to do with me?”
I looked down at my coffee. “Um…nothing.”
Essie sighed. “I’m sorry Lily. You know how she gets me going.”
“You need to ignore her,” Hildie remarked as she added more honey to her coffee.
“Easy for you to say,” Essie replied. “She hasn’t bothered you for almost five years.”
Essie turned to Hildie. “And why is that?”
Hildie shrugged. “Guess I live a boring life.”
“Maybe it was the cease and desist letter,” I replied.
When my aunts and I went in together to purchase the Coffee Cabana, Fannie took it upon herself to try and squelch the deal by suggesting we didn’t have the funds to buy it or to get a loan. It was humiliating and unnecessary and I was tired of her shenanigans so I contacted a lawyer in Orlando and had him send the letter. We never heard or read another word about it. Luckily, Hildie and I were ignored from then on, but Fannie’s hatred for Essie didn’t allow that good fortune to spread to her. Fannie knew my Aunt Essie tried to look her best and she was determined to undermine her at every opportunity.
“I’d give my left thumb to get her paper shut down,” Essie seethed.
I walked over and put ones, fives and tens into the cash register. “After twenty years I doubt it can happen, otherwise someone would have done it by now.”
“Just ignore her Essie. You play right into her hands when you get upset like this.”
“Fine for you to say little sister.” Essie threw up her hands. “I know you’re both right. Let’s forget it and get on with the day.”
Hildie and I knew Essie well. She just needed to vent and get it out of her system. Essie could blow hard but once it was over, she be as calm as the morning dew. Hildie and I would weather the storm knowing gentle breezes were on their way. We were the anchor in Essie’s stormy pattern. Unfortunately, the calm atmosphere was deceiving. We were only in the eye of the hurricane.
Chapter Two
My busiest time in the Coffee Cabana was in the morning from 6am until 9am when most of the work people stopped by for a coffee and muffin to go. Sometimes we’d sell out of muffins before eight bells. By a little after 9 am, the crowd thinned out and the rest of the day filled with stragglers, usually from the retired communities that surrounded Sweet Home, Florida. Most of the retirees showed up in golf carts, their favorite mode of transportation around the retirement villages, and to the chagrin of vehicle owners, downtown Sweet Home as well.
Honestly, I loved roaming around in my Aunt’s golf cart in which they had decorated into a tropical paradise including painted palm trees on the front hood and pink flamingos on the sides. Strings of lights hung from the golf cart roof. My aunts weren’t the only ones with a colorful transportation…most of the carts you saw had some type of distinguishing marks on them. People loved decorating or painting their golf carts, with some painted into a police car, ambulance or even tiny seashells glued to the entire surface of the cart.
One of my
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