The New Hope Cafe by Dawn Atkins Page A

what? Wait. You’re staying at Rosie’s?”
    “Our car broke down and she was kind enough to let us
stay.”
    “Rosie was kind?” He turned to Jonah.
    “Don’t worry. There was something in it for her. She conned CJ
into working here while she’s waiting for her car.”
    “Now that sounds like Rosie.” Evan sipped the coffee, then did
a double take, sipping more. “What did you do to the coffee?”
    “You like it?” CJ shot Jonah a look. “It’s a medium roast from
Costa Rica. We ground the beans ourselves.”
    “Damn.” Evan sipped more. “This beats the house blend at Coffee
Stop easy. You should offer it to go. You’d steal customers.”
    “Really? You think so?” She was so excited you’d think she won
the lottery.
    Jonah groaned. “I can’t believe my own brother betrayed me.” CJ
would carry on about this all day now.
    “What?” Evan looked puzzled.
    “We had a bet that no one would notice the coffee,” CJ said.
“And I just won.”
    “Way to go.” Evan held out a fist for a bump.
    “I like the to-go idea,” she said. “It would be easy to set up
a station with carafes, cups, lids and condiments.”
    “Too much hassle,” Jonah said. “People buy coffee by
habit.”
    “Not these days,” his brother said. “But then maybe my
marketing degree was a waste of time.” He studied Jonah over his cup.
    “Whatever,” he grumbled.
    “What can I get you to eat, Evan?” CJ asked, pulling out her
order pad.
    “I hear you make killer French toast.”
    “You heard that?”
    “Jesus. Don’t encourage her,” Jonah said.
    CJ huffed a breath. “You are such a p—”
    “Don’t say it.” If she called him a poop in front of Evan, he’d never live it down.
    “I was just going to say party pooper,” CJ said. She tore off
the slip with Evan’s order and held it out. “Give him double berries, okay? For
the coffee tip? Thanks, Evan.” She topped Evan’s mug, then waltzed away.
    “Party pooper, huh?” Evan grinned at him. “Look at you, big
brother, all red and flustered. She’s cute, for sure.”
    His face did feel hot. “She’s gone as soon as her car’s fixed.” Hurry up, Rusty. He started Evan’s order, then
turned back to him. “So what about the job?”
    “No word yet. It was a long shot. Plus, it’s in Columbus. I
don’t know the music scene there.”
    “The last thing you need is a music scene.” That had been where
the trouble started. “It would be a stepping stone. From there, you could—”
    “You might as well know I took the job at the
Wash-Bowl-N-Brew.” He locked his jaw like he would as a kid when he’d done
something dumb, but wouldn’t admit it.
    Jonah tensed. “Doing what?”
    “Whatever they need. Work the car wash, the bowling
counter.”
    “The bar?” Jonah snapped. “You’re not working in the bar.”
    “If they need me to, I will. I’ll be fine. It’s time to rejoin
the world.”
    Uh-oh. He sounded too confident. “What does your sponsor
say?”
    “If I stick with the program, keep up with meetings, he thinks
I’ll be good. Unlike you, he has faith in me.”
    “I don’t want you to get lost again.”
    “I won’t. I promise you.”
    He’d promised more than once.
    “I saw you at the back of the hall when I got my chip,” Evan
said. “Ninety days. I’m good.” Yep, he wore that I-got-this look that came right before he tumbled off the wagon.
    “So far.” Ninety days was barely a dent in all the days
ahead.
    Anger crackled in Evan’s eyes. “Can’t you be happy for me?”
    Jonah tried a different approach. “Come with me to New York.
We’ll find a place to rent together, get you a job.”
    “I have a job, Jonah,” Evan snapped. “Leave it alone.”
    Frustrated, Jonah went back to the grill and cooked up the
waiting orders. He plated Evan’s with extra fruit and brought it to him.
    His brother dug in and Jonah went back to work.
    When he returned, Evan was wiping his mouth. “That was amazing.
I hope you get