PROLOGUE
The weather was as sombre as the atmosphere. The wind howled around the corners of the small country church, sweeping the rain against their clothes and faces. The umbrella Kirsty held over Joe didn’t provide enough shelter.
Not that her grandfather noticed. His eyes remained on the casket. Though her own heart was breaking about the loss of her beloved godfather, she could only imagine how Joe must suffer, burying his best friend.
Kirsty huddled closer to him, more in comfort than because of the weather.
Her eyes drifted over the people assembled in the cemetery next to the Cramond Parish church. There was a divide more significant than the grave between them. Other than their lawyer, Kirsty had never met the people on the other side of the grave. Of course, several often appeared in papers or on television.
Except for the Young siblings. They stood in the middle of the crowd, directly opposite Kirsty and her grandfather. She caught glimpses of them earlier in the church, but now she saw them clearly for the first time. Even if she hadn’t known about them, she would’ve recognised the man in the middle as Drew’s son. He had a similar strong built as his parent, but the similarities didn’t end there. Kirsty had seen photographs of Drew in his younger years and the man standing across from her was a mirror image of that man. She didn’t have to wonder how he would look in his fifties and sixties.
He was gorgeous. Kirsty’s heart fluttered as she kept her eyes on him throughout the service.
He raised his eyes from the casket. He stared straight at Kirsty, but she doubted he saw anything. If he did, it might be memories of the father they were saying goodbye to today. She read the sheer and utter desolation in his eyes, shimmering in the grey light of the day. The muscles of his jaw and throat worked hard to control his emotions.
Kirsty wished she could take away the grief etched on his face. It was a pain every person dealt with differently. Realising the pain for what it was, it didn’t take away the fact she would have loved to be the person who consoled and supported Iain Young.
Kirsty made a shocking discovery. She lost her heart to a man who didn’t know she even existed, at a funeral of all places.
How foolish was that?
1
Iain glared in exasperation at the three people sitting in front of him.
“Don’t tell me that none of you can convince the woman to move? For goodness’ sake, she won’t get a better offer. Why is she so freaking obstinate?”
The Property Maintenance Manager, Walter Mackay, shrugged. “Aye, but Miss Brown said she has a valid lease and intends to keep it.”
Iain ignored his irritation aimed at Mackay, who was leaning back in his chair. Iain didn’t like Mackay, although he couldn’t put his finger on the reason for his dislike yet. Maybe it was because Mackay was too slick. Iain made a mental note to keep an eye on him.
Turning away, he barked at his brother Graeme, “You. You’re the lawyer. Could you not convince the woman to end her lease earlier?”
Graeme shook his head, “I tried. I threw everything I had at her, but she refused to budge. I even threatened to take her to court to contest the validity of the lease. She only smiled and gave me her lawyer’s card.”
Iain sighed. “Don’t tell me. Someone we’re supposed to know?”
Graeme nodded, “None other than Dougie Munroe.”
Iain cursed. With Dougie Munroe involved and Kirstine Brown as confident as Graeme imitated, they didn’t stand a chance. Dougie, or Dougal Munroe, was one of their father’s oldest friends and one of the sharpest lawyers Iain knew. Dougie would have covered all the bases.
Iain sighed, shoving his hands through his already messy hair. “Aileen?”
His sister, the Vice-President: Assets and Marketing for Young Incorporated also shook her head. “Kirstine Brown is adamant. I’ve even tried offering her other lease options, but she refused. Miss Brown said Joe’s Coffee House had been there for over twenty years. If it were up to her, Joe’s would stay right where it was.”
Aileen smirked. “She added that both our father and her grandfather would turn in their graves if you put a chain restaurant there.”
Aileen frowned, “Did you guys know that Dad had been a regular at Joe’s? There’s even a photo in the restaurant of him and Joe at the opening over twenty years ago.”
Both brothers denied it. Hell, Iain had never even heard of the building or Joe Brown and his granddaughter before this. His father had kept a part of his life hidden from his children. Iain wondered about that. Anyway, it was no use speculating about it now. His problem was that building his father left to Iain. Although Young’s administrate it, it didn’t form part of Young’s portfolio.
Iain threw his pen so hard on the table in frustration that it bounced off and onto the carpet. He scowled at it and bent to pick it up while considering his options.
He could either get rid of the building or re-develop it. That was where his problem lay. He couldn’t do either if he couldn’t get rid of Joe’s. Iain might have no other choice than confronting Miss Brown himself.
Iain already had to postpone his plans when the owner of Joe’s had passed away in early January. There was a process to follow to register Joe’s in the name of Joe Brown’s only heir so Iain couldn’t do anything. He had to bide his time and wait, frustration mounting by the day.
Since the completion of the process, Iain first sent Mackay to negotiate. Graeme and Aileen both tried. None of them succeeded.
Now, because they had failed, he had to step in himself. He scowled again. He didn’t have time to deal with one tenant, especially not one as obstinate as this one was.
Iain concluded the meeting, and as soon as they left the office, he pulled the folder closer. He needed to prepare. He refused to back down.
***
Kirsty recognised the man the moment he walked into Joe’s and she shivered.
You couldn’t help but notice Iain Young. He looked a lot like his father, Drew. At six-foot-three and well-muscled, he was an impressive man. If you knew none better, you would have thought he was a professional athlete. He had the build for it.
That wasn’t what made Iain stand out from the crowd nor was it those arresting blue eyes. It was far more than that. Iain Young had a presence, an intensity about him that made Kirsty uncomfortable.
She had expected him, but not so soon.
If ever a man looked like trouble, he was now standing at the entrance of Joe’s Coffee House. He surveyed the shop with an almost disdainful expression on his face and his hands on his hips. His hands pushed his coat and suit jacket open, revealing a muscled, sculpted chest underneath a crisp white shirt.
His expression made Kirsty’s hackles rise. There was nothing wrong with Joe’s. Well, Joe’s might need a lick of paint, but apart from that, there was nothing wrong with it. The painting was a project on the following year’s to-do list. Losing Joe had already been traumatic. She first wanted to find her feet running Joe’s without her grandfather’s guidance before she made any significant changes.
Gorgeous or not, that unhappy customer could turn around and go back to where he came from. Her regulars loved Joe’s, and they were more important than a city boy who only dropped in here to stir trouble.
Iain hadn’t moved. He was still scanning the crowd inside the restaurant as if he was searching for someone. Kirsty knew Iain was searching for her, even though he might not know it yet.
Kirsty had the advantage of knowing who he was. She recognised him from the day of his father’s funeral eight months ago. He, being Iain Young, didn’t even know Kirsty attended the funeral with her grandfather. He didn’t know who her grandfather was, and so Iain knew nothing about her.
Kirsty’s first instinct that day was to feel angry when Iain walked past them without speaking to her grandfather. He was so close they could have touched. Did he care so little about his father he didn’t know that Joe was one of Drew’s best and oldest friends?
Kirsty had to change her mind a few minutes later when she saw Iain’s face. The expression was fleeting, but she had seen the desolation when Iain stared at the casket. She suspected he had an iron will and could control his emotions. He had pulled himself together. She could see how he buried his grief to help his younger siblings to deal with their pain.
For a moment, Kirsty had wondered who would take care of Iain. Her only consolation was that he wasn’t alone in his grief. They were three siblings who could console each other.
When her grandfather passed away four months later, Kirsty didn’t have that luxury. There was no family left for her to ease the burden.
Kirsty might not have a family, but she had her grandfather’s loyal friends, the staff at Joe’s and long-term customers. They helped her through her grieving.
Those were the times when she wished Drew was still alive. He had been her godfather and one of Joe’s best friends.
Kirsty often wondered why they’ve never met Drew’s family. She mentioned it to her grandfather once. She thought his friendship with her grandfather embarrassed Drew. Drew was a very wealthy and respected businessman.
It upset Joe that Kirsty could think that about his friend. He explained that Drew’s wife, Cairsty, wasn’t happy when Drew joined the army and went to fight in the Falklands war. For a while, she wanted nothing to do with Drew’s army friends after he left the military. It had reminded her too much of the time she almost lost Drew.
Drew respected that. Cairsty had come around. She joined Drew when he was visiting Joe and his other army friends, but soon after, she became ill.
Joe had seen little of Drew while Cairsty was ill and after she passed away. Joe had still been in the army and stationed in Inverness. It didn’t matter though. When Joe needed Drew a few months later when Kirsty’s parents passed away, Drew was there for him.
When Kirsty arrived to live with her grandfather, Iain and his brother were at school. Drew worked long hours and sent the boys to live in the hostel at Merchiston. Drew planned his visits to Joe’s when the children were away at school. According to Joe, Drew had guarded his time with them when they were at home.
Kirsty still had her doubts about it. To her, it was strange. How could none of the children have known of their father’s involvement with Joe’s?
That was also another anomaly. Drew bought the building about the time Kirsty’s parents died, and she came to stay with Joe. Why did Drew keep it a secret from his children that he named a building after their mother? It was an answer she might never learn now.
Kirsty frowned when Iain’s gaze drifted to her where she was standing behind the counter. For a moment, their eyes met and held. Kirsty held her breath until Iain broke eye contact and continued his perusal of the interior.
Kirsty took her time to study him. He had the same dark brown hair as Drew. He kept his cropped short and somehow messy on top, as if he had pushed his hand through it several times. He also kept his beard and moustache cropped. The stubble did nothing to hide his full lower lip and the high cheekbones.
She knew little about men’s fashion. She didn’t have to. Kirsty would bet that Iain’s outfit, from his designer suit and tie to the expensive Italian shoes, would cover her expenses for several months.
Her breath hitched when Iain’s eyes returned to her. This time he was studying her for much longer. Kirsty couldn’t look away from those blue eyes, her heart beating faster.
Iain broke eye contact first, and she could breathe again. He moved, taking slow yet measured steps to where Kirsty still stood with shaky legs.
He took a seat at the end of the counter and picked up the menu. He studied it with a frown, his eyes returning to her every few minutes.
Had he recognised her? Kirsty doubted that. There was no reason he should.
The other barista was busy, so Kirsty had no choice but to approach him to take his order. “Morning, have you decided on what kind of coffee you would like?”
Iain looked up from the menu and stayed quiet for so long Kirsty thought he didn’t hear her. He frowned and said in a deep, gravelly voice that sent another ripple down her spine, “I don’t drink coffee.”
Kirsty almost gaped at him, but pulled herself together before her chin hit the counter. She rolled her eyes and asked with veiled sarcasm, “You know that this is a coffee shop, right? We have other drinks, but we primarily serve coffee.”
He scowled at her, “I know. Unfortunately.”
Unfortunately? Kirsty knew her earlier assumption about Iain was correct. He was trouble. She wished she could tell him to leave, but her grandfather’s motto was never to be rude to her customers, even if you don’t like them. They were their bread and butter. Her grandfather had then laughed and added. “And our coffee too”.
Kirsty couldn’t see Iain Young becoming one of her customers. She knew why he was here, but she wouldn’t make it easy for him. She instead pretended she didn’t know him.
Iain’s sentences sounded clipped. His local Edinburgh burr was softer, as if he spent some time away from the capital. Well, he had been. Kirsty knew that too. She heard many discussions between her grandfather and Drew Young over the years. Since Iain finished at Merchiston, he left the Scottish capital for Cambridge to complete his law studies.
Drew lamented that Iain didn’t join the family business like his younger siblings. Drew’s disappointment didn’t matter. He was still proud of his eldest son. He told everyone willing to listen about Iain’s legal career as a barrister in London. If Kirsty had to believe his father’s proud boastings, he had been a good one too.
Kirsty ignored it and his surliness. “Do you want me to brew you a coffee or would you prefer tea or hot chocolate?”
“I’ll try a coffee,” he grunted.
Kirsty wanted to laugh. Judging by his mutinous face, coffee might be the last thing he wanted. She teased, “You know they say if you had one taste of this ambrosia, you’d be a converted soul?”
Iain snorted, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Kirsty suppressed her smile when she turned away. Iain was reluctant to try the coffee, but for some or other reason he was forcing himself to do it. Turning her back to him, she tried to figure out what to give him. She always believed that the less you add to a good roast, the better. It might, however, not be the best choice for Iain.
A latte might be a better option, seeing as he wasn’t a regular coffee drinker. It consisted of creamy foam milk, and Iain could add as much espresso as he wished. It was also quick to prepare and easy to drink. She might get Iain out of Joe’s before he scared away her customers with his surliness.
If Kirsty had to judge Iain’s dark mood, she should give him two or three shots of espresso, but she stuck to one. She still had her pride and reputation. If she could convince him that coffee wasn’t the drink of the devil, she might persuade him to keep Joe’s.
No, struck that. She didn’t need to convince Iain of anything. She had a valid contract, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
She knew why Iain was here. Aileen and Graeme couldn’t convince her to move, so Iain came to take care of business himself. What Iain Young didn’t know was that she would not give up Joe’s. This was her home, her family and her past. Too many of her childhood memories were locked in this place. She couldn’t give it up. If she did, it would feel as if she had failed her grandfather. She shook her head. That would not happen—not as long as she could help it.
She sighed and then concentrated on the task at hand. Kirsty started by frothing the milk to get the creamy texture she wanted. She then pulled a shot of espresso. The golden crema of the espresso still sat on top of the water when she finished. Kirsty breathed in the aroma. She would never tire of the rich smell of the coffee. It usually calmed her. Another of her grandfather’s sayings sprung to mind, “Coffee was like a hug in a mug.”
She served the espresso separately so Iain could add as much as he liked. Her eyes met Iain’s when she slid the small tray with the latte in front of him. His eyes dropped to the black brew, the milky latte and studied it with trepidation. She sighed and explained the drink to her mutinous customer. “Coffee is an acquired taste. If you’ve tried before and you didn’t like it, it might be because you haven’t tried the right brew.”
She ignored his frown and continued, “This is a latte. It is one of the simplest coffee drinks. It is your choice how much of the espresso you want to add.”
Kirsty watched as Iain lifted the espresso to smell the aroma. He moved it away from his face, but then brought it back a second time for an even deeper sniff. His eyes closed as if he was enjoying the aroma. Kirsty watched fascinated as Iain opened his eyes again and studied the espresso in his hand. He added only a small amount to the milk, then brought the mug to his lips to take a tentative sip. He rolled the liquid in his mouth, as he would’ve done when tasting a good whisky or wine. He then went back, added almost half the contents of the espresso to the mug, and took a second and third sip. He nodded and took another sip.
He put the mug on the counter and stared at it. Iain looked surprised, as if he didn’t expect to enjoy the experience. He looked up at Kirsty again, and this time she could even hear the surprise in his voice when he admitted, “It’s good. Thank you.”
Kirsty suppressed her smile and turned away to attend to other customers. When she finished, Iain was still sipping his latte while he studied the coffee shop with a frown. She could only hope that with his attitude, Iain would not stay too long.
When he put the mug down, Kirsty stopped in front of him asking, “Would you like anything else? Another cup of coffee or something to eat?”
He shook his head, his gaze sliding once more over the shop before he said, “I’m looking for a Miss Kirstine Brown. Is she here?”
She tried to ignore the uneasy feeling. Kirsty pulled the now empty mug away from in front of him before admitting, “I’m Kirstine Brown. What can I do for you?”
She noticed his surprise, as if she wasn’t who or what he expected. He tried to hide it and held his hand out towards her, “Iain Young. I would like to speak to you. In private, please.”
Kirsty signalled to Morag to take over. As she approached Iain, he stood up, but Kirsty didn’t stop. He made her uneasy, so she didn’t want to take him to her office. The space was too small to cope with Iain Young and his antagonism.
She also didn’t want her patrons or the staff to overhear their conversation. Nothing might come of it, and she didn’t want to upset them when it wasn’t necessary.
Kirsty waited for customers to enter, greeting them and stepped outside. When she felt Iain’s presence behind her, she turned to face him.
She didn’t feel calm. Her heart was racing faster than a racehorse, but she would not let Iain see it. Being as smart a lawyer as Iain’s father boasted, Kirsty might never get a word in if she let him get the upper hand. Her grandfather always said that attack was the best part of a defence. She hoped she sounded firm and calm when she told him, “Mr Young, I’ve made it clear to your minions I’m not interested in moving. I have a legal contract, which my lawyers assure me is non-negotiable. Stop harassing me.”
“Miss Brown…” Iain started, but Kirsty stopped him, “I’m not interested. Goodbye.”
She stepped around him and entered the coffee shop without a backward glance. She heard when the door shut behind her and, holding her head up high, walked towards her office. She let out the breath she had been holding when she was alone in her office. Closing her eyes, she refused to let the tears that threatened slip out.
She had promised her grandfather to keep his legacy, and if it meant fighting her landlord, she would do it even if it was Drew Young’s son.
She hadn’t felt threatened by his brother or his sister. Not even that sleazy property manager who first came to see Kirsty had managed that.
Iain Young was different.
When she looked into his bright blue eyes and saw his firm stance, Kirsty didn’t feel threatened. Not by his threats, anyway.
No, she was more scared about the feelings he evoked.
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