White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha

By Tiffany Carby

Retiring from his high profile job as director of The Mint, Dr. Hollis Ryan and his wife, Merida, set the wheels in motion for their big move south. Planning to live out their days relaxing, golfing and soaking up the Florida sunshine, Ryan is all but satisfied. His wife, on the other hand, has other plans.

Not quite ready to pick out his-and-her caskets, Merida convinces hubby she is ready for the next adventure in her life, opening a coffee house. Former housewife and arm candy for her husband's affairs, Merida has always enjoyed serving and entertaining others and is ready to do something for herself and on her own.

When Merida gets involved with some shady dealers, she risks her husband's reputation, potential legal issues and the worry of having to shut the doors of The PepperMint Emporium. A charming salt-and-peppermint tea man garners attention of his own, while trying to seduce the main Mocha. Will she swallow her peppermint pride and ask her husband for help? Or will Merida be entrapped by these new gentlemen in her life that attempt to distract her from her right senses...and her vows of marriage?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crazy Ink
• Release date: Aug 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201082932

Book preview

Text Description automatically generatedCoffee with solid fill

Dedication

To all the coffee lovers, tea fanatics, real-life and at-home baristas, this one's for you!

Chapter One

Retirement Roast

"W e’ll call it... The PepperMint Emporium ...it’s got a ring to it, yeah?"

Merida and her husband Hollis sat at the breakfast table on what seemed like just any regular, old Saturday morning. They were drinking coffee while Hollis read the news, and Merida was explaining her crazy idea of opening a coffee shop.

Honey, isn’t retirement supposed to be less work than...well, before retirement? he asked.

Dr. Hollis Ryan, current director of The United States Mint (yes, the one where the money gets made, that U.S. Mint), had been planning his retirement for some time and he and Merida would soon retire to Florida. After a 23-year stint as director, he had carefully planned his retirement and groomed his successor. Nicklaus Eastwood had been backing him up for years and was definitely the most logical candidate for the job. A high-profile go-getter, Eastwood would continue on Ryan’s legacy of success.

I just want to golf. And get massages. And go to the beach, Hollis said. But if you’ve got your mind set on this coffee shop deal, that’s fine with me, I’d just prefer to be as least involved as possible.

That’s exactly my plan, dear. I’ll stay out of your hair, just let me do this little thing for me.

Opening a business is not just a little thing, Merida. Just remember that, he said.

After much nagging, Merida had gotten her point across to Hollis that for the better part of their marriage, she had always taken a step back and let his career stay in the limelight. She wore the pretty dresses and went to the balls, met politicians, and had tea with the wives of important people. Merida had accomplished many things as his Mint Lady, but nothing she wanted to do for herself.

The PepperMint Emporium would be for her and for her alone.

She had already worked out some of the big things...location...menu...a general manager to help her run the place. She still needed to order some bulk items and schedule them to arrive by opening, but most of the things left to do would have to wait until she got to Florida.

One last week of work for Hollis, a black-tie retirement party, and the movers would arrive to begin their move to Florida. They were selling their home in D.C. as their kids were grown and lived elsewhere, and it made little sense to keep it just to visit once in a blue moon.

I’ll grab your tux from the dry cleaners when I go out later today, Merida said, stirring her already cold coffee while she looked at places in Florida where she could advertise the coffee shop.

Kiskas Key sat right on the beach and was a nice little tourist destination, especially for those wanting a quiet spot where they could relax without the hustle and bustle of a super young crowd. This was no spring break destination. It was near Grouper Cove and straight south of Tallahassee, the perfect place to retire and open The PepperMint Emporium. Hollis and Merida had vacationed there several times and knew they wanted to retire there when the time came.

But first, the retirement gala.

There was much to be done before the limo picked them up to take them downtown for the gala. It wasn’t every day the director of the U.S. Mint retired, after all. It had been 23 years since the last time, and Nik was young, so with any luck it might be another quarter of  a century before this kind of shindig happened again!

Merida would pull out the diamonds, grab a new dress from her favorite designer who had a boutique downtown, and turn on her charm. It was what she had done for so many years already and the Ryan’s would exit D.C. just as grandiosely as they entered so many years before.

I’ve got an appointment to pick up my dress in just a few, so I’ll be heading out, dear, Merida said to her husband who was still sitting in the kitchen reading the news. He had switched to his tablet, but always managed to stay informed with what was happening in the world.

Sounds good, honey. See you soon, he said without even looking up. The time would come when they would soon say farewell to the hustle and bustle of the D.C. political scene.

Merida headed out, shutting the door to her Victorian home behind her. It would be a big change leaving Capitol Hill for sunsets on the beach. Her coffee shop adventure excited her deep in her soul too. It would be something new. Something to do. Something to make her feel fulfilled again. And it would be all hers.

Lord knows, I love a good cocktail dress and dashing pair of high heels, Merida said to herself as she got in her black SUV. But by golly, I’m going to be ready for sandals and sunshine soon...very soon.

Chapter Two

Mint-tea Green Tea

Noey Eastwood was easily the classiest gal at the gala. With her hunk of a husband, newly appointed director of The Mint, Nik Eastwood, they were a sight to behold.

They remind me of us twenty years ago, Merida said to Hollis.

They sure do...though you look just as stunning tonight, my love, Hollis complimented his bride, Maybe even prettier than twenty years ago.

Oh you, she blushed. I’ll take the compliment, though.

Noey’s emerald green, mermaid-style ball gown was strapless and covered in sequins from the sweetheart top all the way to the small train that ran behind her. Nik’s tux was classic black satin and white shirt, much like the tux Hollis wore, but had a long necktie, rather than a bow tie.

Merida, you look lovely, Noey said, grabbing her hands as she came up to say hello.

You, my dear, have stolen the show tonight. Not a person in this room can keep their eyes off of you...including your hubby! Merida winked at her and asked if she could pull her away for a little girl chat while the men talked shop.

Let’s get a drink, Noey suggested.

Noey and Nik met in D.C. when she set out on a nationwide ice cream shop tour. She came to Nik’s office for a meeting, and they were smitten from the very beginning. Her internationally read blog, Say Yes and Noey has millions of monthly viewers and her following was growing daily.

So Nik tells me you’re planning to open a coffeehouse when you retire to Florida, Noey asked, sitting her purse on a high top table where they could have a little privacy.

Yes! It’s already in the works and exactly what I wanted to talk to you about!

That’s so exciting, what did you have in mind?

Merida told Noey about The PepperMint Emporium, and she squealed at the tie-in to The Mint, thrilled with her idea.

So I guess what I’m asking is for a shameless plug? Would you want to come for a visit when things get settled, and we’re open for business? Merida crossed her fingers under the table.

"Would I like to? I would love to! I could do a segment on coffee shops, and yours could be my first