as planned?"
"Not only did the turkey not ask me to marry him, he was apparently stunned to find out I expected him to do so," Juliana informed her. "The whole thing was a complete misunderstanding. I made an absolute fool out of myself. If I ever show any signs of wanting to get involved with anyone else of the opposite sex ever again, I want you to promise to remind me of what happened this time. I refuse to repeat my mistakes."
Matt grinned. "You're going to swear off men forever just because Mr. Right turned out to be Mr. Wrong?"
"He isn't Mr. Wrong. He just doesn't know he's Mr. Right." Juliana turned her back to the door and busied herself with grinding an aromatic blend of beautifully roasted Costa Rican beans. She raised her voice to be heard over the roar of the machine. "But I guess if he doesn't have enough sense to know he's Mr. Right, then he really is Mr. Wrong, isn't he? I mean, the real Mr. Right wouldn't be that dumb, would he?"
She was so busy working through that train of logic that she failed to hear the shop door swing inward.
"Uh, Juliana," Matt began nervously, only to be cut off by Juliana's diatribe.
"But I have to tell you, I think my heart is broken. And what does that say about my intelligence, I ask you? How could I let Mr. Wrong break my heart? I'm too smart to do that."
"Juliana, uh, maybe you'd better..."
"What's more," Juliana plowed on forcefully, "if Travis Sawyer is so stupid he doesn't even realize I'm the right woman for him, then he's probably too stupid to be planning the future of Charisma Espresso. This morning I told him I didn't intend to fire him, but now I'm not so sure. I've had time to think about it and I really don't believe I want to put the future of my company in Sawyer's hands..."
"Juliana," Sandy broke in hurriedly. "We've got a customer."
"What?" Juliana finished grinding the last of the beans and the machine stopped.
"I said," Sandy repeated very clearly, "we've got a customer."
"Oh. Well? Why make a big deal out of it. Go ahead and see what he wants."
"What he wants," Travis Sawyer said calmly from the other side of the counter, "is the one month you promised him in which to come to his senses."
"Travis." Juliana couldn't believe her ears. Relief and happiness rushed through her. She swung around to confront him, knowing she was smiling like the village idiot, but not caring in the least. Her heart was not broken after all. "You came back."
"I never left. At least, not willingly. You're the one who kicked me out."
"I knew you'd see the light. I knew you just needed a little time to get your head screwed on straight."
Juliana tossed the sack full of ground coffee toward Matt and dashed around the counter to hurl herself into Travis's arms.
Travis braced himself as she landed against him with an audible thud. He only staggered back a step.
"I'm touched by your faith in my intelligence." Travis looked straight into her glowing eyes. She was wearing two-inch heels today. "Does this mean you're not going to try to find a way out of our business contract, after all?"
Sandy spoke up firmly from the other side of the counter before Juliana could respond. "I don't think he's groveled enough yet, Juliana."
"Give the man a break, ladies," Matt growled. "He's here, isn't he? How much more can you ask?"
"Thank you," Travis said gravely, nodding at Matt. "I agree completely. How much more can you ask?"
He turned his attention back to Juliana who was smiling with delight, her arms around his neck. "Would you mind very much if we conducted the rest of this grand reconciliation scene in private? I like Matt and Sandy, but once in a while I find I like to operate on a one-to-one basis with you."
"Don't mind us," Sandy said quickly. "We're only too happy to help out,"
"Right," said Matt. "We're just like family."
"Not quite," Travis said, taking a firm grip on Juliana's arm and leading her toward the door.
Juliana was bubbling over with laughter by the time
"Not only did the turkey not ask me to marry him, he was apparently stunned to find out I expected him to do so," Juliana informed her. "The whole thing was a complete misunderstanding. I made an absolute fool out of myself. If I ever show any signs of wanting to get involved with anyone else of the opposite sex ever again, I want you to promise to remind me of what happened this time. I refuse to repeat my mistakes."
Matt grinned. "You're going to swear off men forever just because Mr. Right turned out to be Mr. Wrong?"
"He isn't Mr. Wrong. He just doesn't know he's Mr. Right." Juliana turned her back to the door and busied herself with grinding an aromatic blend of beautifully roasted Costa Rican beans. She raised her voice to be heard over the roar of the machine. "But I guess if he doesn't have enough sense to know he's Mr. Right, then he really is Mr. Wrong, isn't he? I mean, the real Mr. Right wouldn't be that dumb, would he?"
She was so busy working through that train of logic that she failed to hear the shop door swing inward.
"Uh, Juliana," Matt began nervously, only to be cut off by Juliana's diatribe.
"But I have to tell you, I think my heart is broken. And what does that say about my intelligence, I ask you? How could I let Mr. Wrong break my heart? I'm too smart to do that."
"Juliana, uh, maybe you'd better..."
"What's more," Juliana plowed on forcefully, "if Travis Sawyer is so stupid he doesn't even realize I'm the right woman for him, then he's probably too stupid to be planning the future of Charisma Espresso. This morning I told him I didn't intend to fire him, but now I'm not so sure. I've had time to think about it and I really don't believe I want to put the future of my company in Sawyer's hands..."
"Juliana," Sandy broke in hurriedly. "We've got a customer."
"What?" Juliana finished grinding the last of the beans and the machine stopped.
"I said," Sandy repeated very clearly, "we've got a customer."
"Oh. Well? Why make a big deal out of it. Go ahead and see what he wants."
"What he wants," Travis Sawyer said calmly from the other side of the counter, "is the one month you promised him in which to come to his senses."
"Travis." Juliana couldn't believe her ears. Relief and happiness rushed through her. She swung around to confront him, knowing she was smiling like the village idiot, but not caring in the least. Her heart was not broken after all. "You came back."
"I never left. At least, not willingly. You're the one who kicked me out."
"I knew you'd see the light. I knew you just needed a little time to get your head screwed on straight."
Juliana tossed the sack full of ground coffee toward Matt and dashed around the counter to hurl herself into Travis's arms.
Travis braced himself as she landed against him with an audible thud. He only staggered back a step.
"I'm touched by your faith in my intelligence." Travis looked straight into her glowing eyes. She was wearing two-inch heels today. "Does this mean you're not going to try to find a way out of our business contract, after all?"
Sandy spoke up firmly from the other side of the counter before Juliana could respond. "I don't think he's groveled enough yet, Juliana."
"Give the man a break, ladies," Matt growled. "He's here, isn't he? How much more can you ask?"
"Thank you," Travis said gravely, nodding at Matt. "I agree completely. How much more can you ask?"
He turned his attention back to Juliana who was smiling with delight, her arms around his neck. "Would you mind very much if we conducted the rest of this grand reconciliation scene in private? I like Matt and Sandy, but once in a while I find I like to operate on a one-to-one basis with you."
"Don't mind us," Sandy said quickly. "We're only too happy to help out,"
"Right," said Matt. "We're just like family."
"Not quite," Travis said, taking a firm grip on Juliana's arm and leading her toward the door.
Juliana was bubbling over with laughter by the time
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