The Guest House Hauntings Boxset by Hazel Holmes (novel books to read txt) 📕

with someone over coffee. He came out here to have time to himself and he had plenty of work to do once he returned home. But Sam and Brittany were so nice and welcoming to them so far, and they could use some friends in this new town.

“Sure,” Ezra said with a shrug. “I haven’t had my morning cup of coffee yet, and it’ll be nice to visit some local businesses.”

He hopped in the truck and they talked a little bit about how their day was going so far, but they didn’t get into the real reason Sam wanted to talk to him right away because the coffee shop was only a few minutes away.

Ezra was surprised by Sam’s choice. The brick building with colorful art painted on the walls and frosted glass windows looked rather new age and hipster in a way Ezra didn’t expect from Sam. He was intrigued by it though, so he followed Sam inside with much more enthusiasm than he carried with him when Same first invited Ezra to grab coffee with him. He was always interested in trying out new cafes that stood out from the rest.

This one certainly didn’t disappointment. The interior of the café was crawling with lush plants and quiet, classical music that was relaxing while also making him feel like he had been transported to some sort of fairytale. Tucked among the plants were pieces of artwork inspired by nature and raw emotions. Ezra picked up on the passion behind this vision and was drawn in by that love.

Raw wood furnishings were topped with painted clay cups, plates, and bowls. The smells… the smell was what really caught Ezra’s attention. Rich, full-bodied coffee was joined by decadent chocolate, sweet caramel, warm cinnamon, and various other flavorings that made Ezra wish he hadn’t already eaten breakfast. If the drinks were as good as they smelled, he would definitely take Clara here tomorrow morning.

“You can’t go wrong with anything you order here,” Sam said as they looked at the chalkboard menu. “It’s all phenomenal.”

“There are way too many options,” Ezra lamented.

“That’s why I come almost every day.” Sam laughed. “I think I’ve tried every single flavor. Brittany prefers her corporate chain coffee shops, but this is where it’s at. The good stuff is right here.”

Ezra ordered a turmeric latte and hoped for the best, while Sam went with his mocha and caramel staple. They grabbed their drinks and headed right for a table in the back corner. Ezra sipped his latte and instantly fell in love.

“That is the best coffee I have ever tasted,” Ezra said.

“Right?” Sam beamed. “And you’re from the big city, right? I bet you’ve been to a bunch of fancy coffee shops, but nothing like we have here.”

“Very true,” Ezra admitted. “I’m more thankful every day that we came to live here.”

“You made a good choice,” Sam said. “Or at least, in moving here you did. There’s another choice you made though that… I’m not sure it was the wisest decision. I wanted to say something to you about it at the store when you first mentioned it, but I figured Brittany would butt in and get mad that I even brought it up.

“I was going to let it go, or at least try to. But then I saw you walking, which gave us the perfect opportunity to talk and…” he shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems risky to not say anything, but I also don’t want to get you angry at us or anything. Brittany would kill me if I broke that connection she’s already formed with your wife.”

Now Ezra was curious, and especially after that vision of his father, he wanted to be aware of any potential bad choices and their possible outcomes. He needed to be ready for anything that could go wrong.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ezra said. “I’m not going to get angry at you for simply warning me about something. I’d rather know about any potential issues that may arise because they can become something unmanageable. Do feel free to share.”

Sam looked like he was debating it, but of course he had to share now. He had already invited Ezra here. It was too late to back out. He sat back and sighed.

“I just think you need to be careful around Nathaniel is all,” he said.

23

“Nathaniel?” Ezra asked. That was rather unexpected.

“Yeah. You said you hired him, didn’t you?”

“I did. He came by while we were still setting up and he seems like a good kid. I guess his father worked for Lyla and Richard. He seems to have a real passion and love for the place, and for cooking. Reminds me of myself when I was younger.”

“I’m sure he does have passion for it,” Sam said, nodding his agreement. “And I’m sure he’s a good kid. He’s usually quite polite and upbeat whenever I see him. I know a lot of people in town love him and we all cared about his father. He’s lived here his whole life and isn’t known for causing trouble.

“I just… I don’t know. I’ve heard some things about him. Like, I know he really wanted to buy the bed and breakfast after Lyla and Richard died. A lot of people in town were after the property, but Nathaniel was really invested in it. I think he wanted it more than anyone else did.

“That price war though…” Sam shook his head. “It was brutal. Kid couldn’t compete. He tried, I’m sure. But you guys must’ve had a whole lot of money to snatch that up, and I heard he’s still bitter about it. I mean, think about it. His father cared about the property, and so does he. He has this passion for it, probably brimming with ideas of what he wants to do with it, and this newcomer swoops it up out of his grasp.”

Ezra hadn’t thought of it like that before, not really. It made sense though and he kind of felt bad