Her Christmas Prince (Love in the Keys) by Caroline A. Godin Page A

little digging, he could really score. So that's what he
was doing. He had everything catalogued and ready to go when the
time was right, and had had his assistant come down from Miami with
his good cameras and lenses.

    This
morning, he was going to go and check out the coffee shop in
Sunnyside Key. I t
seemed like there was a tie in there.

    Callie
and Erin were having a great morning at the Beach Buzz. All their
locals were coming in. They had told everyone if they brought a food
donation to the food pantry at the church, the coffee was free on
Christmas Eve. And their customers had supported their efforts.
Instead of bringing one item, many had brought sack of groceries. It
did Callie's heart good; her neighbours were amazing people. If you asked for help, they gave
it.

    Between
customers, Callie filled Erin in on her day yesterday. And Erin was
thrilled.

    “ Callie,
I hate to say I told you so, but ...”

    Callie
cut her off. “Don't say anything. We're just hanging out.
Nothing more. I expect he'll be gone shortly after Christmas.”

    “ Did
he say so? “

    “ Not
in so many words, no, but he must have to be back home by January.
He has work.” The thought made Callie sad. Even though she'd
only known Henry for a few days, it felt like longer. She'd never
felt such an instant click and such a sense of compatibility. She
knew intellectually they weren't really going out, but sometimes, it
felt like they were. She was going to miss him.

    In
the flurry of last minute customers, neither Callie nor Erin paid
much attention to a visitor. He came in, bought coffee, and a
muffin. He sat in at the cafe, which was unusual. T he
majority of their business was take out. They girls continued their conversation, almost forgetting he was there, ‘til
he got ready to go.

    “ Thanks
very much, girls. Can I just say that's the best muffin I've ever
had. Where do you get them?” Jimmy asked, innocently.

    “ We
make them here, that's why they're good. They're fresh and made with
love by Callie, here.”

    “ Callie.
Well, you're a great asset to this place. I hope your boss here
knows that.” Both girls laughed.

    “ Actually,
Callie is the boss. This is her cafe. I'm the flunkie. I'm just
louder, so people think I am. Happens all the time.” Erin
smiled at Jimmy. “I don't remember seeing you before. Just
passing through for the holidays?”

    “ Something
like that, yes. Do you happen to have a business card, Callie? I'd
like to recommend you to a friend of mine down island.”

    Callie
reached under the counter and pulled out a card and gave it to the
man. “Here you go. I appreciate any recommendations, thanks.”

    “ No
problem at all. It was a real pleasure to meet you. Have a nice
Christmas, ladies.” With that, he exited the cafe. Not too
shabby. For the price of a coffee and a muffin, he had a name and
some info. Enough to get his assistant working on more. This might
turn out to be the best Christmas ever.

    Callie
and Erin worked hard to clean
up the cafe after Jimmy left. They got everything ready as much as
they could for when the re-opened. They planned to stay closed for a
few days, until the 31 st ,
to give themselves a break. They were both looking forward to it.

    At
1 p.m., they exited the Beach Buzz, and hugged.

    “ Merry
Christmas, my friend. Have a great time with your family. And
please drive safely.” Erin was headed for her grandmother's
place in northern Florida and had a long solo drive ahead of her.
Callie always worried when she made this trip.

    “ You,
too. You'd better call me and let me know how Christmas with Mr.
Wonderful goes and if you get caught out or not. Are you worried?”

    Callie
thought for a minute before answering. “I'm not worried about
getting caught out, Henry and I get along great and I don't think
anyone will suspect anything, if that's what you mean. But I am
feeling guilty about lying to everyone, even though my mom has been
almost nice to me the