10. Theo
THEO
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Dale Garrett: WHO took my spot in front of Food ‘n’ Things??
Comments:
Jade Clark: Uh-oh, he’s officially lost it.
Dale Garrett: I’ve parked there for over a decade! Get out of my spot!
Tammy Jane: Dale, the one next to it is open.
Dale Garrett: THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!! GIVE ME MY SPOT.
Hu Gh: Has anyone told you to chill out? I hear the kids say it.
Jade Clark: One time you threatened Tammy over decaf coffee, Hugh.
Hu Gh: AND I’LL DO IT AGAIN.
Jade Clark: The old farts are crashing out again. Everyone watch out.
Dale Garrett: WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?
As a business owner, it was good when I was busy. But as the day stretched to afternoon, I wanted it to slow down. Not for me, but for Piper.
She was already having a rough time the day before, but if she saw how busy it was, I had a feeling she wouldn’t come in.
I shouldn’t care at all, but I found myself craving another quiet moment after close with her.
I wanted to know how she liked the Facebook group, and I wanted to know what she thought of what she’d seen.
I didn’t like that I was sliding this much. I knew it wasn’t a good idea.
And I kept talking to Piper anyway.
I was lucky that no one had seen it. I was even luckier that she also didn’t seem to care that I didn’t want them to know.
There wasn’t one single thing about her to explain why she occupied so much of my mind. She just did. And I didn’t know how to stop it.
The line was to the door when I saw a flash of blonde. I wouldn’t blame her if she left, even if I wanted her to stay.
Piper didn’t leave. She waited in line, picking at the sleeve of her floral shirt. I tried not to look at her, I really did. But it was impossible because I knew she was upset.
“If you stare any harder, people are gonna pick up on that.” Kelsey muttered it as she set down a drink.
I tore my eyes away. “I’m just looking at the door.”
She rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything else.
Her comment was enough to make me keep my eyes to myself as I focused on other customers. Most were regulars, like Atticus, the town vet, and Dale, the owner of Food ‘n’ Things. Some were people clearly here just to visit Strawberry Springs.
It took too long for Piper to get to me.
“Wow, busy today,” she said. She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and her hands never stilled.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s fine. Might just take mine to go, though. Can I get my usual?”
I wanted to ask more about how she was doing, but under Kelsey’s watchful eye, I kept my mouth shut. I rang it up and took her payment before Kelsey had the cup ready. She gave Piper a smile and wave, chatting with her about how things were going.
That was when it all went wrong. Piper kept it short and sweet, but during their conversation, the door opened and in ran Jasmine, Mollie’s rambunctious toddler.
Jasmine ignored the line and the people and ran straight up to the counter.
Which was right where Piper was turning, her hot coffee in hand. Jasmine plowed into her, and she yelped.
Time seemed to slow as I watched disaster unfold. Piper jolted away, practically collapsing in on herself as she tried to hurry off. Luckily, nothing spilled on Jasmine, but it did on Piper.
I’d spilled many cups of coffee on me, and I knew that burned.
There were two breaths before Piper realized what had happened.
Then she bolted out the door.
“Oh my God!” Mollie finally ran up. “What happened? Jasmine, I told you not to run in like that!”
She scooped up her daughter, eyes on the coffee all over the floor. I should’ve gone to get the mop. I should’ve told Mollie that there was an accident but Jasmine was fine. I should’ve left Piper to her own devices.
“Kelsey, can you clean this up and man the register?”
I didn’t even wait for her response. I was going after Piper.
The alleyway was clear, except for the sound of rattling keys. When I got to the back of the building, I saw Piper at the top of the stairs, her breaths loud and labored.
She was struggling to even open the door.
My chest squeezed seeing her like this, and I didn’t know if I would help or make it worse.
But I was going to try.
“Hey.” I wouldn’t have called my voice calming in any measure, but I tried to keep it low so I wouldn’t startle her. “Piper, hand me your keys.”
I half expected her to get startled by me. If she did, I would either try something else or leave her to her own devices.
Instead, she paused. Her chest still heaved, but she slowly turned to me.
Her pupils were dilated. It felt like she was looking through me and not at me. But she dropped her keys and made herself as small as she could on the landing.
It gave me space to open the door for her.
I stepped out of the way to allow her room to get inside. There was one second where her eyes met mine. She gave me a small nod—something I took as a silent thank-you—and then ran inside.
As much as I wanted to follow, I knew how these moments felt. Maybe I’d never felt it as strongly as she did, but I knew what it was like to be at my lowest moment, to need to feel the worst of things.
I’d done it alone too.
I needed to get back to the shop anyway. I needed to think of some kind of excuse as to why I followed her like I did.
But I did one thing before all of that.
Pulling out my phone, I sent a text.
Theo
I’m here if you need me.
Kelsey had cleaned up the mess by the time I returned. Beyond that, she was at the front, taking a customer’s order. I took over her station on autopilot, helping her through the rush of people. Things were backward, but she handled it with ease.
I didn’t want to face anyone anyway.
I got through the rush before anyone spoke to me, and that time was needed for me to get my wits about me.
Mollie was the first person I saw.
She’d come into town almost four years ago, bringing with her a change that nearly everyone took note of. She was the first person close to my age to fall in love. She also was one of the few people to get the Oreo latte.
“Hey,” she said, a small smile on her face. “Was that Piper that my kid ran over? The new girl in town?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“I feel terrible. Is she okay?”
“She will be. She has a thing about touching people.”
Mollie’s face turned red. “Oh, God. You’re friends with her, right?”
“I . . . am.”
Kelsey turned abruptly, knowing just how big of a deal it was that I was even admitting it. But it was true, even if I wasn’t good at making friends.
“Can you apologize for me? I need to be keeping a better eye on Jasmine, but she was, in fact, raised in a barn and she’s wild. Still, she shouldn’t have run in like that.”
And I knew that Mollie truly felt bad. She’d always been nice. She was immediately welcomed into town, especially since she’d spent part of her childhood here. Her and all the other younger women in town had formed a tight-knit girl group—another reason I knew she’d never want to hurt Piper.
“I’ll talk to her,” I replied.
“What a terrible first impression,” she muttered. “Thank you. I owe you one.” She gave me one more smile before she caught her daughter heading for the door. “Shit. That kid never stops!” She had a second to wave at both Kelsey and me before darting for the door.
I only had one breath to try to process all that had happened before Kelsey set in.
“So, friends?” She raised an eyebrow.
I let out a long sigh. “Please don’t.”
“I’m not gonna tell anyone. You know I don’t participate in the gossip, and none of the other women do either.”
“And if you get good gossip?”
“Maybe I’ll take Wren up on her offer to join the other women and talk about it there. I know how you are. You’re private. I’ll keep it that way.”
It helped to hear. “She hangs out after close sometimes.”
Kelsey blinked. “Wait, is that why you never let me close?”
“Sometimes.”
“Wow. You’re doing it to get time with her.” She crossed her arms. “I’m jealous.”
“You like her, don’t you?”
“She’s sweet. And looks like she’s having a hard time.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Did you help when you ran out after her?”
“In the capacity she needed me to, which isn’t much.” I shrugged. “But I’ve been there. I know how it feels.”
Both of her eyebrows rose now. It was more than I’d ever given anyone. “Well, I’m glad she has you.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I be invited to the wedding?”
I let out a harsh sigh. “There won’t be a wedding.”
“Oh, come on. There’s been plenty of people falling in love recently. Maybe it’s your turn.”
“I don’t do love.”
“Yeah, yeah. So you say. Have you told her that yet?”
“She hasn’t asked.”
“And what would you say if she did?”
“The same thing I told you.” My body tensed as I said it. And I knew it was a lie.
Kelsey frowned. Thankfully, she didn’t know me well enough to call me out on my bullshit.
No one did.