7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Phoebe
If my siblings had been overprotective before the incident , they were practically velcroed to me now. My parents and grandparents were even worse, constantly calling and dropping by just to make sure I was still in one piece.
A week later, I could admit I was still a little shaky, even though there’d been no sign of Ry or his buddies. Camille had upped her hours so neither of us was left alone when the shop was open, but that wasn’t a long-term solution. I needed to find another part-time employee—fast.
I’d sent another notice to the high school. So far, there were only a couple nibbles, no real bites.
That changed when a waiflike girl with strawberry-blonde hair finally worked up the nerve to step inside after pacing the sidewalk for several minutes.
I smiled at her. “Hi, how can I help you?”
Her grip on the edge of the counter was so tight her knuckles went white. “I was wondering if you’re still hiring. My guidance counselor told me you were, but I didn’t see a sign, so I thought maybe you’d already hired someone. I can go. I’ll—”
“We’re still hiring,” I cut in gently.
“Oh. Good.” She gave me a wobbly smile. Boy, this girl was adorably nervous. “Is there an application or…?”
Two people filed in behind her. With Camille on her break, I couldn’t give her my full attention, so I pointed to the gap in the counter, making a snap decision. “Come on back. We can talk while I take care of these customers.”
Her brows rose, but she didn’t hesitate to duck behind the counter. While I filled orders, she told me her name was Hailey. She was almost sixteen, a sophomore at Sugar Brush High School, and had never held a job besides babysitting.
But she’d done a lot of babysitting.
I’d already been leaning toward hiring her, but I became sold the moment she started pitching in without being asked.
“There’s one thing,” she said during a lull.
I paused mid-wipe on a coffee spill. “What’s that?”
“Well…I don’t have a bank account, and I’m not sure my foster family would let me have one. I know this is asking a lot, but would it be possible to be paid in cash?” Her pale cheeks flushed bright red as she avoided my gaze.
It wasn’t the first time a part-timer had asked for cash, and it was usually for a good reason. Hailey seemed motivated and eager. She needed the job.
“I can do that.” I grabbed an application from the shelf. “Fill this out for me. You can skip the tax stuff. I’ll need a reference if you can provide it and all your contact information.”
Her mouth spread into a wide grin. “I can definitely do that. Thank you so, so much. If you hire me, I won’t let you down, I promise.”
I laughed at her unabashed enthusiasm. “I’m sure you won’t. I have a good feeling about you.”
Her eyes locked on mine, earnest and hopeful. “I have a good feeling too.”
My grandparents arrived at closing time, claiming they’d missed me terribly. I didn’t point out that they saw me days ago, and since spending time with them was no hardship, I happily agreed to let them treat me to dinner at Joy’s.
Grandad walked between my grandmother and me, his arms linked with both of ours, chest puffed out with pride. That was how he always looked when he had one or more of his “best girls” by his side.
“Connell, tell Phoebe where you’re taking me next,” my grandmother ordered.
Granddad flashed me a conspiratorial wink. “She has me taking her to Croatia. Can you believe that?”
“I’ve heard it’s beautiful,” I replied, unsurprised they were planning another trip.
A stone’s throw from eighty, they were as lively as people half their age. My grandmother had never been content to stay put, and Grandad would follow her anywhere just to make her happy.
So they traveled a few times a year, always coming back tan and hearty.
“Sure it is. I know because I’ve been made to watch not one but two documentaries on the place.” Grandad made a show of grumpiness, but no one bought it. “What’s the point of going now that I’ve already seen everything?”
My grandmother hmphed. “Making your wife happy—that’s the point.”
His mouth curved at the corners, and he waggled his white eyebrows. “That’s right. The point is to make my lovely Lily happy.”
I squeezed his arm. “What a good husband you are.”
“You’ll love it, and you’ll love me for making you go,” my grandmother said breezily. “Take note, Phoebe. Don’t settle for a man who wouldn’t follow you to the ends of the earth. The right one will, sweetheart. Gladly.”
I arched an eyebrow. “As if I have time for any man.”
“When the right one comes along, you’ll find the time,” she assured me.
If she’d known about the string of terrible dates I’d gone on recently, she probably wouldn’t have been encouraging me. There were a lot of men out there who were either emotionally unavailable or just plain strange. I’d put a pause on dating for the time being. Maybe I’d try again when it wasn’t so damn cold out. Sundress weather made me want to go out dancing or to a concert in the park. Until then, I was hibernating.
Joy’s Elbow Room was a Sugar Brush institution—unchanged for decades and beloved for it. Neon beer signs, dart boards, an ancient jukebox, the best greasy food in town. We settled at a table in the center, my grandmother’s choice. She liked to people-watch and hold court. She’d grown up in a family of politicians and had made her own career in politics. Schmoozing was second nature to her.
When our waitress, Alice, came by, my grandmother patted her arm. “Royal blue is your color, darling.”
Alice blushed and tugged at her sweater. “Thank you. Is anyone else joining you?”
“Just us chickens!” Grandad boomed, his voice carrying like a roll of thunder. It’d always been that way.
Alice, the poor thing, flinched slightly. She’d been working at Joy’s for a couple years and had yet to come out of her shell. I’d always wondered why she worked here when she had a full-time job as a librarian, but I’d never pried. I didn’t think she’d appreciate it if I’d tried. I just assumed her salary wasn’t large, so she supplemented it by waitressing.
My grandmother gasped. “We should have invited Caleb. With Shelby having Jesse this week, he won’t cook for himself.”
Alice swayed toward the table. “He was in last night.”
I bit back a smile. Alice was so lovely, and Caleb was oblivious. Even if she threw herself at him, which she wouldn’t, he’d probably just steady her and tell her to be careful. I didn’t know a lot about his personal life since he was deeply private, but I’d never known him to date or be in a serious relationship. He was all about work, family and, most of all, his son.
Grandad chuckled. “Caleb would never turn down a meal at Joy’s.”
Alice shifted back and forth on her feet. “Well…are you ready to order?”
We took mercy on her and placed our orders. She scribbled them on her notepad and scurried off. Once we were alone again, my grandmother pinned me with a stern look.
“You’ll be pleased to know I hired someone this afternoon,” I said, cutting her off before she could start. “I won’t be alone anymore.”
Grandad covered my hand with his. “We’re annoying because we care about you, darlin’. The idea that you had to chase away some…some mongrel who wouldn’t take no for an answer makes me sick.”
I sighed softly. “I know. And I’m grateful.”
Grandmother tsked. “When I think about what could have happened…”
“Believe me, I agree.” My gaze flitted between them. “I’m not so proud I won’t admit it scared me. That’s why I took action, making changes that will hopefully prevent something like that from happening again.”
“Good,” Grandmother stated, resolute. “I’m proud of you for being honest about your fear and doing something about it. It’s not easy to admit you need help, but it’s smart. And, my darling, you’ve always been so very smart.”
I leaned in, knocking my head against hers. “Thanks for saying that.”
Grandad folded his arms across his barrel chest. “Doubt you’ll have any trouble from that particular guy again. Not after you scared him away with a rolling pin.” He grinned at me, deep crinkles bursting like sunshine next to his eyes. “If I could have been a fly on the wall for that scene…”
I did not feel great lying to my family about what had truly happened last week, but since I’d set the ball in motion with the police, I had to let it roll. Besides, it made them feel better thinking I’d successfully defended myself.
I sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “How about we talk about something else? Absolutely anything else, please.”
Satisfied, they let the conversation shift to other topics. I relaxed, letting their easy banter and warmth soothe the lingering unease.
At one point, while they bickered playfully about Croatia, my gaze drifted to the bar. My stomach flipped when I spotted Deacon Slater carrying a heavy crate. His tattooed arms flexed as he moved, and he disappeared down the hall to the back.
What was Deacon Slater doing here? And why did my stomach feel like it was suddenly filled with a thousand newly hatched butterflies?
I hadn’t spoken to him since he saved me. He seemed to be avoiding me, and maybe that was for the best. He’d done a nice thing for me, but that didn’t make us friends. He was just going about his life, and I wasn’t part of it.
I told myself this, but when he returned from the dark hallway with another crate, I nearly melted in my chair. After all this time, he still had the same intangible quality that had drawn me to him when we were teenagers. Tangible ones too, of course. His ass still looked incredible in a pair of Wranglers, and the tattoos had only added to his appeal.
My grandmother demanded my attention, so I set my mind off Deke, giving it to her. Soon after, our food came, and I was so swept up in eating and laughing I mostly forgot everything else.
After our plates were cleared, Grandad asked his wife to dance. Joy’s didn’t have a true dance floor, so they made their own near the jukebox. I strolled over, wanting to watch and pick out a few songs I liked. The choices had been popular twenty or more years ago, but the classics worked for me.
Grandad twirled my grandmother around, making her cheeks rosy with happiness. Looking at them, no one would guess they’d been divorced and estranged my entire childhood. They were a reminder that bad situations didn’t have to be permanent. People could change, grow, become better, and have a happy ending.
When the last song was over, my grandmother spoke into Grandad’s ear. He nodded, and she meandered off, then he held his hand out to me. I took it, and he pulled me in close. He clutched my hand in his then placed his other on the center of my back and swung me around the makeshift dance floor. For a man of his size and age, he had smooth moves. He’d been dancing with Hannah and me since we were little, balancing our feet on top of his.
He patted my back. “You’re really doing all right, darlin’?”
“I really am. It shook me up when it happened, but I’m okay now. I’m glad it was me and not Camille or any of my part-timers.”
His chest rumbled. “Love you and how selfless you are, but I’ll never be glad a man put his hands on you.”
I squeezed his hand. “I didn’t even have a bruise.”
His rumble became deeper. “Lucky for that man you didn’t. You wouldn’t have been able to stop your father or brothers from hunting him down.”
“Or my mother and sister.”
He nodded. “True enough.” His bottomless brown eyes darted around my face, and he sighed. “We’re not going to keep talking about this. What’s done is done, handled and over. You built something special, all on your own, and that’s what we’re going to focus on. Now, tell me, what recipes have you got up your sleeve?”
Relief thrummed in my veins. I should have known my grandad would understand I needed to put the incident behind me. He knew me like the back of his hand. I wasn’t a dweller. I didn’t have time for it.
I laid my head on his chest for a beat or two and smiled. Tipping my head back, I showed him that smile then launched into my plans for the bakery while he listened like what I was telling him was the most important thing in the world.
Then he spun me until I was dizzy.
On my final spin, I caught sight of Deacon at the hallway entry, his sharp eyes fixed on me. A jolt of awareness traveled down my spine. I mouthed, “Hello,” and added a small wave before returning to the familiar warmth of my grandad’s arms.
Our dance carried me into another turn, and I glanced back, half expecting to still find him there, but only an empty hallway remained. Deacon wasn’t watching me anymore.
How disappointed I was by that surprised me down to my core.