Chapter Three
Jax got both kids off to school, then drove directly to the bookstore. On the weeks she was away from Ramon, she made it a
point to get there as early as she could. Although he was perfectly comfortable in his room, he liked to start his day with
a little cuddle time followed by breakfast.
She parked next to a big pickup that most likely belonged to her new contractor. The upside of owning a beautiful hundred-plus-year-old
Victorian was the history and character of the building. The downside was that there were constant issues to be dealt with
and most of them were expensive. Her current project was not a fancy remodel—instead, water had found its way in through a
few faulty shingles on the east side of the building. No one had known about the problem until the damage was extensive enough
to require a few months of construction and a serious hit to her bank account.
She’d just gotten out of her car when Marcus stepped out of the back door of the store. He waved at her. As always, his expression
was unreadable.
Marcus Collins came with excellent references.
He and his team worked hard, and the bid, while jaw-dropping, had been fair.
Interestingly, he was easy on the eye, with premature graying hair and blue eyes, not to mention a body that screamed he did plenty of heavy lifting.
Jax had yet to even think about dating anyone but even she had to admit the man was good-looking in every way possible and more than a little appealing.
Were she in the market, she would want to ask some probing questions about his personal life, but as she wasn’t, she would keep things professional.
Not that the man had shown any sign that she was more than a client, she thought humorously. So it was possible she was presuming
a lot.
“We have to talk about the wall,” he told her.
“And we will, but first I have a bird who needs me.”
“Ramon? I didn’t see him around.”
“He has his own room where he goes at night. I have to let him out and feed him. Give me fifteen minutes.”
“It takes that long to feed him?”
She smiled. “No, but we have a morning cuddle session first. Ramon is a very social bird.”
She dropped off her bag in her office, then went upstairs and opened the door to his room.
“Good morning, handsome boy.”
“You’re late!”
She laughed as he flew over to her and landed on her shoulder, then nuzzled her cheek and hair.
“I’m right on time. How are you? Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby.”
“But you’re a bird.”
“Baby bird.”
She stroked his head. “You’re my sweet bird.”
“Very sweet.”
They spent a few more minutes together, then she put a fresh bowl in place and measured out the correct portion of his custom food.
She ordered the mixture from a place that specialized in exotic bird feed.
His diet was specific to his breed, with the right balance of calories and nutrition.
She supplemented it with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Ramon, like most birds who lived in captivity, ran the risk of putting on weight.
He had the advantage of being able to fly around a three-story building, but it still didn’t compare to the exercise his wild cousins got in a day.
The pricey mix she ordered kept him lean and healthy.
“I want you to be around a long time,” she told him.
He picked up a sunflower seed, obviously too busy eating to respond.
“And just like that, I don’t matter,” she teased as she got to work cleaning up his bathroom area. Ramon was potty-trained
and had a perch where he did his business. Every morning she put down a fresh puppy pad for him. He was very faithful to the
process—a plus considering he spent his day out in the store and hanging out with people. No one wanted parrot poop on their
books or in their hair.
“See you downstairs,” she told him as she carried out the used puppy pad.
She disposed of the pad in the back room trash, washed her hands, then went to find Marcus. She spotted him by the checkout
counter with one of his employees, a set of plans open in front of them. As she approached, the other guy walked away.
“Please don’t tell me you found another leak in the building.”
“No leaks. Sure, it’s an old building and things happen, but this pretty lady is in surprisingly good shape.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “Thanks for saying that. I’m not sure my bank account can take another hit right now.”
He surprised her by smiling. “You’re saying I’m expensive?”
“I’m saying it’s a lot of work and not even for anything fun like a new kitchen.”
“You want a new kitchen? I have a great tile guy and I can get you a deal on new appliances.”
“Thanks for the offer, but let’s stick with fixing the store for now.”
He talked her through where they were on the east wall repair. They were doing it in sections, to keep disruptions to a minimum.
Finding materials that would blend in with the Victorian era of the building had been a challenge, but Marcus had come through.
“When it gets to the hairy part, I’ll have two teams working. One during the day and one from eight at night until about four
in the morning.”
Something he’d suggested when she’d admitted she was worried about disruption in the store. There hadn’t been much of an increase
in cost, and it cut down the time until completion.
“Now, about that wall,” he began, only to be interrupted by Ramon flying over and landing on a nearby bookshelf. He peered
at Marcus, tilting his head.
“Ramon, this is Marcus,” she said. “He’s helping fix the building. You’ve seen him around.”
Ramon walked toward him on the shelf. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Marcus looked at her. “Does he know what he’s saying?”
“Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me?” Ramon said, sounding exactly like Robert De Niro.
She tried not to laugh. “He, ah, doesn’t like when people don’t speak to him directly. And yes, he does know what he’s saying.”
“Sorry,” Marcus said, looking directly at the bird. “It’s nice to meet you, Ramon.”
The parrot inched forward. Jax held out her arm, showing him how to position his hand.
“If he likes you, he’ll fly to you,” she said, right as Ramon flew over and landed on Marcus’s outstretched fingers.
His eyes widened. “He’s so light. I thought he’d be heavier.”
“He’s only a pound.”
Marcus and the bird studied each other. “You’re handsome,” Marcus told him.
“You are, too.”
Marcus grinned. “Thank you.”
“You getting laid?”
Marcus involuntarily took a step back. He turned to Jax. “Did he just ask me what I think he asked me?”
She sighed. “Sorry. It’s his new phrase. Ramon, stop asking that. People get offended.”
He made a snorting sound and flew toward a group of customers.
“That bird,” she murmured.
“I can hear the affection in your voice.”
“Oh, he’s my guy for sure, but sometimes the things he says.”
“That is an interesting phrase for sure. So were you asking or telling when he overheard you?”
Marcus’s voice was teasing enough to make her smile. “I was fighting with my ex.”
“Because you care about who he’s sleeping with?”
“God, no. It’s about my kids.” She explained about their unusual parenting plan. “Gentry and Xander are too young to have
to deal with Harris having his girlfriends spend the night. The ‘only if engaged or married’ rule exists for a reason. But
he can’t see past his dick to figure out—”
She pressed her lips together as she realized what she’d just said. “Sorry. That came out more graphic than our relationship
calls for.”
“I’m pretty hard to offend,” he said easily. “And you’re right to protect your kids from that kind of stuff. They already
grow up too fast.”
“Thanks for understanding. Do you have children?”
“I never got that lucky.” His voice sounded wistful. “How old are yours?”
“Eight and eleven.”
“Great ages.”
“They are. I was worried about how they’d deal with the divorce, but they’re doing great. They get to stay in the house, so
they’re never without their stuff. Harris is being a pain about Shawna, but other than that, he’s a good dad. Very involved.
We’re doing well by them and that makes me happy.”
Ramon flew overhead and headed for the open front door. Marcus took a step in that direction.
“Is he okay going outside?”
“He won’t go far,” she said. “He loves me and he loves the bookstore. If he went out it’s because he saw someone he likes
heading in this direction.” She smiled. “It’s kind of funny. Even if someone isn’t planning to come in, once they see Ramon,
they feel obligated to hang out with him for a while. That often translates into them buying a coffee or remembering a book
they wanted to read. He’s very good for my bottom line.”
“Interesting bird.” He pointed toward the center of the store. “We need to talk about the wall.”
She groaned. “I really don’t want to.”
“Unless you want to keep tempting fate and risk the roof coming down, you’re going to have to reinforce the supports.”
They crossed through the New Fiction section and came to stop by a twelve-foot-wide-by-twenty-foot-tall brick wall. Nearly
every brick was covered with what looked like graffiti. Some had writing or numbers, some had doodles or symbols. Marcus walked
around to the side, where he stared at the two-foot-deep wall.
“Post office boxes?” he asked, sounding doubtful. “That’s what you told me.”
She made an X over her heart. “At least a couple hundred of them.”
“Filled with diaries?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She laughed. “It’s a thing. You were never tempted by our Diary Days?”
“Not even a little.”
“No pressing secrets you want to write down?”
“And keep in your bookstore? No.” He shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
“It started with a more noble purpose,” she said. “My stepfather’s parents owned the store back in the 1970s. During the bicentennial,
time capsules became very popular. Around the same time, old buildings were being torn down and replaced with more modern
structures. A couple of post offices were demolished, and his folks bought the banks of small PO Boxes. They had someone saw