Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Chance Falls’s black hole effect is alive and well.
Why else would I be mentally preparing myself to deal with the one person who gets under my skin?
No matter how I try to keep my distance, life keeps pushing us together.
The minute you set foot across the town’s limits, everyone and everything tries to tangle their roots around you to keep you anchored to the land.
Most find it charming. I think it’s cloying and suffocating. People not from here would say I’m imposing human characteristics on an inanimate object. But I know better. Small towns don’t function the same way that other places do.
Careful, Phil, you’re starting to sound like your father. The phone rings. I pick up the receiver, welcoming the distraction.
“Joiner’s hardware. How can I help you?”
“Phil?”
“Bethany! How’s your vacation?” Thoughts of our part-timer coming back to assist flooded me with relief. I’ve been holding down the fort, running on fumes. But she’d been such a good sport during my father’s crisis, she deserved the paid time away.
“I got married.”
“I’m sorry. You cut out for a minute. Can you repeat that?” Using my customer service voice, I glance to the left and see the calendar. Tuesday. Of course it is.
Resentment rises like an ocean during a fast-moving tropical storm front. Bitterness coats the inside of my mouth. It’s another problem I need to solve. More of my time is lost to Joiners. Stomach churning, my mind blanks.
“I got married.” Crystal clear, the words remain the same.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you said. Umm.
Congratulations? It seems sudden.” I picture the young, fresh-faced blonde with a spray of freckles.
She’s twenty-three and getting married to a stranger she met in Vegas.
“Are you okay? Do you need help?” Images of her broken and bruised assault me.
Who does she even know in Nevada outside of her husband?
“No,” her voice cracks.
“Do you need money? A plane ticket?”
She sniffs. “I need you not to be mad at me.” It takes a few moments to register her words.
She’s not coming back. Tuesday strikes again.
“Why would I be upset?” I fight down hysterics.
“I didn’t just meet him. We’ve been talking for years and dating exclusively for nearly two years.”
“Did you go there knowing you wouldn’t return?” I scowl.
“No,” she gasps. “That was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“Okay. What do you want me to do here, Bethany?” Counting to ten, I curb my irritation. It’s not her fault I’m stuck here.
“Mail my last check to my new address.”
“I can do that.” Tapping my fingers on the counter. I will tell her to hurry.
“Are you ready?” she asks.
I reach for the yellow legal pad. My hand grazes my water bottle, tipping it over. “Crap.” H2O spreads like it’s auditioning for a paper towel commercial. Righting it, I search the area for something absorbent and disposable. The bell above the door rings.
“Are you still there, Phil?”
“Yes, give me a minute, Bethany. I spilled my drink.”
“You look like you could use some help.” I look up and mentally swear at the sight of the bubbly blond in the Reel Haven t-shirt.
“Sorry for the delay. I’ll be with you in a second.” Speaking in my best customer-friendly tone, I hold my frayed nerves together. Last thing I need is to break in front of him.
“I think you need me more than I need you right now.” Walking over, he pulls a roll of paper towels out of his back pocket.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I was stepping outside to clean the windows, and your store suddenly looked far more interesting than the task.”
I make a gimme motion with my hand.
“Pepper.”
Grabbing the roll, I unwind a wad and dab the counter. Unearthing a fresh pad, I return my attention to the woman on the phone. “Okay. I’m ready now, Bethany.” She rattles off an address, and I write it down in black ink. “Got it.”
“One more thing.”
Yes, because I live to serve.
“What’s that?” I cradle the phone between my neck and shoulder. This is going to hurt my father’s heart. He took her under his wing and gave her a chance when no one else would. When the tea shop shutdown, she’d been out of luck.
“Can you tell my parents?”
“Absolutely not,” I seethed
She squeaks. “They didn’t stop yelling long enough for me to give them the address,” she whines.
Can’t say I blame them, chick.
“Text it. I am not a messenger.” This girl has balls the size of King Kong.
“It feels impersonal.” The whine in her voice irritates me.
Wild laughter spills from my lips, exploding out of me. Absurd. “No more than an elopement.” I stand from the stool, to help dispel the energy building up inside me.
“If they come to the store—”
“I’ll refer them to you.” I look at Korren. His eyes are wide as he watches the situation unravel. I must look insane all but arguing into the phone.
Unbelievable? I mouth. He shakes his head.
“Do not call my father with this either, Bethany.” I grit my teeth.
“You’re not the only person who looks up to him.”
“He’s still getting back on his feet. This is not worth derailing his progress.”
“I thought he was doing fine.”
“For a man who had a stroke a few months ago. He’s doing phenomenally. And we will keep it that way.”
“Fine.” She disconnects. I hold the receiver up and stare at the cordless.
“After all that, she hung up on me.”
“Your day was far more exciting than mine.”
“I’d trade you in a heartbeat.”
Ending the conversation is a relief. My mind spins like a carousel. Round and round, thoughts twirl in my head. I need to hire help for the store. Two people can’t run this place without burning the midnight oil, and Pete is a student.
“Are you okay?” His question is unexpected, and hits me in a soft place I can’t afford to examine.
“Yes. Just shocked. Can’t say I had that on my Bingo card, but that’s Tuesdays for you.”
“What does the day have to do with anything?”
“I hate Tuesdays, Mr. Sunshine. Remember that. It’s the worst day of the week.”
“O-kay?”
“Did you come over here to chit-chat?” I glance at my watch. “Pretty sure. I’ll be seeing you in like twenty minutes.
“No. I came to drop something off.”
“Did you get inspired and draw something new?” I could use a distraction.
“No.” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a rolled-up sheet of paper. “View at your own leisure,” he rests it on the counter in front of me, with a sly grin. “I’ll let you close up for the evening.”
What are you up to?
He strolls away, whistling. Frowning, I smooth out the paper and laugh out loud. It’s an application for a Reel Haven Card.
Don’t hold your breath.
The clock chimes, signaling it’s 6:00, and I move to the front door. Flipping the sign to closed, I lock the door and start the closing procedure.
Counting out the till, I deposit the money into an envelope and lower it into the belly of the safe. After I sweep the floor, I tidy the shelves, turning off the lights on my way out. Outside, I walk to Reel Haven, a few shops down. As I approach the entryway, Korren steps out.
“Thank. for picking me up, Pepper. Mayor Branch never mentioned where exactly that hall was located ”
“The town hall handles all the town’s official business. It’s a section of the municipal building, the ground floor to be exact.”
“Good to know. I’ll let you lead the way.”
“You’re too kind. You don’t know where that is, do you?”
“Not a clue,” he says jovially.
“Follow me, Mr. Sunshine.” The cheerful disposition has to be fake.
“You’re beautiful when you’re sarcastic.”
“Am I?” I look to my left as he falls into step beside me.
“Oh yes, I’m learning it’s part of your charm. I told you we were going to get to know each other better. Why not keep going?”
“I didn’t realize it started.” He’s persistent; I’ll give him that.
“Of course. We’re even hosting an event together.”
“Yes, because we were voluntold. No is a four-letter word around here when it comes to helping each other out.”
“And still, you hesitated earlier.”
“I didn’t want to be front and center, shaking hands, smiling, and being paraded around like a prize filly.” I grimace. “Pun not intended.”
“Wait. Paraded.” He turns to me with round eyes.
I cackle. “Literally. We’ll be front and center on the lead truck, decorated to the nines. There’ll be photos and newspaper articles.”
“Wait. Newspapers are getting involved?” The color drains from his face. For the first time, his joy level dips. And I do not miss it. I just didn’t want to be the cause of bringing him down. It’s too much like proving my sister’s words right.
“It’s only the local run,” I say, hoping to comfort his anxiety. Maybe he has stage fright. The nervousness makes him feel more human.
“Oh, I guess that’ll be okay.” His shoulders relax. The reaction makes him feel more human.
“Not a fan of fame and fortune?” The street lamps are coming on as the sun sinks in the horizon. Chance Falls comes to life in a different way in the evenings. Strands of lights threaded in alleyways between shops with outdoor seating and around shop windows and lamp posts adding ambient light.
His face shutters. It’s like a door slamming in my face. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” What just happened to him? Studying him closely, I see the tension around his eyes and mouth. We stop in front of the large stone building in the center of the town.
“What are you two doing standing out here? Come on in. We have plenty to go over.”
Mayor Branch approaches us from behind, opening the double doors, and ushering us forward.
“Sorry.” Korren opens the door, allowing us to enter before him.