Chapter 4 #2
“No.” She pointed at me. “We are not going to talk about Marty. He and I are just going out for coffee.”
“Mmm-hmmm.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Just coffee. I can see the future you know.”
She waved me off and walked to the tables. “I have free will and know how to use it.”
“But do you have free won’t?” I asked.
That got a soft laugh out of her. “Oh, I definitely do.”
Jules wiggled her fingers at Dusi and grinned ear to ear. Marty was her nephew, and she was one hundred percent on Team Them Dating.
Dusi had sworn off heroes and falling in love, but Marty was a good guy. Even without my future sight, I thought they would make a cute couple.
“Speaking of dating,” Dusi began, “how’s West, Jules?”
I slapped my hand over my mouth to cover my laugh.
It was Jules’ turn to look flustered. “He’s fine. He’s good. We’re taking it slow. Also not dating—it’s just coffee. I know, I know!” She grinned.
“He’s wonderful,” she admitted, “but I’m proceeding with caution too.”
“I approve.” Dusi picked up a table on her own. “Very practical.”
I helped Jules with her table, shuffling forward as she walked backward to where the table should be placed.
“How about you?” Jules asked.
“Me?” We set the table down and started back for another.
“Any fellas in your future?”
Him, leaning toward me, hand on my cheek, as if to kiss me…
“No, I don’t think so. Which is fine. I don’t even have enough time for my cat. There’s no room in my schedule for more.”
“Well, maybe there’s room for a little more.” Jules winked.
I shrugged, smiling. “Like I don’t have enough going on with work, the Rookery, and helping Bertie with the festivals.”
“Boast of the Coast this week, yes?” Dusi asked.
“Yep. The charity drive is going strong. We should have plenty of boxes full of toys, books, clothes and coupons by the end of the weekend.”
“Ordinary’s kids are so lucky to have a competitive Valkyrie on their side,” Jules said.
We lifted another table.
“It’s more than just Ordinary’s kids now,” I said. “Bertie talked Tillamook and Waldport into doing their own drives.”
Jules shook her head, but she was smiling. “So now Bertie’s competing with her sister and two other towns?”
“Yes!” I would have clapped but my hands were full of table. “And there is so much to get done. We start sorting donations today.”
We settled this table near the other.
“Why do you volunteer so much?” Dusi had already placed another table on her own. We all walked together toward the last two tables.
“Uh-oh,” Jules said. “You don’t have to tell her.”
Dusi threw an interested look my way (behind her sunglasses so I didn’t turn to stone).
I laughed. “No, it’s fine. I came to town a couple years ago. When I first arrived, I thought I owed a god a favor, and I took something that he told me was rightfully his.”
“Gods are jerks and not to be trusted,” Dusi said. “What did you take?”
“Um, all the god powers in Ordinary?”
Dusi let out a delighted laugh. It was high and musical and absolutely lovely. I’d never heard her laugh so loud.
“Good for you. Serves them right,” she said. “They are far too confident in their superiority and think they’re invincible.”
“Well, I broke the law. But because the god lied to me and because it was Mithra, who has a grudge against Ordinary, Delaney let me off with a warning and community service. A lot of community service.”
“Ah. It all makes sense now.”
“But guess what? Turns out I like it! I get to meet more people and help with all sorts of good causes.”
A knock on the door echoed through the space as if announcing our doom.
“That can’t be Bertie,” Jules said. “We still have at least a half hour, right?”
Futures flashed. All of them pointed to the same thing.
“Welp,” I said, “I guess Bertie decided she wants an even earlier tour of the Rookery.”
“Free will,” Jules sighed.
“Free Valkyrie will,” I agreed with a smile. “Maybe it’s extra strong.”
Jules chuckled and swished off to the front door.
“Bertie,” Jules’ voice floated back to us. “So nice to see you. Come on in. Can I get you coffee, water, tea?”
“No refreshments,” Bertie clipped. “Show me how much you’ve gotten done. I only have a few minutes.”
“All right. Let’s start in the main showroom.”
Jules strolled in and a petite, older women with short cut white hair marched into the room behind her. She was dressed immaculately in a pantsuit the color of lemons. (It somehow looked amazing on her.)
Bertie’s quick, piercing gaze took in everything all at once.
“Satisfactory improvements. You’ll be doing more as time goes on?”
“This is a test run for local artists,” Jules said. “We’re just seeing what works and what we might need to change before we offer steady hours.”
“Piper, Dusi.” Bertie nodded in greeting.
“Hey.” I waved. Dusi just nodded back.
“There will be a meeting this evening to go over the details of the Boast of the Coast,” Bertie said. “Piper, I’ll have Tish forward you the minutes. Pass along my acceptance to Buzz’s breakfast and dessert coupons. It was a generous donation.”
“He was thrilled to help,” I said. “If one of those kids needed half that kitchen, he’d rip it out and drive the whole thing over to them himself.”
“Not sure that would fit in a box,” Dusi mused.
“Since you’re short on time,” Jules said, “let me take you to our main attraction: Dusi’s art gallery.”
She ushered Bertie back out into the hall. “We’ll have records and books available here.” She pointed at the empty room. “But you must know that since Tark volunteered to run it. Back here will be rentable tables and areas for selling crafts, food, and other handmade items.”
“I have read your layout plans,” Bertie said briskly. “Where will Piper’s shop be?”
I had stayed behind with Dusi. But the thing about drafty old mansions was the sound really got around.
“She wanted this little nook next to the maker space with the light from the high windows.”
“Ah.” Bertie sounded…satisfied. “It will do.”
I didn’t even know she’d been aware I was opening a small (very small) knit and crochet shop, much less that she’d have an opinion on it.
Of course this was Bertie we were talking about. Nothing escaped her sharp eyes.
“Show me the upstairs,” Bertie commanded. “Will you hold workshops there?”
“Yes,” Jules said, excited. “Turns out there’s an elevator in this old place. Did you know that?”
“Of course.” She sounded offended. “I was here before it was built. I knew the original owner.”
“Oh? What happened to him?”
“He fell off a cliff and died.”
I made wide eyes at Dusi, who was looking just slightly over my head, but watching my body language.
“There’s been a lot of death in this old place,” I whispered.
She shrugged one shoulder in that fluid way of hers that made me wonder if she danced. “Probably why it’s so haunted.”
“Haunted! Really?”
She grinned. “If it isn’t, it will be in October when we turn it into a haunted house.”
I laughed and got back to work setting up chairs—this time for the book club meeting. I liked how Dusi was already planning ahead for events.
I hoped she was right about that future for all of us.