Every Single Broken Piece

Chapter 1 Kelcie

Kelcie

Taking a sip of my vanilla iced latte, I savor the delicious taste.

“Mmm . . . I could drink it every day and never grow tired of it.”

This heaven-in-a-cup sensation became my latest addiction at the beginning of the summer, and every afternoon, I take a walk to Dixie’s Coffee.

Mrs. Dixon, the store owner, chuckles as she shakes her head. “I’ve noticed, but you won’t hear me complaining.”

She’s so used to seeing my face, she now has my drink ready the moment I walk into her quaint little coffee shop. I love the green and lilac décor and always feel at peace when I’m here.

Maybe it’s just Mrs. Dixon’s calm demeanor that rubs off on me. She might be in her sixties, but she doesn’t look it. Her red hair always hangs in perfect curls around her shoulders, and her pale blue eyes remind me of a clear sky on a warm summer’s day.

Honestly, she’s one of our town’s greatest treasures.

I give her a wave as I head toward the door. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Tell your mom I’ll be at tomorrow’s embroidery class,” she calls after me while wiping down the counter.

“I will,” I reply cheerfully before I step out onto the sidewalk.

While enjoying my latte, I smile at all the familiar faces as I pass them on Main Street. Nearing Mom’s store, I glance through the window, and not seeing any customers, I quickly slip inside. When the bell above the door jingles, Mom looks up from the romance novel she’s busy reading.

A warm smile spreads over her face. “Hi, buttercup.”

I lean against the counter and rest my elbows on the worn wood. “I’m on my way home.” I nod at my beverage. “Just got my daily dose of goodness.”

Mom takes the cup from me and helps herself to a sip before scrunching her face. “Wow, that’s sweet.”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “You say that every time.” I glance around at all the shelves stacked full of everything a person could ever need for embroidery and other arts and crafts. “How’s business?”

Mom reaches over the counter and tucks a few stray strands of hair behind my ear. “It’s a bit slow today.”

“Mrs. Dixon says she’s coming to the embroidery lesson tomorrow. Save her a seat.”

Mom’s smile widens while she shuts the book she’s reading.

She’s one heck of a bookworm. For as long as I can remember, there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t seen her engrossed in a novel.

I don’t share her love for books, unlike Sage and Jordan, my older siblings.

Instead, I take after Dad and love whittling wood.

Three years ago, the folks in town found out about my little hobby when Mom asked me to make her bunnies and eggs so she could decorate her store for Easter.

Since then, I’ve been getting orders from our neighbors.

I also created an online store, and it’s become so successful that I’m able to make a decent living.

Even though I can afford a place of my own, I still live with my parents, and I’m in no hurry to move out.

Looks-wise, I’m the spitting image of Mom with my light brown hair and brown eyes, whereas Sage and Jordan got their blond hair and green eyes from Dad. I’m also a head shorter than my siblings, which has contributed to them being overprotective of me.

I tap a finger on the cover of the book. “Are you enjoying it?”

“Oh yes.” Mom’s eyes light up. She loves talking about books. “This one has a lot of angst. The hero is so swoonworthy.”

A chuckle escapes me before I take a sip of my drink.

Laughter sounds up from out on the sidewalk, and I watch as three teen girls walk past the store. They look carefree and happy, and it has my smile growing. They wave at us before they continue down the street.

All in all, Verona is a happy little town with an everyone-is-your-neighbor feel. Sage and Jordan couldn’t leave quickly enough, but to me, it will always be home.

Dad was sworn in as mayor last year, and that elevated us to royalty status around here. It took months for me to get used to all the attention, but thankfully, it finally died down, and things are back to normal.

“Did you get that big order out in time?” Mom asks.

I had to whittle and paint one hundred Christmas balls for a store in Virginia. With the festive season a few months away, things are going to be super busy for a while.

“Yes. I plan to sleep for most of the weekend before I get started on the next order.”

“I’m happy to hear that. You haven’t taken a break in a while.” Her eyes drift over my face, then she asks, “What should we have for dinner?”

I think for a moment, mentally going through the short list of dishes I can prepare without poisoning my family. “I can make spaghetti and meatballs?”

“With it being Labor Day on Monday, Sage is coming home for the long weekend.”

My eyebrows lift with surprise. “Really? She’s actually taking time off work?”

“Thankfully, yes.” Mom sighs with relief. “It will be so nice to have her home.”

With Sage not liking meatballs, I decide to try my luck and mention, “She loves pizza. I can stop at the diner and get two or three.”

Mom grins at me. “It is Friday, after all, and we have plenty to celebrate. Sage is coming to visit, and you’ve completed your order.”

“Definitely.” I lean closer with a wide smile. “Think of all that greasy cheese. Yum.”

Mom nods excitedly. “That’s it. Get us three pizzas.” She pulls cash out of the register. “Order a pepperoni for your dad and have them add chilies.”

“I’ll get Hawaiian for Sage.”

Mom nods, holding the dollar bills out to me. “As long as the third one has a lot of cheese, I’m good.”

Not taking the cash from Mom, I say, “Pizza is on me.”

“Aww, thanks, buttercup.”

I finish the last of my latte before moving around the counter to drop the empty cup in the trash can. “I’ll see you at home.”

“Okay. If there aren’t any customers in the next thirty minutes, I’ll lock up.”

Walking to the door, I blow Mom a kiss before I leave the store and head in the direction of the diner.

Since Dad became the mayor, businesses have been booming in Verona. Even though there’s a new restaurant, I still prefer getting all our takeout from Reggie’s Diner.

I glance up and down the street before crossing to where the diner is situated on the corner, its red leather seats visible through the windows.

When I step inside the air-conditioned building, the familiarity of a close-knit community wraps around me. I sit down on one of the stools by the main counter and grin at Waverly. Her mother, Jesse-Lee, has owned the diner since before I was born.

Waverly places the glass cover over the last two slices of apple pie, then comes toward me. “It’s been a while, Kelcie. How have you been?”

“Same old. I was busy with work.” I shrug, then ask, “How are you and Lucas? And your mom?”

“We’re good. Mom’s visiting my aunt in Florida, and Lucas is going through a stage where he has boundless energy. He doesn’t sit still for a minute.”

Lucas is the cutest five-year-old I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Just let me know if you need a night to yourself and I’ll babysit,” I offer.

“You sure?” she asks, tired lines pulling at the corners of her eyes and mouth. “I would just love to soak in the tub for hours.”

“How about Tuesday night? You can bring Lucas over after your shift, and he can even spend the night so you can get some rest.”

Waverly grabs hold of my forearm and gives me a squeeze. “God, Kelcie, that would be amazing. Are you sure your parents won’t mind?”

I shake my head. “Not at all. They’ll probably end up spoiling him rotten.”

She gives me a trembling smile as emotion washes over her pretty features. “I’d appreciate it. How much do you charge?”

I shake my head again. “Nothing.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “You can’t look after Lucas for an entire night and not charge anything.”

I think for a moment, then grin. “You can put extra cheese on my pizza order.”

“That’s a deal.” Digging a notepad and pen from her apron pocket, she asks, “Which pizzas do you want?”

“One pepperoni, one Hawaiian, aaand . . .” I reach for a menu and pull it closer to look over the selection the diner offers. “Make the third one with as many layers of cheese as you can pile on.”

“Coming right up.” She turns away from me to give the order to Rodney, the cook. Glancing over her shoulder, she asks, “Would you like a soda while you wait?”

I shake my head. “I just had something to drink.”

I glance at the other customers in the diner, which is not too busy before the evening rush.

When Waverly brings me the bill, I quickly pay. While I wait for my order, I watch a bit of the football rerun on the TV that’s mounted next to the chalkboard menu that shows the specials for the week.

A hand settles on my shoulder, and my head snaps to the side. Seeing Colby Adams, who graduated the same year as me, I smile.

He was the most popular boy in school due to him being the quarterback. After we graduated, he became a reporter for the Sugar River Valley area. I was actually surprised. I always thought he’d move to the city.

“Hey,” he says as he takes a seat beside me. “How’s the prettiest girl in Verona doing?”

“I don’t know,” I chuckle. “You should ask her.”

The corner of his mouth lifts. “How are you?”

I let out a burst of laughter at his harmless flirting.

“I’m good. I haven’t seen you around much.”

“I was covering a story for the historical society in Mount Horeb.” He reaches for my hair, which is caught in a low-hanging ponytail, and tugs a few strands. “But now that I have some time, I was hoping you’d reconsider and go out to dinner with me.”

Colby’s been trying for five years to get me to go out with him, and even though he is attractive and a good man, I just don’t feel a spark between us.

“You need to stop asking. My answer isn’t going to change.” I give him a smile to ease the blow of rejection. “I’m way too busy with work, and dating is the last thing I’m interested in.”