Chapter 32 Rosie
“Banana! That’s a ba-nan-a!” Rhiannon coos excitedly to Piper, who’s nestled in my arms. Piper squeals, her little hands smoosh my cheeks together while reaching for the banana that’s in my free hand.
I laugh and hold it closer, giving her a tiny bite. She chomps on it with dramatic enthusiasm, her cheeks puffed out as she smacks loudly.
Then, as if the joy of the banana wasn’t enough, she claps her hands together and immediately starts squirming to be let down.
“Alright, alright, you little wiggle worm,” I say, crouching to set her on the floor. The second her tiny feet hit the worn tile, she drops to all fours and takes off, crawling under a rack of tablecloths and disappearing.
“She’s quick,” Rhiannon says with a grin, bending down to grab a stray knick-knack that's fallen before Piper can add it to her personal collection of baby "treasures” she loves to collect.
“Too quick,” I agree, straightening up and eyeing the row of end tables lined along the perimeter of the shop. “You guys got some new inventory?”
“You know Gabriel can’t pass up on a good deal,” she says, running her fingers over the smooth edge of a nearby table.
“That, and I think he’s channeling his work frustrations into this.
He’s been throwing himself into projects he actually enjoys.
You know how much he loves working with his hands, fixing up old pieces.
He’s been doing a lot more restorations with Eden than normal the past few months. ”
I raise a brow. “What’s going on with his job?”
Gabriel, Rhiannon and Eden’s older brother, is the overachieving Carpenter sibling, though I suppose they all are in their own unique way.
They each have impressive work ethics which is saying something given Cain and I were bread to not blink at one-hundred-hour work weeks being a regular occurrence.
Gabriel’s currently working as a senior project manager for a massive construction company in New York City that builds all the new high rises that are going up.
Last I heard, he was overseeing office buildings and apartments in the Manhattan area, the type my father loves bragging about because his law firm occupies half a floor in one of them.
I know that he hasn’t been happy with the long hours and weekend shifts, but that’s the extent of what I’ve heard from him.
Rhiannon sighs heavily. “They’ve been cutting back on hours across the board which is insane given the deadlines haven’t changed.
So now they get paid for less hours but are still expected to deliver the same amount of work.
He was also promised a promotion to manage the entire fleet—a job he’s already been doing for free for over a year—but his boss keeps finding excuses to delay adding the compensation. ”
“That’s awful,” I say, frowning.
“It is,” she agrees, nodding slowly. “He deserves the promotion and the money. But that’s not all.” She takes a deep breath, the kind you take before ripping off a Band-Aid. “We’ve been talking about it for a while with Eden, and we think it’s time to sell the family thrift store.”
Her words stop me in my tracks. My gaze shifts to the familiar aisles of mismatched treasures, to the well-worn counters and creaky shelves that have started to feel more like home than some impersonal showroom ever could.
The Carpenter family thrift store has been here in Brookhaven for decades, its roots buried deep in the heart of the small town. Everyone knows this store and owns at least one item from the shop in their home.
Gabriel and Rhiannon’s parents opened it just shortly after Gabriel was born, over thirty years ago, and it was their primary source of income. Out of it came a love for refurbishing and restoring furniture.
Believed to originate from some of the original Carpenter’s in North America, Rhiannon’s parents passed that eye for design and care for making old things new down to their three children.
When their parents passed away unexpectedly years later, the store became their family's lifeline—a steady, if modest, source of income that carried them through some of their darkest times.
It supported Gabriel through his divorce, helped Rhiannon finish college, and provided for Eden when she was still just a kid being raised by her two older siblings. And eventually, it provided a way for Gabriel and her to connect and find the inspiration to pursue design in college.
I know times have been tough lately. The economy’s struggling, the pandemic shuttered doors for months on end, and the increasing push to take everything online have all taken their toll on small businesses. But hearing they’re letting it go still feels like a punch to the gut.
“I’m so sorry,” I say softly, my chest tightening.
Rhiannon nods, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips.
“It’s for the best,” she says, though the sadness in her eyes tells a different story.
“Eden graduates next year, and she’ll probably land a job with some big design firm in the city.
I haven’t had the bandwidth to help with the online store, let alone work here regularly.
And my cousin Natasha’s got her hands full with the bar.
Business has really picked up for her lately, and the owner’s being a real dick.
She thinks he’s going to end up selling the place to her. ”
“That’s amazing for her,” I say.
Natasha was one of the first people I met when I purchased my home in Brookhaven months ago. She helped me pick out a few items to furnish my home and then ultimately introduced me to Rhiannon before Cain ever did.
And beyond that, she recently helped us throw Boone’s last minute charity event at the bar where she works, the Brookhaven Brews. It went smoothly only because of her generosity and attention to detail. She deserves to own our small-town’s bar. She practically runs it herself already.
“It is,” Rhiannon agrees, though her voice wavers just slightly as she glances around the empty store. “This place has been good to us, but it feels like the right time to let it go. We’ve outgrown it in a lot of ways. It's what kept us together during some tough years, but we've all changed.”
I nod, though the ache in my chest doesn’t subside.
This place has always been more than just a store to me. It’s where I’ve spent countless weekends, holed up with Rhiannon or Natasha, sorting through treasures and chatting about everything and nothing.
It’s where I’ve found most of the repurposed furniture for the home I’m still trying to finish—a place that’s slowly but surely becoming mine. I always thought I'd want designer items but instead I've found comfort in reusing pieces that have been enjoyed by other families before me.
Somehow knowing that they’re letting go of their family’s dream and stepping into a new future makes me feel like I’m being left behind.
“I get it,” I say finally, even though the words feel heavy on my tongue. “But I’m really going to miss this place.”
“Me too,” she admits, her smile tinged with nostalgia. “But who knows? Maybe the next owners will love it as much as we have.”
I glance at Piper, who’s now happily tugging on a stray scarf that dangles from a nearby display. “Maybe,” I say softly. “What about Gabriel? What’s he going to do?”
“I think we’re going to use the proceeds from the store to help him chase his dream.”
“And what’s that?”
She shrugs. “He’s still working it out, but you’ll have to get the details straight from him next time you see him. Cain is supposed to be working through some legal stuff with him and Natasha’s brother Roman is coming into town.”
I nod, her answer easing the knot in my chest just a little. As much as it sucks losing the place, it sounds like the right move for their family.
“Well, let me buy a couple of things today that I know I need for the house. Then can you have Gabriel drop them off sometime this week while I’m at work? Eden has a key since she’s in the middle of renovating my den.”
“Of course, babe.” Rhiannon waves me off like it’s no trouble, then bends to scoop Piper off the floor. She smothers the little one’s chubby cheeks with kisses, making her giggle wildly. “So, what are you looking for?”
“To start, I need some new bar stools for the kitchen.”
Rhiannon nods knowingly. “Yeah, those old ones you’ve got are rough. I don’t even think duct tape could save them.”
I laugh. “Fair point. They were the previous owners. Apparently leaving behind your old furniture when you sell is a thing here in Brookhaven.”
She nods. “I’ve heard that from my neighbors. Okay, what else do you need?”
“I need a towel holder.”
Her brows knit as she looks at me. “For paper towels?”
I feel my cheeks flush, heat creeping up my neck. There’s no point in lying Rhiannon’s got a radar for BS.
“No… for the bathroom hand towel.”
Her head tilts, confusion giving way to curiosity. “What happened to that cute one with the metal roses you had in there?”
I should’ve known she’d remember it. “Uh, well… Boone might’ve broken it.”
Her eyes widen, and then her mouth stretches into a big, mischievous grin. “What’d he do? Trip and rip it off the wall? I know he's graceful on the ice, but I could totally see him doing that. And with how large he is, there’s no way that thing could stand a chance against his paws.”
The flush spreads hotter now, and before I can stammer out a half-baked response, she gasps, her mouth forming a dramatic O shape.
“Oh my god. He tripped and fell into your pussy too, didn’t he?”
“Rhiannon!” I hiss, mortified, even though the store is empty. It’s just us here, but the idea of anyone overhearing that makes my skin crawl.
Brookhaven thrives on gossip, and as the town’s newest resident—not to mention a lawyer with some big-name clients—I’m already on thin ice with some people.
For whatever reason people equate me with celebrities and no one wants celebrities moving to Brookhaven if it means the cost of living is going to go up.