Her aunt’s smile widened. “Between the four of them, they bought over twelve hundred dollars’ worth of clothing and accessories. I told them I’m expecting a large shipment of summer clothes within the next two weeks, and they plan to come back down to see what arrives.”
Grace gave an impressed whistle. No wonder the older woman looked pleased.
After totaling the sales, Bonnie tucked the credit card receipts into an envelope and filed them away for end-of-month reconciliation. Then she filled out a bank slip and placed it, along with two days’ worth of cash and checks, into a deposit bag she concealed inside a small shopping bag.
Grace had watched Bonnie go through the ritual enough times to know exactly what came next. Dan would usually escort her to the bank, carrying his concealed .38 and bringing Jinx along for good measure. Even in a town as quiet as Whisper, he refused to take chances. He varied the timing of their deposits on purpose—sometimes first thing in the morning, sometimes at lunch, sometimes after closing—so no one could predict their routine. Bonnie always claimed he was overly cautious, but she never stopped him from playing bodyguard.
Tonight, though, the trip to the bank would fall to Grace, since the two women were going out to eat afterward.
It was still a few minutes before six, so she and Bonnie moved through the shop, straightening hangers and adjusting displays while they talked.
“Did you hire that therapist you told me about at lunch?” Bonnie asked. “What’s his name again?”
“Tim Koppel. And yes, I did. He’s giving the hospital his two weeks’ notice on Monday.”
Pride swelled inside her at the words. Saying them aloud made everything feel more real.
“Wonderful. So you’re almost ready to open up then?”
She smiled. “Yep. As soon as the equipment arrives. The sign looks great—they’re installing it on Tuesday. Oh, and I bought the TV earlier. It was so nice of Dan to offer to mount it on the wall, run the wiring, and hook up the washer and dryer for me. That’ll save me a lot of money. I think I’ll treat him to dinner one night to thank him.”
“Well, not tonight.” Bonnie shook her head. “That stubborn old coot’s been fighting a cold for the past few days, and now he’s paying for it. Thank goodness Jimmy Merrick was scheduled to work after school today, so Dan could head upstairs and get some rest. Honestly, that man pushes himself too hard sometimes.”
Grace smiled, the familiar question surfacing again. Why aren’t they together?
It was obvious how much they cared for each other. Most days, they already acted like an old married couple. Maybe neither of them wanted to risk changing what they had.
* * *
“We’ll bring him some soup from Sassy’s after dinner.”
“Sounds perfect.” Bonnie checked her watch and reached for her purse behind the counter. “Well, let’s lock up. I’m getting hungry myself.”
They locked up the boutique and headed up the street toward the bank, their footsteps soft against the sidewalk as traffic rolled past and the other shops along Main Street began closing for the evening.
Bonnie stepped up to the night deposit box while Grace waited a few feet away, absently watching the cars pass. Movement across the street caught her eye, and she glanced toward Sassy’s.
Then froze.
Sean was walking through the restaurant’s front door with his hand resting against the lower back of an incredibly attractive woman.
For a moment, Grace couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing. The woman was petite and dark-haired, dressed in a fitted navy suit that somehow still looked elegant. Even from across the street, there was no missing how polished and beautiful she was.
Grace’s stomach dropped, and disappointment swept through her so fast it stole her breath. Only then did it sink in that in all the conversations she’d had with Sean over the past week, she had never once asked whether he was dating anyone.
The realization stung.
Of course she hadn’t. She’d let herself get swept up in dinners, easy laughter, and the memory of one lingering kiss without stopping to ask the most obvious question.
Apparently, he was seeing someone. The thought left a sour ache in her chest as Sean and the woman disappeared into the restaurant.
Bonnie finished her deposit and turned, her gaze landing on her niece’s face. “Is something wrong, Grace?”
Her aunt’s eyes shifted toward Sassy’s, following the direction Grace had been staring.
She forced herself to look away and summoned a smile she hoped looked convincing. “Um, no. Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking I’m really not in the mood for Sassy’s tonight. Why don’t we drive over to the Cranberry Inn for dinner?”
Bonnie studied her for a moment, and Grace had the uneasy feeling her aunt saw far more than she let on. Still, she simply nodded. “That’s fine with me. I haven’t eaten there in a while.”
