He shakes his head, turning his attention to Viv. “And you. Do you go around asking about people’s toes, too?”
“Doesn’t everybody?” she answers. Viv may have no clue what Reg is talking about, but she never misses a beat.
Reg stares at her. Viv stares back. And then she breaks into a prize-winning smile.
“City folk,” he mumbles, shaking his head. I don’t bother asking how he knows we come from the city—this man seems to have been around long enough just to know.
He drops our beaded bracelets—one bright fuchsia and the other a bold orange—into a small white bag with the store's name stamped on the front. “Here. Come back on Tuesday if you want to. Doesn’t matter to me.”
“Why Tuesday?”
Reg shrugs. “It’s sale day.” We wait expectantly for more information, but it never comes.
“Well, I, for one, love a good sale.” I look at Viv with a lift of my shoulders.
“We’ll see you Tuesday then, Reg!” Viv waves and turns toward the door.
While Viv and I wander from shop to shop, we notice that it’s incredibly quiet on the tourist front for what appears to be a busy little town. Most people we encounter appear to be locals by the way they know each other and don’t look around with wide and wondrous eyes. The shops don’t have a steady flow of out-of-towners buying trinkets; restaurants aren’t turning away reservations. For all this town’s charm—its white picket fences, cobblestone side streets, and minor tourist attractions—it isn’t really on the map.
On the path outside of Maple Cove Treasures, we slip on our bracelets and hold our wrists up with the shop name in the background. I snap a quick picture with my phone and post it to the Liv + Viv socials. We have a decent following, and if we can bring awareness to Maple Cove somehow, maybe it would help bring tourists through.
I can’t say why I feel so compelled to help. What I can say for sure, though, is it definitely has nothing to do with the man back at the bed-and-breakfast.
Definitely not.
Fourteen
WE’LL MAKE SURE HE’S SAFE
Liv
We return to the bed-and-breakfast, greeting Holly as we pass. Viv wants to nap and shower, so it might be nice to start on the new book I snagged from the bookstore this morning.
I slip my key into the door and make kissing sounds for Sunny. The room looks tidy. The bed is neatly made, the bathroom counter wiped down, and Sunny’s litter even looks shaken and settled neatly in the litter box. A faint scent of lavender floats in the air.
“Sunny. Where are you, cat?” More kissing sounds.Maybe after they came in and cleaned the room, he went to hide under the bed.Crouching down on all fours, I peer under the bed.
Not there.
I look behind the armchair—not there either.
“Sunny?” I slide open the closet door and look into the corners, behind the ironing board, and in my suitcase. My heart thrums erratically against my chest.Where is he?He’s not in the bathroom either. I’m running out of options. He’s not here.
I race across the hall to Viv’s door, banging frantically.
Her door flies open. I must look as terrified as I feel becausewith a quick scan of my face she leaps into questions. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“Sunny isn’t in the room. I can’t find him!” I’m looking around at the floor in her room, the hallway. He’s nowhere.
“Okay, okay. Let’s think.” Viv closes her door and meets me in the hallway, rubbing her temple. “My room was cleaned when I came in. Was yours? Maybe he slipped out? Let’s ask Holly.”
We walk quickly and round the corner to the front desk. Holly’s expression grows wide and worried when she sees us. “Are you guys okay?”
“Our rooms were cleaned today, right?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm and under control. Sunny is my guy, my baby. He’s my little spoon. I need to find him.
“Yes, I-I did. Is something wrong?”
“I have a cat with me in my room. Did you see him when you came in to clean?”
