Breathe, Chloe.
I press my hand to my chest.Willow said she would open the cafe for me.
Everything is fine.
Hopefully.There’s no way of knowing for sure with a dead phone.
I force myself to take another deep breath.
What matters is that Mugs has probably been taken care of.
This gives me time to sort myself out.
As much as I want to see Ethan, I can’t go anywhere looking like thisandI don’t even have a car.
I’ll take a quick shower, throw on some of Willow’s clothes, and then take her bike over to Mugs.That’ll give me a chance to check in with her, make sure everything is okay, and go straight to Ethan’s.
Simple.Efficient.A solid plan.
Everything is going to be fine.
It’s decided:Willow is a saint.Not only do all the customers in the cafe have their orders, but Mrs.Nelson and Tilly are also laughing in the back, like all is well in the world.
When Willow sees me step up to the counter, her eyes brighten, and she hurries to pour me a mug of fresh coffee.
“Have I told you how much I love you?”I say, cradling the mug to my chest, breathing in the life-giving aroma.
Her breathy laugh is a balm to my hungover soul.“I’ve got you, girl.”
“Thank you so much.I owe you.”I take a fortifying sip, hoping it’s enough to keep me steady for my conversation with Ethan.
Willow leans a little closer, dropping her voice so the barnacles won’t overhear.“Have you decided what to do about you-know-who?”
I nod.“Sure did.And if you don’t mind holding down the fort a little longer, I’m going to go straight over there.”
Her whole face lights up.“I don’t mind.Not at all.”
The door chimes and my mother saunters in, her beau, Beau, on her arm.
Willow shoos me away, saying she’s got it handled.I make a mental note to buy her something nice as I duck into the office to grab my keys.With a quick hello to Mrs.Nelson, I sneak out the back door, but before I can slip into my car, someone calls my name.
Mr.Beeman from the hardware store jogs over, his Crocs flapping against his feet.
At least it’s not my mother or Beau.“Hey, Mr.Beeman.I was just on my way out.Did you need something?”
“This’ll only take a moment,” he gasps, beads of sweat tumbling off what’s left of his hair.“I was just on my way in to speak to you about the invoice.”
“What invoice?”
He nods toward the half-finished pergola.I’d been in such a rush that I hadn’t even realized Rick wasn’t here yet.
“The one for the lumber and concrete,” Mr.Beeman explains.“Rick said he’d be back with the cash, but we haven’t seen him since.”
That doesn’t make any sense.I gave my dad the money to pay for the supplies.“I’m so sorry for the delay.Do you know how much I owe you?”
From his back pocket, he withdraws a folded-up piece of paper.The total at the bottom is the exact amount I gave Rick.
“I’ll be over right after work and make sure this gets paid,” I say.“Is that okay?”
