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Paige
SaturdaysbeforeChristmasinretail are wild. I love it. We’ve hired two part-timers to help with weekend sales, and all of us are moving just short of a dead run all day. I’m happiest when it’s busy in the store, probably because it gives me no time to think about my own problems because I’m too busy solving everyone else’s.
Mounting brackets to shore up a fireplace mantel that detached beneath the weight of too many stockings? On it. Locating extra light clips for the customers who have left their decorating to the last minute? I got this.
I zip from one task to the next, happy with the bustle. And yet, it’s not quite enough to distract me from wondering if Henry found the date box, what he thinks of it, whether he’s nervous about tonight.
Our kiss . . .
Just before noon, Cindy from the diner comes in, still in uniform and scans the store until she spots me. She waves and smiles.
“You still interested in picking up some morning shifts?” she asks.
“Yes. Definitely.” Even a single weekend will make sure I can give Evie more than a bare bones Christmas. A few months, and I should make some good progress on a car fund if no major house repairs pop up.
A big if.
“Great. Any chance you can start tomorrow morning? There’s a flu going around, and it’s taken out three of my regulars.”
“I’m pretty sure I can do that. Let me do some rearranging, and I’ll stop by the diner and let you know for sure when I’m off work.”
“Sounds good. Gotta get back for the lunch rush.”
It’s midafternoon before I can check in with Bill to ask him about the scheduling changes. I find him in the back room, looking for a leaf blower.
“Hey, Bill. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure thing, honey. What’s up?” He straightens to look at me, and I think about how lucky Tab and Grace were to be raised by a father who is always so present.
“Cindy at the diner offered to let me pick up some breakfast shifts on the weekends.” His face clouds, and I hurry to placate him. “I know you and Lisa do so much for us already, but I’m hoping you’ll be willing to watch Evie on weekend mornings.”
“We already do that.”
“On Saturdays, but this will mean Sundays too. I just need to build up my savings again and get a car. It’s fine not having one until it isn’t, like last week. I need to prioritize that.”
“You can borrow one of ours whenever you want. You know that.”
He sounds faintly hurt, and I smile. “I do. But there’s a point where I can’t keep depending on you and Lisa to bail me out, even though it’s literally what I’m asking you to do again right now.”
“Paige, you canhavethe dang car if you’re not comfortable borrowing it.”
“You embiggen my heart in more ways than I can count. You do.” I press my hands to my chest. “But taking the car outright is worse, not better.”
Bill blows out a frustrated breath and looks around the back room like he’s trying to find something to change my mind. Like maybe a shovel to whack me over the head with. “You just got your time back after finishing school, and Evie loves it. If this is about money, I’ll raise your salary.”
I shake my head. “I did some research. You’re already paying me top dollar for what I do. Honestly, I’ve thought about it, and waiting tables is what I can live with the easiest. It’s hard enough asking y’all to do more babysitting, but if you could, that would be amazing.”
He shakes his head. “I’ve always thought that I lived with the three most stubborn women on the planet, but it’s possible you’ve got an even harder head than they do.”
“Sorry.” I know I’m frustrating him, but it’s important to me to do it this way. To prove that I won’t be the burden I was to Noah for five years. To prove that I can fill the gaps in my own life, even if I have to lean on him and Lisa more than I want to while I get to that point.
“I can’t change your mind?”
I shake my head.
“All right. We’re happy to watch her.”
I give a sigh of relief. He’s put up less of a fight than I was afraid he would about trying to do more for us. “Thank you, Bill. I’ll be the best server ever and earn big tips faster so I can quit sooner and let you out of babysitting duty.”
