AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, get over it, Agnes.” Maude subtly pushes her chair back, like she’s getting ready to attack.
Agnes’s nostrils flare.
I spring to my feet. “Thank you for your concern. Say hi to Rudy for me!” I gently guide Agnes toward the exit, heart pounding when she scowls at me. But in the end, all she does is hobble across the street to her bookstore.
Returning to my seat, Maude gives me an assessing glance, then nods. “Well done. Our grandson Des loves a woman who’s not afraid of an old witch like Agnes.”
“He sounds like a catch,” I answer, avoiding their gazes.
Satisfied, Maude sits back.
Arthur leans toward her. “What did she say?”
“Des and Georgia would make a great match!” Maude answers. Completely ignoring my horrified stare, she points to the paperwork in front of me. “Now, did you have any questions about the lease?”
My new landlords seem a bit too invested in playing cupid for their grandson, but I glance across the street at the vacant space that could be my new gallery. That space is worth a few awkward conversations with these two.
So, I pull my pen out of my tote bag and give Maude a brilliant smile. “Nope! No questions. I’m ready to sign.” With a few swoops of ink, I sign and initial and lock in the next five years of my life.
“Well, there’s no sense in dragging this out,” Maude says, and she produces the set of keys that she’d loaned to Margaret last week. “These are yours now. We’ll get Des to come check on you when he arrives in town.” She pats my hand when I grab the keys. “He’sveryhandsome.”
Laughing, I thank the couple, take my coffee and my copy of the signed lease, and head across the café to where Fiona is bussing a table. She beams at me when I jiggle the keys, then throws her arms wide and wraps me in a hug.
I feel effervescent, like my whole body is full of bubbles and I might float up to the ceiling if I’m not careful. I squeeze my new friend tight and pull away, shaking my head. “Thank you for your help, Fiona. I wouldn’t have taken the plunge without you and the girls pushing me.”
“Oh, stop it,” Fiona says, taking plates off the table with one hand and deftly sweeping crumbs onto them with the other. “You didn’t need us at all. You had it all figured out already.”
“We both know that’s not true,” I answer, laughing.
She winks at me, and I head out the door after saying goodbye. Latte in hand, I make my way down the street and across to stand in front of the empty, ramshackle store. My heart thumps, and I can hardly keep the smile off my face as I slide the key inside the door.
“Moving in?” a woman asks. She’s got an enormous purse slung over one shoulder and is clad in a dark dress that hugs her generous curves and flares out in a fluttery A-line silhouette. Three gold necklaces are layered around her neck, simple and elegant yet punchy against her casually chic outfit. Her blond hair is tied in a half-pony that flatters her heart-shaped face. She points to the barbershop next door to my new gallery. “We’re neighbors.”
“Oh!” I smile, extending a hand. “I’m Georgia.”
“Mia.”
I jerk my thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the coffee shop. “I just met the Thomases.”
A warm smile immediately overtakes her features. “They’re gems,” she says. “So kind. But they keep trying to set me up with their grandson.”
Laughing, I nod. “Same here. They must be desperate if they’re trying to shackle him to every available woman in town.”
Mia snorts and shakes her head. “If he’s half as handsome, smart, and successful as they say, there’s got to be something massively wrong with him.” She gets her barbershop door open and props it with a hip. “I have no interest in finding out what it is. You can have him.”
“Oh, I’m done with men,” I tell her, opening my own door. “He’s all yours.”
She gags. We both cackle, say goodbye, and head into our buildings. Once inside, I pull a measuring tape from my purse and get to work. Using my phone to record my measurements, excitement builds in the pit of my stomach.
When my phone rings, flashing my sister’s name on the screen, I can’t help smiling as I answer. “Hey, Piper.”
“You’ve been busy.” A loud crash sounds in the background, and my sister hisses. “Nate! Alec! What did I say about climbing on the furniture.” The phone rustles, and Piper clicks her tongue and comes back to our conversation. “The boys just knocked over a table full of craft supplies. I’ll call you back in half an hour.”
She hangs up before I can answer.
I huff a laugh in the silent space, then go back to measuring and planning. I end up leaning against the side wall, scrolling through images of art galleries for inspiration until my sister calls me back.
“All good?” I ask.
