AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you for being here, Charlotte,” he said as he finished his coffee and rose to put his mug in the sink. “I am grateful for you.”
“I'll see you soon,” she said.
He walked past the table of treasures and glanced down at the red glass. “If you want to pretend it's a ruby, I'll swear to it.”
“It's a ruby,” she yelled from the kitchen.
It might be just red glass, but Charlotte was a diamond in a world of cubic zirconia.
When he walked across the yard and into the house, he didn't feel any less burdened, but he felt better. Sometimes, all a person needed was a smile and someone to listen.
Rachel was in the kitchen pouring bowls of cereal. Ivy was on the floor, tying her shoes. At least today, she was in matching clothes. She hopped to her feet. “This was Mommy's favorite dress.”
He took in the red dress with the embroidered ladybugs on the pockets. “I love it, and I'm sure your mom would love it too.” He appreciated she was wearing color. Chloe loved color, and he didn't want to dim her memory by wearing something as dull and drab as black to her funeral. “I have a red tie. Should I wear it?”
Ivy nodded. “Does it have ladybugs?”
“No. I'm sorry.”
“That's okay. We can get you one sometime, and then we can match.”
He couldn't imagine what shopping for ties with Ivy would look like. He suspected all his conservative ties would find their way to the back of the closet, and character ties would take a starring role in his attire. “Hey Ivy, would you rather stay with Uncle Bast or Mee-maw?”
She hugged his leg. “I already told you. It's just you and me, kid.”
CHAPTERNINE
Her coffee rendezvous with Bastien had cut into her day, so she quickly rushed into her room and changed from her casual garb into clothing appropriate for work and a funeral. Charlotte refused to wear black to a memorial service. While it was the end of Chloe’s life, it was also a celebration of the life she lived, and life was lived in color. She decided on a deep purple dress—dark enough not to draw attention from the town’s gossipmongers but light enough to bring her joy.
As she drove to Because You Said Yes, thoughts of her never-ending bills swirled in her head. Maybe she had chosen the wrong profession. Not everyone got married, but eventually, everyone died. Funerals required the same planning—location (often the church, but sometimes a restaurant or banquet hall), flowers, music, food—lots of food! When she arrived at her shop, Charlotte sat in her car and looked at the window. She felt a twinge of pride as she took in the sight. But that pride was soon replaced by a wave of dread. She needed a paying customer and needed one now. She couldn’t bank on these mommas dreaming about a wedding in the distant future.
She sighed heavily and stepped out of her car to unlock the door so she could prepare for the day. When she stepped inside, her heels didn’t hit the polished concrete, but two inches of water and it was raining inside her store with several spots dripping water like a sieve.
“What the hell?” She removed her shoes and ran barefoot to the backroom to see where the water had come from, but outside of the water, everything was in order in her store. A gushing sound came from the common wall she shared with the candle store, and when she glanced at the floor, she could see a steady stream of water rushing in. One touch of the drywall and she knew it was a disaster. Her finger without much pressure poked straight through as if she was a hot knife and the wall butter.
She sprinted to the shop next door and banged on the locked door, but no one answered. Next, she bolted to Cricket’s to get Mamie’s number. She didn’t know the woman who’d come into town this year well, but Cricket knew everyone, and Charlotte was sure she’d have her phone number.
When she burst through the door, Cricket stared at her. “Where’s the fire?”
Charlotte threw up her hands. “I don’t know, but I’ve got enough water running in my store to put it out. Mamie’s store is flooding, and it’s ruining everything. Do you have her number?”
Cricket raced to her office in the back of the diner and came out with a number on a sticky note. “Is everything okay in your store?”
Charlotte hadn’t surveyed the damage, but she feared the worst. She quickly dialed Mamie’s number, and after several rings, it went to voicemail. With a heavy heart, Charlotte hung up and called the fire department, who assured her they’d dispatch someone as soon as possible.
When Charlotte returned, she observed the damage with a heavy heart. Not only had every piece of furniture been drenched, but all of her lovely display cases and linens were also ruined. Everything was sopping wet, and she feared it would eventually peel or crumble. Her beautiful shop would look like a wedding dollar store if she didn’t find a way to save it.
She trudged out of the store and phoned Mamie again. Unfortunately, the voicemail answered again, and Charlotte hung up in frustration. She headed over to Mamie’s shop and knocked on the door.
She arrived to find the water was still leaking from beneath the door. She could hear loud noises coming from within, and soon a woman cracked the door. It was Mamie. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in Charlotte’s frantic state. “I’m so sorry.”
“Everything is ruined.” Charlotte wanted to cry but couldn’t allow herself to do that, or she’d bawl all day. Besides, she was expected at Chloe’s memorial and couldn’t show up looking like a wreck. She had to be strong for the family. Charlotte filled Mamie in on what had transpired while they stood in front of the gushing doorway. “I’m so sorry,” Mamie apologized. “An old pipe burst and ran all night long. My insurance will cover everything.”
“Is the water turned off?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes, the water and the electricity are both off.”
This shot a current of worry through Charlotte, and she rushed back to her store, through the floodwaters, to the breaker box, despite knowing it wasn’t safe. It wasn’t smart to leave the power on, either.
