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“I want to marry her, Magpie.That’swhy I went to see the probate attorney.”
I sagged a bit from the weight of his statement. Technically, he was still married, because Mama had never officially been declared dead. That had to change if he wanted to marry again, and a probate attorney would need to be the one to petition the court.
I gazed out at the gulf, which stretched wide across the horizon. A sailboat in the distance sliced through the water, its vivid rainbow-striped sails a welcome pop of color against thecloudy skies. I wanted to tell him I was happy he’d found love again, but I couldn’t quite say the words aloud. Maybe tomorrow, when my heart didn’t hurt so much.
“It’s time,” I said quietly.
He nodded, his eyes full of tears. “What about you?” he finally asked. “What now? Still want to buy the coffee shop?”
“The bank denied my loan application.”
He set his forearms on the railing, clasped his hands, and watched the rays. “So that’s that?”
“I’m not giving up that easily. I’ll find another way. Delaney mentioned that she’d be interested in investing if I needed help. I might take her up on it.”
“You’d do that? Take on investors?”
I watched the manta rays. They were mesmerizing. “I love that coffee shop. It’smine,and I’ll do what I have to in order to keep it.”
Emotion washed over his face, darkening his eyes, twisting his lips, pinching his nose so that the skin on its bridge wrinkled. Once the wave passed, he smiled, slight at first, then big and toothy. “I see. I see.”
I leveled him with a knowing gaze. “You put Mama’s notebook in the storeroom on purpose, so that I’d find it.”
His eyes twinkled. “I found it in my storage unit and thought you needed to know, to understand, that the coffee shop wasn’t your mama’s end-all, be-all. It was more of a lark. Another adventure. What it’s become… that’s not because of her. That’s because of your hard work. Your dedication.”
My eyes once again filled with tears as I watched the manta rays drift away from the pilings, swimming east, their wide, dark bodies effortlessly and beautifully gliding through the water as though they’d choreographed their departure. I wanted them to stay, but I knew it was best for them to keep moving forward.
Dad threw his arm around me. “Also, great news! The seller of the coffee shop has lowered his asking price. He’s even offering seller financing to the right buyer.”
The way he lit up when he was excited never failed to make me smile. I loved him more than he would ever know. “You don’t have to do that.”
“But Magpie, Iwantto. I didn’t offer it straight off the bat, because I was waiting for you to see what everyone else has known for a long time now. The coffee shop isn’t the heart of this town. You are.”
CHAPTER 26AVA
Titus Pomeroy was a man on a mission.
That much was clear by the way he impatiently paced the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop early Saturday morning, waiting for someone to unlock the doors to let him inside.
It was, after all, already five past seven. The church bells had long stopped tolling the hour. Foot traffic was picking up. Cars already lined the square, scoring prime spots ahead of the yard sale rush.
Titus kept peeking through the window, then glancing at his watch, then through the window again, hoping to catch someone’s attention. He obviously knew Rose had returned from her unexpectedly extended trip.
“We should probably unlock the doors,” I said to her, hearing the exasperation in his exhales through the closed door.
Rose and I had been busy since we’d stepped into the shop half an hour ago, setting up, accepting deliveries, and bracing ourselves for the long day ahead without Maggie’s energy and guidance.
“A few more minutes won’t hurt him none.” Rose smiled as she glanced toward the door, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
A few other people joined Titus on the sidewalk, and I was glad I was here to help out Rose. I didn’t think I would be. Last night, I’d had every intention of quitting both my jobs, effective immediately.
My exhaustion had other ideas, however. After Sam had walked me back to Dez’s, I’d gone upstairs to pack my things. I’d done a decent job of it, too, until I ran out of steam and sat down on the bed to rest my eyes a minute.
Next thing I knew, my phone alarm was going off this morning. Molly had been curled up next to me, her fluffy head tucked under my chin. She let out a sharpmeowas I reached across her to hit the snooze button, then hopped to her feet and sauntered toward the foot of the bed.
I’d grinned at her. “Were you snuggling?”
She turned her back on me and flicked her tail.
