AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shoved my hands into my pockets and headed home. Alone.
6
SAV
“We could rent storage space,”I suggested to Grampa as he discussed what to do about the inventory on the second floor.
It was midday, and I stood behind the cashier counter while he was on the other side, leaning over the list I’d made while brainstorming ideas. Chris wanted to block the stair entrance soon to begin developing the office space on the second floor. We had a few weeks to empty everything out, but they would reorganize the inventory to make room in a few days.
Grampa gave me a look over his reading glasses. “We can rent a small storage unit, but I don’t want to replace the money we’re saving with a new expense. We need to scale to about forty percent of the space we’re using to make room for your coffee shop idea.”
I nibbled on my lip, hating that he was right.
The second floor was primarily dedicated to historical, nonfiction, and rare books. I’d handpicked many of them, hoping they would find a home with the right people, but all they did was take up space. They hadn’t earned us any money or popularity.
I tapped my pen against the paper, thinking over what to do while Grampa organized the last-chance buys in front of the register. Bookmarks, post-it notes, stickers, etc. were scattered across the surface, and he seemed to want to make sense of the chaos. That was something we had in common.
“What about a massive sale?” I asked. “We could set the price based on how long the books have been sitting on the shelf and empty a lot of space.”
His gaze lifted from his task as he smiled. “That’s a great idea, pumpkin. We can donate whatever’s left, including the bookshelves.”
I nodded, writing the suggestion down and circling it. “I like that idea. It can be like we’re starting fresh.”
“Lord knows I need a fresh start,” he grumbled with a sigh. He patted the top of my hand. “Good job. I’m proud of you for taking this head-on. Sometimes life presents us with unwanted obstacles, but we must remember we still have the power to choose how we react to them.”
I nodded, soaking in his words.
His expression turned mischievous. “Speaking of obstacles… how were things with Chris the other day? You two looked like you were getting along.”
I focused on my notes, attempting to look unfazed. “Fine. We called a truce, so we’re all good now.”
He hummed with interest which caused me to glance in his direction.
He was hiding a smile.
“What, Grampa?” I asked, curious as to what his smile meant.
He shrugged. “No reason. Just seems like you guys have missed being around each other.” He grinned at me.
The bell chimed over the door, and Chris walked in.
He held a white plastic bag in one hand and a drink holder with three cups in the other. He lifted the bag to showcase the logo. It was from the café downtown that Penny and I frequented.
“I brought lunch,” he announced, stopping at the counter. He placed everything down and opened the bag, sorting to-go boxes on the surface. “I told the cashier I was grabbing lunch for Savannah and Jackson Sparks, and she knew your usuals.”
“Lovely ladies over there,” Grampa said. He grabbed the box and cup labeled JS. “Thanks for the food, son. I’ll leave you two to your meeting.” He smiled at me and winked.
My face heated as I shifted my attention to Chris, hoping he didn’t see.
He wasn’t looking at us. He seemed distracted as he ran his fingers through his hair. He had deep, dark creases beneath his eyes that concerned me.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He avoided my gaze, separating our drinks from the holder and handing mine over. “I’m fine. I had a late night out, so I didn’t get much sleep.”
An image of him taking a woman home flooded my mind, cooling the warm feelings I’d harbored for him over the last twenty-four hours.
“Oh,” I said. I didn’t want to ruminate, so I quickly moved on. “I guess we should get started.” I gestured toward the back corner of the store. “There are some couches over there where we can sit.” They were hidden from the windows so no one would see us together and ask me questions.
