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“Now. The moving truck is on its way to Idaho Falls, and I’m driving myself up there. I wanted to stop in and say goodbye before I left.”
If she was trying to bait me into asking where the new-old boyfriend was in all of this, it wasn’t my problem. “Okay. Goodbye.”
“I’m going to miss you.”
Behind her, Knox rolled his eyes and Rohde made a gagging gesture.
I tucked away my amusement at their support, and I seriously doubted Grace would think of me again once she was on her way. This was the longest conversation we’d had since I signed the divorce papers. “Okay.”
She huffed. “Do I get a hug, for old time’s sake?”
“No. Best of luck, Grace.” I stepped aside and held the door open for her.
She narrowed her gaze, and I stared back. Seconds ticked away. She walked out of the shop, got in her car, and left.
“Want me to make sure there’s someone waiting for her somewhere along I-15?” Rohde asked as I took the stool next to the one she’d been sitting in.
Waiting. I liked his phrasing. “Nah, but thanks. I just want her to find a life away from me, so I can do the same.”
“Super mature of you.” Knox didn’t sound convinced.
Once upon a time I might’ve wanted vengeance, but it didn’t seem worth it anymore.
“You never let me have any fun,” Rohde grumbled. “A guy turns fucking forty and suddenly you think you’re a saint.”
“He’s got a point,” Knox said. “You’re an old man now and that made you soft, Birthday Boy?”
Inspiration struck. “I’ll give you something almost as good. There may be a new guy in town. Drives a Z24. Looks like he bathes in smug. Probably steals candy from babies.”
“In other words, he pissed off Evie?” Knox snorted.
“What?” My feigned confusion didn’t sound believable in any way. Yeah, he totally did. “What gave me away?”
“Lucky guess,” Knox said.
Rohde’s radio buzzed at the same time the phone on the shop wall rang. Rohde excused himself, talking into the mic on his shoulder as he walked onto the street, and Knox grabbed the receiver. “Gage’s Grub.”
I kept half an ear on the call as my mind wandered back to the weird shitstorm of a morning. Why did Grace show up now?
And more importantly, how was I going to help Evie?
9
Evie
My day was a not-so-lovely blend of work, plus me slipping into distraction every few minutes. Thinking about Sawyer and how furious I was. Thinking about the money and wondering if I was going to have to consider his offer…
I had a couple of hours before I met up with my friends, which was the perfect amount of time to take care of the bills for the shop. I’d reached a point where I had to pay some of these in a specific window of time—after a credit card was paid or a deposit landed and before the bill in question reached we’re going to charge you a fee or shut something off past due status.
It was a delicate balancing act, but one I’d perfected.
I wished I could understand why there was a consistent drop-off in revenue over the past several months. If sales were like they’d been a couple of years ago, things wouldn’t be so tight. I might still be at risk of losing the store, but I’d see a light at the end of the tunnel.
No matter how many times I looked, though, I couldn’t figure out what happened. What I did wrong to tank the family business.
Beyond trusting Travis, of course.
A knock startled me from my work, and I looked up to see Aubrey standing in my office doorway. She leaned against the frame when I looked up, in a pose that looked practiced specifically to show off her tall, slender frame. She owned the vintage clothing shop on Main Street, and this afternoon she wore a fifties-style swing dress. The lack of sleeves showed off the ink that trailed along her arms and back.
