Ian held out his hand, his expression level. “It’s good to meet you, Sir. I’m glad to finally have a face to put to the name.”
Mr. Bonomo cleared his throat. “You, as well, Mr. Thackery,” he replied coolly, giving Ian’s hand a quick shake. “I won’t take any more of your time, Max. Thank you again,” he said, turning and walking out of the shop without another word. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding making physical contact with Ian as he did so, giving him a wide berth as he made his way back down the sidewalk.
Ian stared after him, perplexed. “Is he all right?” he asked, turning back to Max. “He seemed okay last week when I spoke to him on the telephone. Probably one of the least upset tenants here…”
Max crossed her arms, unable to fight the irritation that had welled back up inside her. “Well, what did you expect?” she asked. “That you could just show up here and take whatever you wanted? These stores are owned by people, Ian. People with lives and dreams and loved ones counting on them. Not everyone has their fancy family name and a cushy savings account to fall back on.”
Ian looked taken aback. “Max, that’s not-- I’m not trying to hurt anyone here…”
Max sighed, raking a hand through her hair. She wasn’t being fair, and she knew it, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the devastation in Mr. Bonomo’s eyes. That could just as easily have been Aunt Stephanie, or her mom, or Aunt Anna, struggling to take care of Pop. And still, Ian had his own life and business and dreams to consider.
“I know,” she said with a groan. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about him, that’s all.”
Ian frowned. “What’s changed?”
Max beckoned him inside and recounted what Mr. Bonomo had told her, stopping behind the counter and leaning against it, feeling suddenly exhausted. Ian was silent for a long time after she stopped speaking, rubbing a hand over his mouth. He had gone pale, and his handsome face was lined with concern.
“Geez,” he said at last. “I’m sorry.” He shook his head, taking a deep breath as he met her gaze. “Max, I came by to tell you that I’ve already spoken to a couple connections. My assistant is working on a list of nearby retail spaces that are available to lease. I’ve told them the size you’re looking for, your budget… everything.”
“Mr. Bonomo--” Max began.
“Let me know what he needs,” Ian told her, holding up a hand. “I’ll add his requirements to the search. I’m going to do everything I can. If you want, I can put a sign up after I move in, directing customers to everyone’s new addresses. Anything I can do to help, I will. Just tell me. I’m not going to leave Mr. Bonomo out in the cold on this. You have my word.”
She searched his face for some sign that this was just lip service and then nodded. Her instincts hadn’t always been the greatest, but something told her Ian was telling the truth.
Max felt herself soften as she gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Ian.”
He wasn’t a magician, but surely, with his connections, he could help them find something that would work.
“You’re welcome.” There was a pause, and then he said, “I wanted to let you know that one of the locations I’m scouting might even be better than this one. It’s not officially up for rent, but I know the owners and it’s been empty for months pending some renovations. I have a call in with them.”
Max raised her eyebrows. “You’re kidding.”
Ian shook his head. “I’m not. It’s just off Main Street, on one of the most popular stretches west of the beach itself.”
Max stared at him, flabbergasted, and he took a few steps closer to her, reaching across the counter and taking her hand.
“Max,” he said, his dark eyes meeting hers, “I’m not happy about doing this. Any of it. I’d change it if I could. I’m just so deep in at this point, and the parameters of my own business are so specific…”
“I know,” Max replied quietly. As easy as it was to look for someone to blame in situations like this, the truth was that there were no bad guys here. The silence grew between them, and she had to shake herself to pull her gaze away from his.
“So,” she said with a forced smile, “what’s on your agenda for the rest of the evening?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Ian replied. “Mayburn’s summer festival is starting tonight, and I have tonight free. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”
“A festival, eh?” Max said, crossing her arms.
Ian grinned. “Think about the possibilities. Fried food, popcorn, throwing darts at balloons while you picture my face on them…”
She couldn't help but laugh. “How can I say no to that?” she asked, letting him take her by the hand as they headed for the door. “But just so you know, I’m going to hold you to that last part.”
The festival was in the next town over, and even with the early evening traffic, they were able to make it there and find a parking spot before the sun had even started setting.
Max couldn’t remember the last time she had been to a festival, and a warm light filled her as she looked around at the cheesy games and rides. The smells of caramel corn and cotton candy wafted through the air. Laughing kids raced past them in all directions, high on sugar.
“First stop? Funnel cake booth,” Ian said, taking her hand and tugging her toward one of the brightly colored trucks in a row.
“Powdered sugar or blueberries on yours?” he asked as they reached their destination.
There was nothing to do about her problems right now, and truly letting the stress and worry go for a while seemed like heaven.
“What do I look like, an amateur?” she shot back with a snort. “Both!”
Ian bought them both a funnel cake and they munched on the fried, waffle-like treats as they wandered from booth to booth, checking out the games and pop-ups featuring local artisans.
“This is so yummy. I haven’t had one since high school,” she admitted, licking the powdered sugar from her thumb with a chuckle.
Ian’s dark eyes narrowed as he watched her, and a shiver rolled through her.
Lord, was he handsome.
“Glad to be serving up a little nostalgia, then,” he said, his voice husky.
A loud crack of laughter broke the sudden tension and she turned to see a child squealing with glee as his father handed over a massive stuffed bear.
“Looks like that’s where the easy pickings are. Time to test out our ring tossing skills,” Ian said with a challenging grin. “You think you have what it takes to beat me?”
“I’ll have you know, I was the ring-tossing champ back in the day,” she replied as she polished the rest of her cake off and tossed the empty plate in the trash. “Loser pays for cotton candy.”
Turned out, she hadn’t lost her touch. By the time they’d purchased and tossed all their rings, Max had bested Ian soundly and was rewarded with a small stuffed dolphin for her efforts.
“For you, Sir,” she said with a sweeping bow as she presented him with the stuffed animal.
To her delight, he didn’t get all macho and weird about it, instead accepting her offering with a wide grin. “I’m not too proud to take a cute stuffed animal from a beautiful woman. Congratulations on your victory. Let’s go get our celebratory cotton candy and then check out some of the rides.”
As the evening went on, Max found herself losing track of time and space, and Ian’s fingers laced with hers more often than not. Thoughts of Ty didn’t even cross her mind, and in spite of her business troubles, she couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed an evening so much.
The time flew by in a haze of junk food, carnival games, and lighthearted competition, and by the time they had finished, the moon was high in the sky.
When they’d done all there was to do, had seen all there was to see, and had eaten far more than they should have, Ian brought her back to the bookstore parking lot. Max’s car sat in its usual place by the end of the sidewalk.
Had it been just over a week ago
that she’d been stumbling around, splitting her dress, and cursing Ian in this same spot? Now, here she was, holding hands with the very same man, and wishing the night didn’t have to end. It was a strange feeling, but she couldn’t work up the energy or desire to fight it. Instead, she could focus only on the butterflies in her stomach as Ian walked her to her car.
They stopped by the door, and the light of a street lamp illuminated his face. “Another lovely evening,” he said. “Thank you, Max.”
“Likewise,” Max replied, adding teasingly, “we’d better be careful, or we might start to like each other.”
Ian moved closer, his expression soft. “Too late…for me, at any rate,” he said as he leaned in closer. He paused for a heartbeat, just long enough to give her the chance to pull away if she had a mind to.
She didn’t.
Instead, she rolled up on her tiptoes and met his lips with a breathy sigh. His mouth was warm and firm, his kiss a gentle exploration. Her heart beat out of control and her legs turned to jelly. It was like being a teenager again, all caught up in the moment, the world seeming to dissolve around them as she brought her arms up and around his neck. Time stood still, and all rational thought ceased as his tongue traced her bottom lip…
And then he was pulling away, touching his forehead to hers and giving her that same crooked grin that made her come a little unglued every time.
“I hope that was okay,” he murmured.
“Yes. Better than okay.”
His low chuckle gave her a thrill. “I better quit while I’m ahead, then. I’ll see you soon, Max?”
“I-I’d like that.”
She climbed into her car and shot him a quick wave before pulling out.
“Oh, girl, what are you getting yourself into?” she whispered, shaking her head. But even as she tried to focus on all the reasons seeing Ian was a bad idea, none of them stuck. The fact was, she hadn’t felt this alive since she had made the decision to quit accounting and buy the bookstore. Giving that up wasn’t going to bring her bookstore location back.
The uncertainty of the future be damned. She was going to find a way to have her cake and eat it, too. She had a bit more time to figure out what to do with the store, and Ian seemed gung ho about helping. Surely, they could make this work…
Couldn’t they?
15
Anna
“More coffee?” Cee-cee asked, nodding at the half-empty pot on the counter of the industrial kitchen. “I could use a top-up, myself.”
Anna glanced into her almost empty mug, hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head. “I’d better not,” she replied. “I’ll be bouncing off the walls.”
“When aren’t you bouncing off the walls, Anna?” Cee-cee demanded, laughing. “That’s kind of your thing. But point taken.”
She got up to fix herself another cup, leaving Anna seated at the stainless steel worktable in the middle of the room. It was a little odd being at the bakery before it opened. The delicious smells were wafting from the ovens, where Cee-cee had cupcakes baking, but it was otherwise eerily quiet and still. Anna herself couldn’t imagine starting work as early as Cee-cee did on a daily basis. Cee-cee had been there for hours already, and seemed pert as ever, though. Secretly, Anna was pretty sure that was just because her sister was superhuman.
She had barely been able to drag herself out of bed this morning, and it was only Stephanie’s phone call that had lit a fire under her ass. Normally, getting a call from her sister in the early AM would send her into a blind panic, but Steph had reassured both Anna and Cee-cee that this wasn’t an emergency. She had remained otherwise tight-lipped about the reason for their meet-up, only saying that she wanted to talk to the two of them before she went to the clinic, and that it had something to do with Pop. While she had sounded preoccupied over the phone, she had also stressed that it was an issue of logistics and nothing more. Anna wasn’t quite sure she believed that, but she supposed they would find out soon enough.
At any rate, due to Cee-cee’s early schedule, she now found herself in the basement of the bake shop, picking at a croissant and wondering what on earth could be going on now.
“You look stressed, Sis,” Cee-cee said, returning to her seat at the table with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.
“Do I?” Anna sighed, stretching her arms behind her back and standing up. “I guess I am, a little. Steph hasn’t been herself and I’m not sure what all this is about.”
“She said it wasn’t anything serious,” Cee-cee reminded her, glancing quickly at her phone to check for news from Steph. “I’m sure Pop’s fine. The only reason she called so early was because she knew I’d be up.”
“I know,” Anna said, fidgeting a little. The caffeine was starting to get to her, and it wasn’t doing anything to calm her nerves. She picked up her half-eaten croissant and took another bite of it, shuffling over to the far counter and leaning against it. “It’s not that. It’s not Pop, I mean.”
“Is it Steph, then?” asked Cee-cee, meeting Anna’s eyes.
Anna cleared her throat. “I told you about how I went over to her house the other day, right?”
Cee-cee nodded grimly. “You said she looked like she wasn’t doing well.”
“That’s an understatement, I’d say,” Anna replied. “It was going up on noon, and she was still in bed. She hadn’t even gotten out of her pajamas.”
“Do you think she could’ve just slept in?” Cee-cee asked, although there was visible doubt in her eyes.
“Come on, Cee-cee,” said Anna, pushing herself away from the counter and beginning to pace. She was too antsy to stay still right now. “She’s almost as much of an early bird as you are, even on the weekends. There’s no way she would’ve let herself stay in bed half the day if there wasn’t something going on.”
“Is that what you think this is about?” asked Cee-cee, getting to her feet and moving to the oven to check on the cupcakes. They had turned a golden-brown, and she took them off the baking rack and set them aside before turning back to her sister. “Maybe things aren’t going so great. Even with the help, maybe she can’t handle having Pop living with her anymore.”
“Maybe,” Anna said doubtfully. “I think there’s something else up, though.”
“Like what?”
Anna shrugged. “I’m not sure. Depression? She’s been through a hell of a lot over the past few months.”
Cee-cee pursed her lips as she overturned the cupcake tray on a cooling rack. “Maybe. I had noticed she’s been a little distant lately, like she’s stressing out about something, but… I don’t know. I figured she was busy with Ethan. Steph’s had a lot of changes in her life lately, and not just with her relationships. Todd is at the clinic now, that’s a transition. She could still be trying to process the fact that Paul was murdered and all that happened.”
“Sure,” Anna acknowledged, “no doubt. But I don’t think it would be out of the realm of possibility for it to be something deeper than that. She isn’t herself, at all.”
Cee-cee closed her eyes for a moment, pulling off her oven mitts. “Damn,” she muttered, shaking her head. “You might be right. Maybe I’ve just been too busy myself to notice. Wouldn’t be the first time I got caught up in my own life and didn’t see the mess unfolding around me.”
“Hey, come on,” Anna said, shaking her head, “don’t blame yourself. This isn’t like last year.”
“Why isn’t it?” Cee-cee asked. “I checked out then, too. I checked out on Max, and you guys. If I’m sliding back into space again, you need to let me know. I’m busy, but I’m never too busy for family.”
“Listen, Cee-cee,” Anna told her, “I promise you, you’re balancing things fine. You’re at the top of your game right now, the bakery is booming, and you still manage to help with Pop and stay close with me and Steph. You just helped Gabe and Sasha plan a whole wedding, for crying out loud. Cut yourself some slack.”
Cee-cee shot her a grateful smile.
“I thi
nk you’re only missing the signs that something’s up with Steph because she’s purposely hiding something from us,” Anna continued. “We need to figure out what it is, and I’m thinking now might be a good time to bring it up with her.”
“Bring what up with who?” came Stephanie’s voice from the doorway. The other two women turned to see her walking into the kitchen, purse slung over her shoulder. She looked pale, and the quizzical smile on her face seemed forced as she shut the door behind her.
“Just this whole Pop thing,” Cee-cee covered as they began to convene at the table. “You had us kind of worried, calling early in the morning.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” replied Stephanie, sighing and setting her bag down next to her. “It’s not urgent, exactly, but it was… weird. A shock, I guess you could say. I just needed to get it out of my head and share.”
Cee-cee set a cupcake down in front of Steph before she took a seat. “Here,” she said, “try it. It’s carrot cake. You look like you’re not eating enough...”
“Ah, yes! Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The breakfast of champions,” Anna joked, but she was secretly relieved when Stephanie took a bite out of the cupcake. She did look like she’d lost weight lately, and that was only another reason to be concerned. “So, spill,” she prompted, propping her elbow up on the table. “What’s going on with Pop?”
Stephanie sighed, her face going a little red. “I don’t exactly know how to say this,” she confessed. “It feels weird to even be talking about it.” She fidgeted with her cupcake, not looking at either of them. “I went back to the house last night at around ten thirty. I couldn’t seem to fall asleep at Ethan’s, and Pop and Eva weren’t expecting me to come home. Anyway, I walked into the kitchen, and they were…canoodling..”
Anna’s mouth dropped open. “Canoodling?” she demanded, reeling back in surprise. “Okay, that word is ridiculous, but let’s set that aside for a second. Pop and Eva? What were they--”
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