Once Robert pulled into his parking space behind his office, Jenn was prepared for him to head inside and was once again surprised when he took her hand and guided her to the sidewalk and then down the street.
“Don’t you need to go in?” She slowed her steps as they approached the front door.
“Not today,” he said as he pulled her along.
The feelings inside Jenn ranged all over the place, much like her emotions the past few days. Parts of her wanted to soak in this attention from Robert, letting it permeate her soul and heart, but then another part of her whispered to ignore the attention, warning it would be gone by morning and she’d need to shelter her heart once again. In their marriage, they’d had more downs than ups, enough of them for her to realize it wasn’t worth staying. She thought about the separation papers in her desk drawer, about how hard the decision had been to take that step, knowing that she would be the one responsible for tearing her family apart. But then she focused on the way Robert kept holding her hand, his grip tight, and the sense of rightness to his touch.
“I’ll understand if you need to do some work tonight in your office.”
“I don’t need to work all the time, you know. It’s okay for me to take a day off here and there. I haven’t done it enough, but this summer, I think I might. Brenda is competent enough to handle matters for me. Let’s take a look at our calendar tonight and plan some getaways, just you and me and maybe some with Charity too.” Robert squeezed her hand three times, an old reminder of the way they used to be when they were first married. Three squeezes meant I love you.
She smiled up at him to let him know she understood, but she didn’t squeeze his hand back. When was the last time she’d told him she loved him? Really and honestly loved him? She couldn’t remember.
“Robert, I . . .” She caught sight of the Treasure Chest and couldn’t believe what she saw.
The last time she’d seen the store, the windows had been covered in brown craft paper. It was closed. Should still be closed. And yet, the paper was down, the windows open for all to see, and there were even displays being set up in the front.
“Hey, Treasure Chest will be opening up again. That’s great.”
Was that excitement and satisfaction she heard in Robert’s voice?
“I didn’t think Julia was ready to get back to her store, but this is exactly what our town needs,” he continued.
Jenn remained quiet. She doubted they would ever feel the same way about Julia, but that’s not what bothered her the most. It was what she saw in the store that caught her attention.
“Is that Charity?” She stepped closer and peered into the store. It was hard to see, the way the sun was shining on the window, but she could swear both Charity and Amanda were inside.
“I couldn’t imagine why she’d be in there,” Robert said, but he too peered in through the window before he went to the door and pushed it in.
Jenn followed after him and wrinkled her nose. The store had a musky odor to it, an overwhelming smell of potpourri.
“Yeah, sorry, Mom. We had the door opened before to air the place out, but people thought that meant the store was open.”
“What are you doing in here?”
“Cleaning . . .” She held up the dust rag in her hand and smiled.
“Why?” She could conceive no good reason for her daughter to be in this store, this store of all places, and cleaning.
“Oh, Mayor Stone asked us to,” Amanda answered.
Jenn glanced down at the girl, who sat on the floor with a clipboard in her lap.
“Asked you to what?” Jenn had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer. Why would Charlotte ask her daughter to do something for Julia Berry?
“To help get the store ready to open. She even offered us jobs if we wanted to work here. Cool, huh?”
It was all Jenn could do not to scowl at the girl.
“I think it’s nice of you girls to be in here and helping. If you’re almost done, why don’t you come down and join us at Fred’s, and I’ll treat you to one of his double-fudge brownie sundaes.” Robert nudged Jenn and gave a small shake of his head. She knew that gesture. He wanted her to keep quiet.
“I think you’re done now, aren’t you?” She didn’t care what he wanted.
“Sure,” Amanda piped up. “We were just talking about making brownies tonight, but this is a better idea.”
Jenn smiled in satisfaction when Charity laid her dust rag down and wiped her hands. She nodded at her mom and held her hand out to Amanda to pull her up off the floor.
“We’ll just put everything away and then drop the key off with Mayor Stone. We’ll meet you there?”
Jenn shook her head and was about to tell them they could give her the key and she would speak to Charlotte on her own, but Robert rushed in and said it was a good idea. He pulled her out of the store and down the sidewalk, not speaking, until they were at the street corner waiting for the light to change.
“You need to calm down,” he said to her.
“I am calm.” She knew her face wore a cool facade, and yet inside she was seething.
“Really? Is that why your whole body is vibrating?”
“I’m not . . .” She couldn’t finish the sentence, couldn’t deny something, when it was true. She was upset. She was more than upset. She was livid. How dare Charlotte ask her daughter, her daughter, to help out in that woman’s store.
“She should have asked us.” She turned to him. “She should have asked. Doesn’t she understand?”
“No, she probably doesn’t. How can she? She’s not a parent. Yes, she should have asked us first, but how about we look at this in a different way?”
The light turned green, and they walked across the street. Robert kept his grip on her hand despite her insistent tugging.
“This will be good for Charity. Something to keep her occupied this summer. I’m sure it won’t be a lot of hours, but enough. It’s good for her.”
Jenn’s lips thinned, and it took all her strength not to say something. She needed time. Time to think before she said anything.
Time and maybe a drink. She wasn’t sure how long the girls would be before they joined them, but since they were already at Fred’s, the drink couldn’t come soon enough.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHARLOTTE
Charlotte powered off her computer thankful that the day was over. Jordan was on his way to pick her up and take her out for dinner. He had a craving for Fred’s fish and chips; even though she’d been there for lunch, Charlotte wasn’t going to complain.
She’d spent the afternoon with Arnold, and while it took a while to convince him to give her idea a try, she managed to make a miracle occur.
She reached for her phone, just as it began to vibrate on her desk, sure that it was Jordan saying he was outside.
She was wrong.
Don’t you think you should have asked first?
The text was from Jenn. Charlotte racked her brain to figure out what she’d done wrong this time. Then it hit her. But why would she be so upset about the girls cleaning up the store?
Didn’t think it would be an issue, she texted back.
It is. A big one. I’d appreciate you asking me first, as her mother. And as a friend. Or so I thought.
What? Charlotte leaned back in her chair and hesitated before she wrote back. She started to type back, I’m sorry, but stopped. What did she have to apologize for?
A horn blared outside and she rose. It was probably Jordan. A quick look outside confirmed he was there. She pulled the curtain aside and waved before she reached for her purse.
Can I call you later? she wrote instead.
Now wasn’t the time to deal with this. And knowing the way Jenn had been acting lately, anything she wrote in a text would probably be taken the wrong way.
&n
bsp; Fine.
Charlotte’s brow rose as she imagined Jenn’s voice saying that. She would have her haughty look, the one that said she could not care less what happened but you knew she really did care.
She turned her office lights off, locked her door behind her, and walked down the steps toward the main floor. Muffled voices could be heard in one of the meeting rooms below. She didn’t remember there being a meeting on the calendar today. Charlotte’s steps slowed as she made it to the bottom of the stairs.
“Either that woman leaves, or we do. I mean it.”
She knew that voice. Trevor Blackstone.
“No. I won’t calm down. Take your hand off me. Until she’s gone, I’m taking my family with me on the road. Where I’ll know they are safe.”
Charlotte’s grip on the handrail tightened. Trevor was a scary man when he was angry. He wasn’t often in town—he was a truck driver who did long-haul trips—but when he was, he was either at Fred’s drunk as a skunk or at home terrorizing his poor wife. She couldn’t imagine what being on the road with him would be like.
She headed toward the closed door to see if there was anything she could do when the door swung open. If she hadn’t stepped back in time, it would have hit her.
“Merille.” Charlotte reached out her hand to the timid woman who trailed after her husband, their youngest child on her hip. Merille barely glanced up, but she did give a small shake to her head.
“Let’s go, Merille,” Trevor barked as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
“Trevor, wait,” she called out.
Trevor stopped at the main doors and looked at her. A shiver of fear shimmied down Charlotte’s spine at the hatred in his black eyes. “What could you possibly say to make up for your worthlessness as a mayor?”
Before Charlotte could think of how to reply, he pushed open the door and pulled Merille out alone with him. Charlotte just stood there, in shock.
“One day, that man’s anger is going to go too far.”
Charlotte blinked and tore her gaze from the door and noticed Pastor Scott beside her.
“So that was you he was yelling at.”
“I hope it was okay we came in here to talk? I figured it would be better to discuss his feelings in here rather than outside where everyone would have heard him.”
Charlotte waved away his concern. “Of course. These doors are always open, you know that. What happened?”
“I noticed him standing on the corner by Julia’s house and suggested he walk away. With everything that has been going on lately . . . well, you never know what could be going through that man’s head.”
“Thank you for doing that.”
The main door to the building opened, and Jordan walked in.
“Everything okay? Trevor looked pissed off when he left here.”
“He wants Julia to be run out of town,” Scott replied.
Jordan’s brows rose as he stood beside Charlotte and placed his arm across her shoulders.
Scott shrugged. “Unfortunately, the mother has taken on the sins of her son, whether it’s deserved or not. She’s got an uphill battle when there shouldn’t be one.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to head over to the church for bible study.” He smiled at them and then winked. “You know, you two should come one night. It’s a marriage group.”
Charlotte dug her elbow into Jordan’s side when he snorted.
“I’ll take that as a not today then, shall I?”
“Maybe some other time, Scott. Thanks for the invite, though. Say hi to Lacie for me.”
“Oh, she’s not going to be there.” Scott’s voice trembled for a moment before he smiled. “But I’ll tell her when I get home.”
“Everything okay?”
Scott nodded. “She’s just going to take some time . . . away from the church for a bit.”
This surprised Charlotte. Lacie taking time away from the church? That was like . . . taking the chocolate out of her croissants . . . just not possible.
“She didn’t say anything to me about it, though.” Charlotte realized how that sounded after she said it. As if Lacie should have told her first. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s something she’s been mulling over since . . . well, since the funerals, to be honest. I think today was the day she woke up and decided it was time to put herself first. I ask a lot of her. This town asks a lot of her.”
Jordan reached out and placed a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “We also ask a lot from you. How are you handling things?”
It was as if a mask dropped over Scott’s face. One moment there was raw honesty in his eyes and then next, a false sense of peace and happiness. “I’m fine. But thanks for asking. Now, I should really get to the church. Talk to you later.”
They stood there as Scott retreated from them. He lifted his hand in a brief wave as the door closed behind him, and they waved back.
“That was weird,” Charlotte and Jordan both said in unison.
“I can’t believe Lacie is stepping back from the church.”
“I’m surprised Scott hasn’t done it yet.” Jordan placed his hand on the small of her back and urged her toward the main door.
“Why’s that?” They climbed down the front steps and made their way to the sidewalk.
“When has the man stopped? He conducted all the funerals, including his own son’s, and I’m sure his door has been left open for anyone who needs counseling. Have they even had time to grieve themselves? Not once have I seen him crack under the strain. So it makes you wonder . . .”
“Wonder what?”
“What will happen when he does crack? Who’s there for him? I mean, Jenn has you . . . who does Lacie have? Who does Scott have to go to when he needs to cry or get angry or question why God would let something like that happen?”
“That’s a good question. I need to do something . . .”
“Why you? It’s not your job to take care of everyone in this town, you know, as much as you try.”
They had arrived at Fred’s Tavern, and Jordan pulled open the thick wood door for her.
“I mean it, Charlotte. It’s not your job. You need to let it go.”
“I can’t. I can’t let it go.” As hard as she tried, as much as she wanted to, it was her job. A job she’d been doing poorly, she now realized.
Evidence of how poor was right in front of her as her best friend glared at her.
“Did you know they’d be here?” Jordan murmured to her.
Robert stood up and waved at them. When Jordan waved back, Robert indicated the two free chairs at their table.
“Nope.” Charlotte had yet to mention Jenn’s angry texts.
“Hey! You should have told us you guys were coming here.” Robert pushed his beer across the table and then switched seats, so he was beside Jenn instead of across from her.
Charlotte forced a smile as she took the now empty seat across from Jenn and pushed the basket of peanuts toward the boys. She eyed the drink in front of Jenn and decided to order the same thing.
“How are you guys?” Jordan and Robert slapped one another’s backs before they sat down. Jordan leaned over and placed his arm around the back of Charlotte’s chair.
Robert glanced over at Jenn, then back to Jordan, and gave a weak smile. “Good. We ran into the girls at the Treasure Chest. They should be here soon for ice cream.”
“Oh good.” Charlotte smiled, then looked at Jenn. “I ran into them on the street earlier, and they looked bored. I’m sorry. I should have asked you before I had them help dust off shelves. I didn’t think.”
“No, you didn’t, and yes, you should have.” Disdain dripped from Jenn’s voice.
Was this what she was so upset about? Okay, if she’d thought about it more, maybe having Charity help clean Julia’s store wasn’t
her brightest idea, but . . .
“Stop. Whatever you are thinking, stop,” Jenn muttered.
“I’m just trying to figure out where I erred.”
Robert leaned forward and planted his elbows on the table. “Any interactions between our family and Julia should really be our decision, don’t you think?”
Charlotte sat back and caught the surprise that flashed across Jenn’s face.
“Right . . . of course,” Charlotte stammered. This was different. Any other time, Robert had been one of Julia’s loudest supporters. In fact, he’d been the one to mention the loss to Julia’s income if her store remained closed. “You’re right. Absolutely. I haven’t been thinking—”
Jordan rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “No, you have been thinking.” He corrected her. “Of this town, of the businesses, and of the residual effects of the tailspin we’ve all been in. You are looking at the big picture, and you don’t have to apologize for that.”
Charlotte didn’t know what to say to that, but she was glad for the way her husband came to her rescue. Thankfully, she didn’t have to say anything as Fred came over with a fresh basket of peanuts and drinks.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Fred teased as he set the basket down in front of her. “Let me guess, your man here was in the mood for my fish and you couldn’t say no.” He winked as he placed their drinks in front of them.
“Ordering for me now?” She eyed the beer questioningly.
“On the house. Drink up.”
Charlotte did as ordered. When she set the beer down, she leaned forward and reached across the table to touch Jenn’s cold fingers.
“Are we going to be okay?”
Jenn only shrugged, but Charlotte wasn’t going to give up.
“I’ve been a jerk. I tend to get so caught up in my passion for this town that I forget about my friends. I—” She stopped as Jordan’s hand touched her shoulder and squeezed. She smiled at him in thanks.
“Sometimes, your passion for this town overshadows everything else in your life,” Jenn said.
Charlotte nodded. “You’re right. This isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned this to me.”
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