Imperfect Heart

by Tarina Deaton

  “Ma’am, please stop struggling.”

  “You’re going to regret this,” she yelled as they dragged her through the open door. “You’re both going to regret this.”

  “Fuck.” Kevin threw up his hands and paced into the kitchen.

  Tim gave him a level stare when he returned with a beer. “You need to get a restraining order.”

  “Yeah.”

  One of the officers returned and jotted down Kevin’s contact information. On his way out the door, he paused and turned back. “Do you really have a boyfriend?”

  “Yeah. What about it?” Kevin asked.

  “Eh.” He shrugged. “My brother’s single.”

  Chapter 25

  Zoe glanced at her watch and shook her wrist when the digital display didn’t immediately show. Fifteen minutes. Nine hundred seconds and she would open the doors to her dream.

  “Meu Deus,” she whispered. Why did she ever think this was a good idea? Why did she think she could succeed and do this on her own?

  “There you are.” Mrs. Wilson turned the corner of the row Zoe was hiding in. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think I’m having a panic attack. Maybe an anxiety attack. I don’t know what the difference is but I know I’m freaking out.”

  Mrs. Wilson grasped her by the shoulder. “Zoe. It’s a soft opening. It’s Tuesday so there won’t be a lot of shoppers. This gives us time to work out any kinks and bugs before the weekend.”

  Thank goodness Mrs. Wilson had agreed to fill in as the assistant manager until Zoe found someone permanent. She was the rational, level-headed person Zoe needed right now. “I know, but it’s still a big deal. What if no one comes in? What if it’s a big, horrible failure?”

  “People will come in. You will not fail. Everything is going to be fine. You have a checklist, right?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “It’s on the checkout desk.”

  “All right. Then that’s all you need.” She smiled reassuringly. “Ready?”

  Zoe took a deep breath and pictured the checklist in her head. Every item on every list had been checked and double checked. She’d been working non-stop for the past week and a half, often falling into bed too exhausted to do more than cuddle up next to Tim. Rebecca and Seth, her full-time employees, were trained and as excited as she was nervous.

  “Yes. I’m ready.”

  “Then let’s go.” Mrs. Wilson turned her and gave her a small push toward the front of the store.

  Everyone turned when they broke through the bookcases and walked toward the desk.

  “I was wondering where you were,” Elba said. “I brought coffee for everyone and a platter of mini scones for customers.”

  “Thank you,” Zoe said. She turned to the other two. “Remember to write down anything that goes wrong in the log at the desk so we can address it before the grand opening in two weeks. If they come from the Cafe, they get ten percent off their purchase and Elba and her staff are going to remind their customers when they pay. Same goes for here, if they buy something here, remind them they get a discount at the Cafe.”

  They all nodded while she spoke. They’d already gone over all this, but it helped her go through it all again.

  “Seth, can you put the sandwich board out front and I’ll go open the doors to the Cafe.”

  “I’ll go around and unlock them from the other side.” Elba pushed away from the counter she’d been leaning on and followed Seth to the front door.

  “Thanks.”

  Zoe walked over to the wall and released the locking mechanisms on the shelves. Seconds later one side swung open when Elba pushed from the other side.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the Book Haven is now open,” Elba said, gesturing with a flourish.

  “You’re a dork,” Zoe said.

  “But I’m your dork.” Elba pulled her into a side hug. “Go sell lots of books.”

  The next three hours were a blur as a steady stream of customers kept them all busy.

  “Zoe, I need your help,” Rebecca said.

  Zoe approached the back side of the checkout counter where a customer was waiting. “Sure. What do you need?”

  “I can’t find the author this customer is looking for.”

  “Who’s the author?”

  “Amber Finch?”

  Zoe frowned. “Why does that sound familiar? You searched the database?”

  “Yes, she’s not listed.”

  Zoe looked at the older woman waiting patiently on the other side of the counter. “Do you remember the name of one of the books? Maybe we aren’t spelling the author’s name correctly.”

  “The one I read about is Phoebe Moon and the Sneeze Snatcher. It’s a middle-grade novel. There’s supposed to be a whole series of them. I’d like to get them for my granddaughter, but I haven’t been able to find them anywhere.”

  “Where did you read about them?” Zoe asked.

  “In one of Jamie Farrell’s novels.”

  That was an author Zoe was familiar with. “Was it one of her Misfit Bride books?”

  “Yes! It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Ah. The Phoebe Moon books aren’t real books,” Zoe said.

  “What do you mean? There are several quotes in the Misfit Bride book. Where would she get the quotes if there aren’t any books?”

  “They aren’t published—Jamie Farrell made them up as part of the Misfit Bride story. The heroine in her book is the author of the Phoebe Moon books, but it’s all fiction.”

  The woman opened and closed her mouth a few times. “Is she going to write any Phoebe Moon books?”

  Zoe shook her head. “I really don’t know.”

  “Well! I’m going to write to her and demand she write Phoebe Moon books.” She left the counter, muttering to herself about the nerve of some people.

  Zoe’s shoulders shook and her eyes watered from trying not to laugh out loud.

  Rebecca was having the same problem and snorted through her nose before turning away to hide her face.

  “Why don’t you go get lunch while there’s a lull,” Zoe said. “Elba said you guys could have an employee discount.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

  “When you get back, tell Seth he can go.”

  Zoe regretted sending Rebecca to lunch exactly twelve minutes later when three moms came in with seven children, at least three of whom were crying.

  “Welcome to the Book Haven.” She plastered a smile on her face that felt more like a grimace.

  “Will, watch your sister!” one of the moms called after a few of the kids heading to the back. She turned to Zoe. “Hi. Just so you know, you’re probably going to get a lot of moms in here in the next few days. One of the local mommy bloggers posted a picture of that tree house and it’s making the rounds on social media.”

  “Oh. That’s…that’s good,” Zoe said. It was good. It was. Maybe if she repeated it to herself enough times, she would believe it. That was exactly why she put the loft in—to attract parents and young readers. Although it would be nice if they didn’t all descend on her and the bookstore at the same time.

  “Make sure you come back for the grand opening. Ten percent off the entire store, plus lots of book prizes.” Mrs. Wilson handed a flyer to the distracted mom.

  “Thanks.” She shoved it into her already overstuffed bag without looking at it and followed the sounds of shrieks and screams.

  Zoe looked at Mrs. Wilson and saw a grinning Tim approaching from the front entrance. Her day improved exponentially.

  “Wow. Look at this place.” He bent down and kissed her—right in front of Mrs. Wilson. “I told you you had nothing to worry about.”

  “Did she say she was worried about people not showing up?” Mrs. Wilson asked.

  “Yes, and that it would fail.”

  “Silly girl.” Mrs. Wilson winked at Tim, not even trying to hide it from Zoe.

  “You two can quit talking about me like I’m not here,” she said.
/>   Mrs. Wilson grinned at her. “I’m going to help Seth at the register.”

  “All right.” She turned to Tim. “What are you doing here?”

  He kissed her again, lingering a little longer than before. “I know you were nervous this morning and I wanted to see how you were doing.”

  “You’re checking up on me?”

  “Yes.”

  Pure joy raced through her veins. “Thank you.” She stood on her toes and kissed him again.

  “Where’s Kevin?” she asked.

  “Next door, getting us a couple of coffees.”

  “Really? You’re sending the rookie to fetch your coffee for you?”

  He smiled at her. “He offered. I think he’s interested in something not on the menu.”

  “What’s not on the menu?”

  His eyebrows rose and he stared at her expectantly.

  What’s not on the…? “Oh. Oh! Are he and Rob seeing each other?”

  “He hasn’t confirmed it, but I think so. He was very eager to get coffee for us.”

  “Well, yay for them. Rob’s a good guy.”

  “Good to know.” He waved at a little boy peeking out from between his mother’s legs while she paid for her purchase.

  The door opened again and Denise walked in, followed by her large Mastiff mix. It was only the second time Zoe had seen the dog with her service dog vest on.

  “Oh my God. This is heaven.” She stopped next to Zoe and Tim. “I’ve always dreamed about having a house with a library like this. It’s beautiful, Zoe.”

  “Thank you so much.” She swept her gaze over the store. “It’s exactly how I imagined it in my head.”

  “I’m going to browse.” Denise took a step forward, stopped and turned back. “No issue with Sprocket, right?”

  “Of course not.”

  Watching Denise walk away, Sprocket close at her side, gave Zoe an idea.

  “I need my planner.” She hurried over to the desk and wrote a reminder to look into the reading to rescue animals program she’d seen online while it was fresh in her mind. Finished jotting down her notes, she glanced up to find Tim leaning against the counter, watching her.

  She tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “What?”

  “I didn’t want to interrupt you in the middle of your thought process, but I need to grab Kevin from next door so we can finish our patrol.”

  She walked around the counter. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

  “Don’t apologize for being you.”

  The soft, appreciative look on his face spread warmth through her chest.

  “I need to go check on the children’s area anyway since it was overrun right before you came in.”

  “Okay. Call me when you leave the store?”

  She nodded. A quick peck and he was gone. She sighed, watching him walk out the door. Her insides turned into a gooey mess and it wasn’t just from the way his ass filled out his pants. He’d taken time out of his day to check on her. He made sure she’d text him when she left the store.

  She’d balked the first time he’d asked her to, but after he’d explained about Bree’s attack she understood. Knowing Kevin’s crazy stalker might not be over her crazy didn’t help.

  So she told him. Because he worried and he cared and she liked that he worried and he cared.

  A shriek rent the air and she slowly turned to face the back of the store. She shared a wide-eyed look with Mrs. Wilson. Beside her, Seth put his finger on the tip of his nose, the universal sign for “not it.” Zoe rolled her eyes and headed to the children’s books section. Her store, her headache. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to kick anyone out for baby brawling. That would definitely make the mommy blogs and not in a good way.

  The bookcases were too tall. Zoe couldn’t even reach the fourth shelf and the book she needed was all the way at the top. The shelves weren’t supposed to be this high—she didn’t have any ladders.

  Where was that buzzing coming from? She spun in a circle but couldn’t find the source of the noise. Trying to follow the sound, she turned down aisle after aisle with no luck. The sound would go away and then would return coming from the right, but when she looked she couldn’t find what was making the noise. Even when she put her ear to the wall.

  Where had the shelves gone?

  “Zoe, wake up. You’re phone’s vibrating.”

  Her eyes snapped open. “There are bees in the bookstore.”

  “What?” Tim leaned over and turned on the lamp next to his bed.

  Zoe flinched away from the light. “I was dreaming about the bookstore. I kept hearing bees but I couldn’t figure out where they were and then all the books were gone and it was just a room of walls.”

  “Well, the bees can be explained by your phone vibrating on the table. It’s been going non-stop for the last few minutes.” Tim braced himself on his elbow. “I’m no psychologist, but I’d guess dreaming about the books being gone is your mind worrying about not being successful.”

  “I hate my brain sometimes.” Her phone vibrated on the table again and she picked it up. “Elba, it’s three in the morning.”

  “Zoe. I’m so sorry.”

  She sat up in bed, driven by Elba’s anguish pouring through the phone. “What happened? Are you okay? Where’s April?”

  She threw off the covers and picked up her jeans from the floor before she even finished asking the first question.

  “It’s the Cafe. And the bookstore.” Elba’s shaky breath was audible. “There’s a fire.”

  Chapter 26

  Tim wouldn’t let her drive herself there. It was probably a good idea because she didn’t remember the ride. Her mind was going a mile a minute, thinking of the worst and hoping that maybe it was only a little smoke damage and all she’d need to do was air out the store. But Elba wouldn’t have sounded the way she had on the phone if it was only a little smoke damage.

  The fire department had the roads blocked at each end of the street. The only reason they were able to get around the barricades was because Tim flashed his badge and walked them in. Even then, they were stopped on the other side of the parking lot across from the stores.

  Zoe pressed her hands over her mouth. The entire street was painted in an eerie orange glow and all four stores were engulfed in flames. The worst of the fire seemed to be concentrated on the cafe and the salon.

  The tears in her eyes had nothing to do with the black, acrid smoke filling the air.

  “Stay here,” Tim said. “I’m going to go see if I can find out anything. Okay?”

  She nodded. Where else was she going to go?

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she swiped to answer it.

  “Where are you?” Elba asked.

  Zoe had to press a finger to her opposite ear to hear Elba over the roar of the fire and water. “I’m on the other side of the parking lot. Tim went to see if he can find out anything.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Elba said.

  It could have been hours or it could have been seconds later when Elba wrapped her arms around her.

  “I’m so sorry,” her friend whispered.

  Zoe squeezed her eyes closed. Maybe it was all a dream. She was still stuck in the dream with the bees and it had morphed into a nightmare driven by her worst fears. Except she could hear the crackle of the fire and feel the heat on her face.

  “What happened?”

  Elba’s hair brushed Zoe’s cheek as she shook her head. “I don’t know. I got the call from the alarm company.”

  Damn it, she hadn’t checked for any other missed calls after she answered Elba’s.

  “Hey.” Tim returned and Zoe wiped her eyes and released Elba, but kept an arm around her waist.

  “What did they say?” she asked.

  “I talked to the on-scene commander. They’re working to keep it contained to your building and not let it jump to the adjacent buildings, but the chemicals in the hair salon are making it difficult to put out the fire.”

  Zoe clos
ed her eyes again and took a shaking breath.

  “Do they know how it started?” Elba asked.

  “They won’t know until they get the fire out and the investigator can go in, but….”

  “But what?” Zoe asked.

  Tim braced one hand on his hip and ran the other hand through his hair. “Based on how the fire spread, they think it started in either the salon or…the Cafe.”

  “It wasn’t the Cafe.” Elba shook her head frantically and faced Zoe. “It can’t have been. We have a freaking checklist for closing. Everything gets turned off. Everything. I make sure both Rob and I check.”

  “Elba, don’t. They don’t know where it started yet and even if it started in the restaurant, it could have been faulty wiring or…or anything.” She had a hard time thinking of anything else it could have been. All she knew was Elba was losing everything, just like she was.

  “Oh my God, my store!” An older woman tried to run past them, but Tim grabbed her around the waist.

  “Ma’am, you can’t go closer.”

  She struggled against Tim’s hold as he tried to calm her down.

  Zoe hadn’t met her other neighbor yet. She’d been so busy getting the store ready she hadn’t taken the time to walk next door to introduce herself.

  Elba withdrew and stepped over to Tim and the woman. “Laura. You can’t go closer. It’s too dangerous.”

  She stopped struggling. “It’s all I have,” she whispered.

  “I know.” She hugged Laura and Tim let her go. Elba looked over Laura’s shoulder at Zoe as Tim pulled her into his embrace. “I know.”

  Zoe stared at the flames devouring the building. It was all any of them had.

  Tim turned onto their street and glanced at Zoe again. He’d taken every opportunity to look at her and check on her. She’d been almost silent for the last hour, barely responding with one-word answers. He parked in his driveway and turned off the engine.

  “Are you—?”

  She was already out of the truck, closing the door softly, and walking around the hood to go to her house.

  He scrambled out. “Zoe. Talk to me.” He caught up with her and tried to take her hand.