by Tim Myers
“Good morning,” I said to Eve as I locked the door to At Wick’s End behind me.
“What’s so good about it?” she asked plaintively, I knew right off the bat what kind of day I was in for. Whatever had gone wrong lately in my employee’s life, she wasn’t shy about bringing it to work with her.
“Let’s see,” I said, trying to be positive despite her disposition. “It’s a gorgeous day out, we both have a place to work, and we have our health.”
She didn’t answer, unless her scowl could be counted as one. I wasn’t going to let her bring me down, though. “Listen, if you’d like to take a personal day, that’s fine by me.”
I thought for a second she was going to take me up on my offer, but finally she just shook her head. “No, I’ll work.”
“All right then, let’s work.”
I assigned her the stock inventory, and even let her place the order while I waited on our first customers. I’d come a long way since my Great-Aunt Belle had left me At Wick’s End, and I could handle just about every customer who came into the shop, but I still needed Eve’s help with some of them, especially in the areas of candlemaking I hadn’t mastered yet. As Mrs. Jorgenson’s lessons proceeded along, so did my own. I wasn’t sure what would happen once we’d explored all we could in the current art of candlemaking, but I’d burn that taper when I came to it. We had enough techniques to explore to last us dozens of additional lessons.
By lunchtime, I’d managed to stay out of Eve’s way, but it had been an extra strain for me.
I said, “I’m going to take the first lunch, if you don’t mind.”
She said, “That’s fine with me. I’ve got nowhere else I need to be.”
It was obvious the morning of work hadn’t done anything to improve her attitude. What I needed was some fresh air and some solitude.
I jogged up the steps to my apartment and threw a sandwich together, then grabbed a soda to go with it. I was tempted to have my little picnic up on the roof, but decided to go down to the steps of River’s Edge and watch the Gunpowder flow past me.
As I unwrapped my sandwich, I wished Heather hadn’t fled River’s Edge, for so many reasons, not the least of which were the nice lunch breaks we’d shared in the past.
Chapter 13
A voice from the river called out, “Do you happen to have enough to share?”
It was Erin, in a sleek green canoe, paddling toward the steps where I sat. The water lapped three steps below, and I often wondered just how low the stairway descended.
I said, “I’ve got plenty, if you don’t mind bologna and cheese.”
“Are you kidding? I was raised on the stuff.”
I put my sandwich down and helped her steady her canoe as she climbed out. “How are you going to keep it from drifting off?”
She smiled. “You don’t know your own property all that well, Harrison. There are rings mounted right in the concrete of the steps.”
She tied her boat up and joined me. As I handed her half my sandwich, I said, “We’ll have to share the soda.”
“I don’t mind if you don’t. It’s quite a paddle up here from my place.”
“Who’s watching your shop?” I asked.
“I’ve got a dozen signs, one for just about every occasion.”
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll miss some business?” I asked. I felt guilty closing the candleshop at night, let alone shutting it down in the middle of the day.
She shook her head. “A long time ago, I had to decide who was going to run my life, my shop, or me. I might not make as much money as I would if I were more dedicated, but there’s no doubt in my mind I wouldn’t sleep as well, either.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a handle on it. So what brings you to River’s Edge? Did you come by for another kit?”
She shook her head. “No. I believe I’ll leave the candlemaking to the experts.”
“So why are you here? Not that I’m not happy for the company.”
She looked at the water as she spoke, taking her time before she answered. “I didn’t plan to come this far, but sometimes, when I’m out on the water, I get lost in my own little world. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
“No, I understand it. That’s one of the joys of it, as far as I can tell.”
She took a bite of her sandwich, then said, “You’re a loner at heart, aren’t you?”
“I like people well enough,” I protested.
“Hey, I’m not accusing you of anything evil, I’m just asking a question. It’s okay, I’d rather be out on the water alone than just about anywhere else in the world.”
I finished my sandwich before she did, but then I’d spent less time talking than she had. “I’m happy enough by myself, but if there’s someone I’m comfortable with, that’s nice, too.”
She took a sip from the bottle of soda, then said, “I used to believe that myself.”
I could tell she wanted to say more, but she stood instead and said, “Thanks for lunch. I’d better be getting back”
“Back alone on the water, or back to your shop?”
She smiled at me. “Let’s just say it might be a little bit of both.”
She was back in the canoe and on her way when she called out, “Thanks again for lunch.”
“My pleasure,” I said as she paddled away.
I hadn’t heard Sanora come up behind me, and I nearly fell in when she spoke. “Hey there. Take it easy, I’m not that scary, am I?”
“No, I was just lost in a thought.”
“I do that all the time. I’d ask you to join me for lunch, but it looks like you’ve already eaten. How long have you two been dating?”
It took me a second to realize she was talking about Erin. “We’re not dating. We never have been, to tell the truth.”
Sanora said, “Sorry, my mistake. You just looked cozy, sitting there sharing your meal. You must have been friends a long time.”
“We just met this week,” I said, surprised by the truth of it. Erin and I had skipped all of that awkwardness in our first meeting. There had been a comfort level from the start.
She said, “Wow, you make friends fast.”
“It’s been known to happen. So how’s business? It’s had to have slowed down since yesterday.”
“Yesterday was good,” she admitted, “But I’m not doing too badly today either. Did you get many customers down your way from all the excitement?”
“Not so you’d notice,” I admitted, a little too frankly. “Don’t worry about At Wick’s End. We’re doing fine.”
“That’s good to hear. Listen, there’s something I wanted to ask you about.”
“Fire away,” I said as I drained the last of my drink.
“I found this in my office last night. It had rolled under the desk. Do you have any idea where it came from?” She held up a shiny, polished piece of quartz, and I plucked it out of her hand. I studied the facets a moment, then turned it over and found that there was a hole drilled in one end of it. It looked like something Heather would sell, most likely for a bracelet or necklace.
“I’m not sure,” I said, offering it back to her.
She declined. “I’ve got no use for it. Maybe you can figure out who it belongs to.”
I tucked it in my pocket as I saw Pearly bustling toward At Wick’s End. I considered calling out to him, but from the look of his walk and the intent purpose in his stride, he probably wouldn’t hear me.
Sanora asked, “I don’t mean to rush you, but have you decided if you’re going to extend my lease or not? If you let it lapse, I’m going to have to take out an option on my old space.”
“Was it expensive to give it up?” I asked.
She misunderstood. “I’m not poor-mouthing you, Harrison, I do pretty well at my shop, no matter where it is, but I like River’s Edge. It’s got a lot of heart.”
“I think so myself,” I said.
“So have you? Decided, I mean?”
I shook my head. “It’s too early
to say yet, I’m sorry. I have to give things around here a chance to settle down before I decide.”
“You’re talking about Heather, aren’t you? Listen, I’m truly sorry about all that. I didn’t mean to run her off.”
“I’m not so sure you did,” I said. “She has a new sign up in her window now that says she’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”
“But I thought...never mind. That’s good, then.”
“What were you going to say?” I pressed.
“Tick told me she was gone for good. I guess she was wrong.”
“For that we’ll have to wait and see. Listen, I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got to get back to the shop.”
“They’re worse than toddlers, aren’t they? I shouldn’t leave mine long either.”
I walked my way and she walked hers. Sanora was an enigma, no doubt about that.
Pearly Gray nearly ran me down coming out as I started to open the door to At Wick’s End.
“Were you looking for me?” I asked as I stepped aside.
“No, nothing like that,” he mumbled. “I’ll speak with you later.”
Then he was gone.
Eve’s cheeks were bright crimson and there was a glistening in her eyes.
Then it hit me. She’d been having problems with her love life, and Pearly had mentioned that some of the women he’d been dating were ganging up on him. I’d never dreamed Eve was one of the women he’d been talking about. From the look of things, that particular chapter in both of their lives was written and closed.
“You can take your lunch now,” I said, trying to ignore the state of agitation she was in.
“I brought mine with me. I’ll just eat it in back.” There was a new firm resolve in her voice and the sullenness was gone. If having it out with Pearly was what it took to make my life more tranquil, then I felt sorry for my handyman, but he’d brought it all on himself.
I just wanted a little harmony at the candleshop, and maybe I was about to get it.
That particular theory proved to be true. Eve was back to her old self again, never all that cordial before, but certainly never that snappy either.
It was as close to civility as she’d managed in a long time, and I almost felt myself blushing from her ambivalence.
I was in such a good mood that I sent Eve home half an hour before we were set to close, and to my amazement, she took me up on my offer.
A man came in three minutes before closing. He was dressed in a three-piece suit and wore a faded rose in the buttonhole, as if he’d attended a wedding a few days before and had forgotten to remove the spent flower.
“May I help you with something?” I asked.
“No, just browsing.”
“I’m closing soon,” I said.
“Fine. I won’t be long.”
He took his time, stopping at every display, picking up a few things, checking prices, then putting them down again. I felt like giving him a countdown as every thirty seconds passed, but I resisted the temptation, as hard as it was to ignore. Last-second shoppers always drove me crazy, and I was working on my patience, without sterling results.
The second-hand of the clock crawled as if through Jell-O before it finally reached closing time. “Sorry, but we’re closing.”
“Don’t mind me,” he said.
Now what could that mean? Was I going to have to throw him out physically? No one had ever failed to take the hint before, but this man was clearly not getting it.
I had a few things to take care of, and I could do them in plain sight, so I decided to let him browse. At seven minutes past, I’d done everything but close out the register.
I joined him near the back of the store near two huge, gaudy candles that Belle must have made. They were frankly not my Great Aunt’s best work, and I’d been meaning to move them back into storage where I might finally quit tripping over them. I wasn’t sure where the mold had come from for them, but Belle hadn’t left them alone at that. The candles had been gilded and painted and decorated until I doubted there was a technique she hadn’t tried on them.
“Interesting,” the man said. “Are they for sale individually, or are they a matched set?”
I was ready to give them away just so I wouldn’t have to
dust them anymore, but I’d been in business long enough to hear the avarice in the man’s voice. “Oh, I couldn’t think of letting one go without the other.”
“How much would they be, then?”
That was a question I wasn’t prepared to answer. As I wondered how much I should ask, he said, “Oh, here’s the price right here.”
Even with all the times I’d looked at the ugly twins, I’d missed the price tag hidden among the finery of flowing ribbons and dripping shells.
I gulped when I saw the price and was ready to discount them on the spot when he said, “I’ll take them.”
“That will be fine,” I managed to say as I took his credit card.
As I rang the sale up, he stroked one and said, “Rather hideous, aren’t they?” Realizing his words could offend, he quickly amended, “To me, at any rate. Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that, eh?”
“They aren’t my favorites of what we sell,” I admitted. “But I’m curious, if you don’t like them, why are you buying them?”
He studied me a second, then said, “My ex-wife is getting remarried in three days, and she had the nerve to invite me to the festivities.” He took a breath, then said, “In fact, she asked me to give her away!”
“And you agreed?” I asked, honestly curious.
“I am, sir, a gentleman above all else. It was a request I couldn’t refuse, in good conscience, but it’s been troubling me ever since. Give her away? I never wanted her to leave in the first place. But she was intent on going, and there was nothing I could do about it. I honestly thought she’d come back to me. How wrong I was.”
“I’m sorry, this must be really painful for you.”
He waved a hand in the air. “I’m beyond numb with it, sir.”
I had to ask, “So where do the candles come in?”
He smiled gently. “My wife loves the simple line and form. She eschews all ornamentation in her life, and sir, if ever there was something full of unnatural augmentation, this pair is gloriously it. What a wonderful wedding present these will make.”
I helped him carry them out to his car, a black Buick from another era with enough real metal in it to hold magnets. We buckled the candles into the backseat and he left, whistling as he drove away.
The cash register report looked quite a bit healthier after his augmentation, and there was no doubt his purchase had made him feel better.
I tucked the deposit under my arm and locked At Wick’s End whistling a tune myself.
There was a light on at Tick’s antiques shop, and I glanced in to see her slumped over a chair inverted on one of her tables. I rushed inside to see if she was all right when she said, “Who’s there? Harrison, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Are you all right?” I asked breathlessly.
“What? Of course I am.”
“When I saw you slumped over the chair, I thought...”
“I’m trying to repair the bloody thing and sometimes there’s no clamp in the world nearly as good as a pair of human hands. Thank goodness it’s quick-setting glue. I’ll be with you in a minute. Feel free to look around.”
I hadn’t spent much time in the antique shop, but that was true of several of the businesses at River’s Edge. There was so much time taken by my own shop, I didn’t have many opportunities to visit with my tenants. As I let my gaze wander through the store, it amazed me Tick could find anything here. Desks were crowded with lamps and trinkets, while chairs were tucked in among bureaus and pie safes. I let my fingers trail across the stained glass of a Tiffany lamp when Tick came up beside me and told me how much it was.
I quickly pulled my hand away. She said, “It’s all right to touch it, Harrison.”
“If I
broke it, I’d have to work six months to replace it,” I said.
She laughed. “Surely not. I’d give you a merchant’s discount if that happened, but most likely I’d be able to fix it myself.”
“Is that standard, you repairing your wares? Somehow it doesn’t seem all that kosher.”
Tick shook her head. “Spoken like a man who deals only with new stock. If I didn’t add the bit of glue and screw to many of these pieces, they’d break before my customers got them home. I’m faithful to the original builder whenever I can be, and I’m happy to point out my repairs whenever I’m asked.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said. “It’s just so different from what I do.”
“That’s why there are markets for us both. Don’t let it trouble you. I have a rather profitable side business repairing and restoring pieces I never sold in the first place. It’s quite fun, actually, making something whole again. I do everything from woodworking to stained glass work, s I rewire old lamps and restore chandeliers. Now what I could be more fascinating than that?”
“Yes, I can see that it might be. Well, as long as you’re all right, I’ve got to get to the bank.”
“I’m afraid I’ve got hours to go yet before I’m ready to leave,” she said.
“Lock your door behind me,” I said. “We don’t want to take any chances, do we?”
She patted my cheek. “You’re sweet, Harrison, but I’ll be fine here on my own.”
I left her to her restoration, and as I glanced back in once I was outside, she was already back at work. It made me feel somewhat better, realizing that I wasn’t the only one wedded to my shop.
I drove to the bank and made my deposit, then thought about grabbing something to eat. Lately I’d been taking more and more of my meals alone, and I wondered if I was becoming some kind of recluse. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy being around people, but my time off alone was becoming precious to me. Still, At Wick’s End was running smoothly, and I could afford a little socializing. I couldn’t remember the last date I’d been on.
As I drove home, I wondered who I’d ask. At one time I would have said Heather might be a nice dinner companion, but lately, with her erratic actions and vanishing acts, I wasn’t sure. The fact that she’d dated Aaron had nothing to do with it. Well, not a lot, at any rate. She’d reacted so strongly to his demise that I wondered how close they’d really been. It would most likely take her some time to get over him, especially since her chance at closure was now gone forever.