Kael opened the door and glanced back at me. “Don’t fret. I fully intend on plowing your driveway in the morning, and I’ll owe you a second one as well.” He winked and closed the door.The next morning, I dragged my ass out of bed with less than an hour to get showered, eat breakfast, and get to work. As promised, my driveway had been plowed. Sex until one in the morning didn’t stop Kael from getting up early to remove snow.
When I arrived at the store, there were three customers waiting at the door. “Good morning. Sorry, I’m usually here thirty minutes before opening.” I cringed. “Not three.”
“It’s fine, Elsie.” One of the women smiled.
My gaze shifted to her hand and the Smith’s bag in it. I held open the door for her. “Do you have an exchange or return?”
“Yes. A return.” She stomped the snow off her boots and stepped inside.
The other two customers had Smith’s bags in their hands too. All three ladies lined up at the register as I flipped on the lights, the Open sign, and the jolly holiday music.
As I turned on the register, I caught a glimpse of the long line outside of What Did You Expect?
“Have you met the owner?” Lilly asked me as she set her bag on the counter with her unopened gift set in it.
“Who’s that?” I pretended not to know.
“Mr. Hendricks. He’s the nicest guy.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard okay things about him. Is there an issue with the gift set?” I pulled it out of the bag and inspected it.
“I found something else. It’s for my in-laws. But I get them the same kind of stuff every year. I just thought I’d mix it up and try something a little different.”
“Well, do you want to look around first? Or I can give you back a gift card with credit if you don’t have time to browse today?”
Lilly’s face wrinkled with discomfort. “Like I said … I already picked up something else. Can I just get you to refund my credit card?”
“Let me guess. Vinegar and oil?”
Lilly kept her scrunched expression in place as she nodded.
“It’s fine. It’s new. A fad. A novelty which will quickly wear off.”
“How is business since … well … Craig passed?”
I issued her refund. “It’s fine. Why do you ask?”
Lilly pressed her lips together and glanced around the store. Yeah, it was dead.
“Just … curious.”
I handed her the receipt. “Thanks. Happy holidays, Lilly.” The fake smile on my face nearly cracked it.
“You too, Elsie.” She shoved her wallet into her handbag and started toward the door. “Oh!” Pivoting back around, she smiled. “I’ve heard you’ve been quite the inspiration to your church group. Tillie Cunningham is making dinner tomorrow night for Mr. Hendricks. It’s the first date she’s had since Al died three years ago. She said you gave her the courage to let go and move on.”
“Kael Hendricks?”
Lilly nodded. “Uh-huh. Can you really imagine two nicer people finding each other?”
I. Really. Couldn’t.
As soon as it was time to close up shop later that day, I grabbed my purse, shut off the lights, and locked the door behind me. It didn’t matter that I’d had only two hundred dollars in sales that day. Nor did it matter that I had to formulate the most brilliant marketing plan ever to get back my business.
All that mattered in that moment was avoiding any chance of running into Epperly’s most popular gigolo.
“Elsie!”
I made it ten feet and mere inches away from turning the corner to the parking lot at the end of the street. So so close … I should have used the back door.
“Elsie!” Rachel yelled my name again.
After squeezing my eyes shut for a few seconds, I turned and painted a neutral mask on my face as I waved back at her.
“Come here!” She motioned again for me to go there.
“I need to get home. Let’s meet up later!”
“Just a few quick minutes!”
Five people knew about the fight I had with Craig before he died—me, Amie, Bella, Finn, and God. How could I keep thinking four? I forgot God!
God wasn’t happy with me. I felt it like a heavy cloud. I let petty things ruin my marriage and kill my husband. I disrupted a peaceful grief group at church. And I talked about sex just feet from the sanctuary.
Oh … I forgot. There was also the sex out of wedlock the previous night that involved questionable STD prevention and the Lord’s name used in vain a few too many times.
God wanted me to suffer, starting with Rachel blowing my cover as I attempted to escape seeing Kael until I had a better plan. I grumbled all the way across the center of the town square and ended with a plastic smile. “What’s up?”
“Come in. It’s cold. We’re closed. But you have to try this.”