THE SOFT MORNING breeze played with the hem of my skirt as I stood in front of the bookstore, rifling through my purse for my keys. I felt a yawn coming on, so I paused and allowed it to happen.
Baby Samuel had been up all night, and I was exhausted.
Sabrina had come into my room the night before, begging me to take my nephew. She needed one night of sleep, and she was ready to pay me a million dollars if I granted it to her. It wasn’t hard to say yes. I loved my nephew with all my heart. He was two months old and cuter than ever—but he was loud and cranky. And he kept me up half the night.
“Coffee,” I cheered as I pulled my keys triumphantly from my purse and held them up in the air. A random passerby startled and moved closer to the road, obviously avoiding me.
I shot him a sheepish smile as I slipped the key into the lock and turned. The bookstore was quiet—which it always was. The smell of old paper mingled with the cinnamon wax melt that I had plugged in an outlet in the
back room and filled my nose as I took in a deep breath.
“This is heaven,” I said to myself as I let the door shut behind me and flicked on the lights. They blinked a few times before relenting and finally turning on all the way.
I clicked the lock back into place and then headed to the back room. After stuffing my purse into the drawer of my desk, I shook my mouse to make my computer wake up. As the old machine creaked to life, I grabbed a scrunchie I’d slipped onto my George Washington bust and pulled my hair
back into a low ponytail. I had a few hours before the store would open, and I was determined to get my tax documents together.
“Death and taxes,” I said, glancing over at George Washington. He had eyes that looked like he was staring at you no matter where you were in the room. I sighed. Without Sabrina here, I was lonely.
Dad was married and living in Magnolia with Penny. Sabrina had baby Samuel. And I? Well, I had George. But he was only three inches high and made of marble.
“I’m a loser,” I said as I plopped down on my desk chair and pushed back and forth a few times, the wheels creaking as I moved.
I grabbed my phone and stared at my home screen. It was a newborn picture of Samuel wearing a 1920’s newspaper boy outfit. He looked so dapper, and for a moment, I missed that screaming little devil. Until another yawn came on. I clicked the side button, and the screen went dark.
“Time to focus, Abigail,” I said as I pulled myself up to my computer and brought my fingers to the keyboard.
Two hours later, I was pulling a dozen chocolate chip cookies out of the oven when there was a soft knock on the door. I glanced up to see that it was Missy Hodges, the owner of Apple Blossom B&B and the town’s gossip. I groaned but forced a smile, thankful that she couldn’t hear my reaction. Her eyes were flitting all over the place, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that kind of energy this early on a Friday morning.
She looked like she was sitting on a golden egg of gossip and I was going to be the first to hear about it.
Wanting to prolong the inevitable, I lifted the cookie sheet into the air so she could see what I was doing—to which she nodded—and I proceeded to take my time moving them to a cooling rack with a spatula. Once they were settled, I started the coffee machine, wiped my hands on my apron, and then headed to the front door and unlocked it.
Missy didn’t wait for me to open it all the way. She hurried inside while I changed the sign to Open, and then I turned to see her standing inches from me. Her blue eyes were wide.
“Good morning, Missy,” I said as I tucked the few loose hairs that had fallen from my ponytail behind my ear and took a step back.
“Good? Is it really good?”
The panic in her voice startled me. “Isn’t it?” I asked.
She took in a deep breath. “Well, I don’t know, I just heard that Charlotte Cane indicated that she wanted her granddaughter at the will reading on Monday.” Missy was heading toward the cafe counter, so I had to quicken my pace to catch up with her.
She was muttering under her breath, and I was already confused about what she’d just spouted off. I didn’t want to miss any clues to why she was so worked up.
“Um, what?” I asked as I slipped behind the counter so I could fill up a coffee for her. I wanted to read her lips to make sure I caught every word.
Missy closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her stomach. She took in a deep breath. “I was on my way here, like I always am.” She slowly opened her eyes, and her stare made me pull back slightly. “That’s when I ran into Merigold, you know, Tom’s wife?”
I nodded as I slowly grabbed a to-go cup for her coffee—even though I didn’t really know who Tom or Merigold were. But I feared if I asked, she’d take me down a rabbit hole. Until someone provided me with a tangible family tree, I was never going to figure out how people were related to each other in this town.
“Merigold normally has that pink undertone to her skin like she’s just gone to the beach, but we all know that woman doesn’t do a lick of work or ever go outside.” Missy narrowed her eyes before she sighed. “Anyway, I digress. She looked so pale that I had to ask her what was wrong.” Missy stopped and stared at me. “You know, so I could help her if something was wrong.” She raised her hand toward the sky, and I half expected a hallelujah to come from her lips.
I kept busy, shooting her a small smile of acknowledgment. We both knew that she hadn’t asked so she could help Merigold. “Of course.” Then I paused. “And you’re so sweet to think of her.”
Missy seemed to like that compliment. “It’s only right,” she said as she leaned both arms on the counter. “Poor woman couldn’t keep it in. She said Charlotte Cane’s will reading is going to be a packed house.” Missy dropped onto the barstool next to her while grasping her hands and worrying her lips.
It was no secret that Missy and Charlotte had a rivalry. Both were in the hospitality business, Charlotte owning Harmony Island Inn and Missy owning Apple Blossom B&B. And they weren’t shy about their distaste for
each other, though when they were together, they smiled and laughed like lifelong friends.
I paused as Missy’s words washed over me. I hadn’t known Charlotte very well. She kept to herself at the inn while her grandson, Miles, ran her errands. Plus, I didn’t really run with the over-seventy crowd here on Harmony Island—in fact, I didn’t really run with any crowd.
I kept to myself and my sister, and that was about it. The last person I opened up to was Naomi, and she worked here for a few days before she was whisked back to Magnolia Island, where all of my friends now lived. Dad and Penny set up a life there. And Penny’s daughter, Maggie—my stepsister—and I were close, but we had different lives.
I just wished I could have what Maggie had in Magnolia. A group of women who took care of each other. Here, I didn’t have that. And I was beginning to wonder if I ever would.
My gaze made its way back to Missy, who was staring at me. Her methodical blinking made me realize that she was waiting for me to respond. I probably looked like an idiot, standing there, dozing off when she just told me that…well, I still wasn’t so sure what the problem was.
“It’s a bad thing that her granddaughter is coming to the reading?” I asked as I grabbed a rag from the small sink in front of me and began wiping down the counter. “Isn’t that normal?” Besides Mom, I didn’t have too much experience with death. My grandparents passed when I was a kid, but I wasn’t part of settling their estate.
Missy’s blinking turned rapid, and she leaned back like I’d just slapped her. Then she sighed and shifted her weight, sipping her coffee. “Of course, it’s bad.” She pinched her lips together as if she were trying to form the words that I could see brewing in her mind. My lack of indignation seemed to have startled her.
I quirked an eyebrow at her comment, waiting for her explanation. She stared hard at me for a moment, hinting to the fact that what she wanted to say wasn’t exactly churchgoing. She leaned back and clicked her tongue. “I’m just thinking about what Charlotte would want. That house needs to go to someone who wants to take care of it.”
I studied her. “And that’s not her granddaughter?” I figured most of the regal homes on Harmony Island went to the family members. At least, that would explain the intermingling of families here.
Missy’s eyes widened, and for the first time, I realized there was so much more to this story than I knew. Most people here had skeletons in their closets, but besides the passive-aggressive way they spoke to each other, they never really opened the door wide enough for any of them to slip out.
This was a skeleton in Harmony’s closet, and I was fairly certain Missy had no intention of letting me know the details.
Her lips fluttered, but I really wasn’t interested in playing pick around the words to find the actual meaning. The bookstore was going to open in just a few minutes, and most of the construction workers in town came to my front door for breakfast every morning. If I was going to be ready for them, I needed to finish stocking my shelves.
“I’m sorry that she’s coming to town. I hope that the will reading will go smoothly and everyone will be happy.” I prayed my wide smile and soft gaze would calm Missy down. But the furrow between her brows remained. “Yeah,” she mumbled as she slung her purse over her shoulder and
grabbed her cup of coffee. “I doubt that, but I appreciate your words.”
I nodded before focusing my attention on rinsing out the rag. “Well, if I hear anything once she gets here, I’ll let you know.”
Missy turned to look at me. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she nodded. “And I will let you know if I hear anything as well.”
“I’m sure you will,” tumbled out before I could stop it. I clamped my lips shut and glanced up at her to see that she’d knitted her eyebrows together. There was no way that I wanted to get on her bad side. “Because you’re such a sweetheart, making sure everyone knows what’s going on in this town.” My smile felt sickly sweet as I kept it plastered to my face. Missy studied me for a moment before her smile returned.
“If I didn’t, half the town wouldn’t know what’s going on.” “Exactly.”
She took a sip of her coffee. “Well, I should go. I’ve got things to do at the B&B.”
I nodded. “Of course. See you tomorrow?” She waved at me. “As always.”
The jingle of the bell on the door marked her departure. With her gone, I let out my breath as I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the countertop. I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes, Missy’s words running around in my mind.
Charlotte Cane’s granddaughter was coming? Even though I didn’t know the situation, if Missy was this concerned, then this granddaughter was going to shake up the town. Which might not be a bad thing.
I drummed my fingers on the counter just as the door opened and a group of construction guys made their way inside. They looked out of place as they stood there, glancing around.
I grabbed my order pad and waved them over. “You guys looking for some coffee?”
They looked relieved as they headed in my direction. “We sure are,” the tall one with a greying beard said as he gave me a quick wink. “And maybe some of those delicious smelling cookies?”
There was a collective mumble of agreement from the other men.
Grateful for the distraction from my thoughts, I jotted down their orders and got started. At least if Harmony Island was about to be shook up, the bookstore would remain unscathed. With all the uncertainty of the past, I was going to rely on the things in my life that were normal.
Normal didn’t seem that bad anymore.
