12. Brock

Chapter twelve

Brock

I missed Eddy. And it had only been a few hours since he went with his brother. I didn't know where they went. Probably back to the city. I didn't understand why Eddy gave up and left so quickly. He'd been scared of that douchebag, his brother's husband, Kurt. But he'd also been so sure of himself, sure he was right. I thought he would stand up against Kurt. But he didn't. He caved and went fast like a puppy on a leash. It worried me even more than it pissed me off.

As much as I wanted to follow them and make sure he was okay, I couldn't. Eddy was a grown man and had made his decision. If he hadn't wanted to go with them, he would have said no. And I would have stepped in to stop them from taking him, but that's not how it went down. His eyes begged me to stay out of it. Then he went willingly.

After taking my groceries home, I was restless, so I headed back into town and stopped at the Bar, Pints 'n Pool to grab a beer. The place was full, but that made me think about my business. Was it ever full of customers?

I needed to focus on the bookstore. There was so much I could be doing. I wanted to set up that lending club. And maybe a gaming section in the back. Okay, inspired by Eddy, but if it would get some younger folks into the store, it was a good idea. I could remove some of the shelves that held books that don't sell. Lord knew there were a lot of them. And the magazines could go between the gaming area and the café. I needed more chairs too. Comfortable ones. The longer people were there, the more chance of buying shit. I needed stuff to keep them there. And that was what I needed to focus on. Not vulnerable, sexy game developers who walked away from me.

I paid my tab and headed down the street toward my store. I wanted to look around and get a feel for the changes. When I pushed the door open, Jackie called out. "Hellooo!"

"Hey, Jacks. It's me."

"Oh, what are you doing back so soon? Where's your man?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I glared, not wanting to answer, but I did anyway. "He's gone. Doesn't matter. What matters is this. Here. Now. I need to do something with this place."

Jackie smiled at me. "About time you said that. You know Pops would want you to make it your own."

"Yeah. I know. I've been putting it off, trying to convince myself to sell it."

"Like that would ever happen," he scoffed and rolled his eyes, but his quirky smile came right after. He had the best smile. Maybe it was because of his freckles or fire-red hair and bright blue eyes. Or maybe it was simply because I'd known him for so long. He was one of the best parts of my home. And he was right. I never would have sold this bookstore.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck you." But Jackie would know I didn't mean it. He knew me better than anyone. Sometimes even better than myself. And he knew how many hours I'd spent here in my youth. Hell, on any given day, he had to come in here and find me, hiding in the stacks with a book, to get me to go do something with him. Usually, that meant causing trouble. But those were some of the best memories.

"Just one thing, Brock." He slung his arm over my shoulder and shook me. "Don't do this to be getting over him. Do this because it needs doing."

"Nothing to get over. We weren't together, really. It was a-a fling." It hurt to even say that, but it was true. If I had meant anything to Eddy, he wouldn't have left. And we hadn't been together long enough. I could mark our relationship in hours. That wasn't a relationship. The time we spent together had been fun, but that's all it could be. So why did my chest hurt so much when I admitted that?

"Sure." Jackie looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "I know you wanted more. Hoped for something there."

"Shut up." I moved away from him, examining what was in the store and the maze of shelves. "Help me move this shit around."

Jackie jumped in, and we moved the shelves into a better configuration so you could get through the store and find what you wanted quicker. I pulled crappy books off the shelves to make more room for the romance section. Despite what everyone thought, that always had the bestselling books. Always. I angled the shelves, so it offered a little more privacy for people to peruse and made a mental note to order a wider variety of genres, including lgbtq romance. The rest of the store would be more spread out, making it easier to navigate.

In the front by the register, I would add eReaders, journals, book lights, bookmarks, laptop desks, and snacks. I pulled my tablet out from under the counter and made a list of things to order. I also wanted to bag some of the store-brand coffee. Pops had created the best proprietary blend, and there was no reason I couldn't sell it by the bag as well as the cup.

Yep. I had a lot of changes to make. I got busy placing orders and making shit happen.

After a few weeks, most of the changes were in place, and business had already started to pick up. There was almost always someone in here now. In the late afternoons and weekends, kids hung out in the gaming section. And some of them asked for manga. If they were asking, I was adding, so I made a note to add a new section for comics, graphic novels, and, yes, manga. I had planned on cutting back on some of the magazines that weren't selling anyway. I jotted a note down on which ones to cancel.

The front bell at the door jingled, so I moved to see who it was. There were now several places where I could see from one side of the store to the other, rather than that limited view of the center aisle as it had been. And now, Evelyn walked in, looking around with a frown. Just what the fuck was she going to say?

I crossed through the sci-fi/fantasy section and headed her off. "Evelyn. Hi. What brings you in today?"

"Oh, well, I heard things were hopping around here, and I see why. Did you make all these changes recently?"

I started to nod, but she continued, running over me as she normally did before I could say anything else.

"Did that man have anything to do with it? Hmm? And where is he? Eddy, I think his name was?" She winked at me. "I think he's good for you if all this came about." She waved her hand in the air. "This is great. So, where is this Eddy?"

"He's not here. He's gone, Evelyn." I didn't offer any more than that.

She glared at me. "Brock? What did you do?"

"As I've said a hundred times, Eve, I don't know what you're talking about. I never do." I shook my head, wanting to turn away. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with anyone, but especially not her.

Evelyn huffed but thankfully didn't continue the conversation. She purchased a giant box of M&Ms like you would normally get at the movie theatre and left with a smile and a wave. I considered myself lucky on that one. But I was sure she would spread all the rumors of how poor old Brock got ditched by the out-of-towner. Whatever. I didn't give a fuck what anyone else thought. And it didn't matter. The store mattered. Pops' legacy being preserved mattered.

I spent time restocking a few shelves and wiping down the counter at the café until the last of the kids left. I followed them to the front and shut the door.

As I locked it, I wished Eddy would be there. Wished he would show up like he had before. Maybe standing there, looking in longingly at me. But he wasn't there. He never would be. Why did I miss him so much? I'd hardly gotten to know him, but in that short time, I'd learned that he was ambitious with a great sense of fun. Maybe he hadn't played enough as a kid. He leaned toward being serious if I didn't yank him out of it. That wasn't bad, but what was life without fun? Without Eddy?

I frowned. I was so overdramatic these days, which was weird since I had so much less to worry about.

After making sure the rest of the store was locked up for the night, I bolted the front lock and fired up the Harley. I headed over to Twisted Chassis. Haven sometimes let me do minor maintenance on my bike there. I might be a bookstore owner, but I loved to get my hands dirty, and Haven was a good friend. He recently got out of jail, and I believed in second chances. Plus, we had some great things in common, and we could always talk bikes or books. He let me use the tools and space. Not to mention, gave me pointers. That's something you only get in a small town. Check another box for staying in Foggy Basin.

I drove into the garage and pulled in behind a small economy car. I turned the bike off, straddling it as Haven walked up. "Yo, Brock." Haven wiped his hands on a towel.

"Hey man, got room for a bit so I can work on the hog?"

"Yeah. Uh, I have some space, plus we're closing up. So I'm the only one here for a bit. What's wrong with the bike?"

"Nothing, want to change the oil is all. Maybe tinker a bit. Get my mind off things."

"Off things? I thought your store was doing better."

"It is. No problems, you know, just…"

He patted my shoulder. "No, I get it. Let me move this thing and you can pull up." He thumbed toward the economy car in front of me. I loved that I didn't have to explain things to him. He accepted face value. It was enough for Haven that I needed some alone time with the bike.

After a few hours, I finished up and headed home, bike tuned up and sounding great. I appreciated the hell out of Haven letting me do that. I made a mental note to send him something nice with a thank you note. Or maybe I'd bring him some sticky buns and coffee in the morning.

The evening went the same as always. The next morning, the same as always. I headed into town. Missing Eddy. I could deal with the same if he was around doing those same things with me. He made me want more, want different, but at the same time he made me feel like I could stay here. I wanted him back. But I didn't even have his fucking phone number. Sure, I could look him up. Call him at his work. But if he wanted me, he wouldn't have left like that. There was nothing for me to do but keep moving forward.

I was straightening up a few things on the front desk when the door opened. "Can I help you?" I asked as I looked up. The man who had claimed to be Eddy's brother sauntered in, glancing around as if judging the store and coming off like an arrogant twat. "What do you want?" My tone completely changed. I knew he had no good intentions, and Eddy was not around. He'd left, but that didn't mean he was safe.

The asshole smirked. "I actually believed you before when you said you hadn't seen the Queen brother."

"Huh. Well, I half-believed you were his brother, though you look nothing like him."

"Whatever." He pulled a business card from his jacket pocket and dropped it on the desk. Then he leaned in. "You call me if he turns up again. If he calls you or texts or even fucking sends you an email. Understand?"

"No. I'm not telling you shit."

"Ah…you don't get how this works." He put his hands on his hips and the bottom of his jacket flared out behind him. I got the impression he was playing a part, and frankly, he wasn't intimidating at all. "Bad things will happen if you don't."

"Is that right?" I walked out from behind the counter and got in his face. I was taller and thicker than him. I wore heavy work boots. He wore loafers. No. Not intimidated.

"That's right, you hick. Listen. You may be big and wanna act like a biker, but you're no MC member. I did a background check. I know all about you." He had the nerve to point at me. Actually, he jabbed his finger into my chest. "I work behind the scenes. I'll be your worst nightma—"

I punched him. He laid his hands on me first. "Self-defense. Now get the fuck out of my shop."