Chapter 26

As I walked down Main Street, I paused so Meatball could smell a lamp post. It was a beautiful day and plenty of people were out just enjoying the sunshine. I pulled out my phone to check the time. David was expecting me at his shop in ten minutes so I needed to hustle.

"This would go a lot faster if you didn't need to smell every patch of weeds."

Meatball gave me a dismissive sniff before resuming his usual investigative work. I swore he acted like he was on the trail of something amazing every time we left the house. But I hated leaving him behind. Bringing him with me everywhere was one of the unexpected perks of being an accidental business owner.

Charlie's Accounting Service had been booming over the past few days. I had a sneaking suspicion that Rix was the secret culprit behind it since he had a tendency to mention that I did bookkeeping to everyone when we were in town, even when it was out of context.

For example, I really didn't think that Mrs. Murphy at the grocery needed a bookkeeper but yet he'd mentioned it while we were checking out buying milk and bread a few days ago. The same thing when we were in the post office.

But as embarrassing as it was, it was also really sweet. He could be so grumpy sometimes but since he'd moved in I'd noticed that he tended to do so many little acts of kindness for various people around town. Of course, if you mentioned it he would just scowl. I'd never met anyone who got annoyed at being outed for kindness.

But that was Rix for you, the ultimate contradiction.

As we finally turned the corner near the mechanic shop, I scooped up Meatball and tucked him under my arm. The door swung open easily and I was immediately assaulted by the scent of motor oil and rubber. The interior of the shop was very clean and sported generic blue chairs and a table with an ancient coffee pot. I approached the small reception desk. There was nobody sitting there and I could hear in the background the clanking sound of metal and a horribly loud grinding noise.

"Hello?" I called out once the noise stopped.

There was a door with a glass window on the other side of the room. I walked over and peered through. I could see a car up on a lift but I didn't see any people. Maybe I'd gotten the time wrong? I was just about to pull out my phone and check my calendar when I heard my name.

"Charlie! Have you been waiting long?" David stood behind the reception desk wiping his hands on a cloth.

"No, I just got here."

"Come on back. My office is much quieter."

We walked down a short hallway passing a small employee break room on one side. We finally stopped at the end of the hall.

David went to open the door and then grimaced. "Apologies in advance for what you're about to witness."

I laughed. "Don't worry about it. If I can handle Rix's office, aka the bottom of his toolbox, then how bad can it be?"

When he finally opened the door, I looked around in shock. Papers were stacked on not just the desk but several chairs in haphazard piles and there were boxes everywhere. One of them was open and I could see they were filled with file folders. In between the papers there were clothes strewn about almost like someone had gotten dressed (or undressed) in a hurry. On the desk there were several empty coffee cups and the trash can was overflowing.

He winced when he saw my expression. "Sorry. It's my office but I practically sleep here sometimes. I really need an assistant."

"I was going to suggest an exorcist."

David slapped a hand to his forehead. "I deserved that. But us Evers men definitely aren't known for neatness. Rix is lucky to have you keeping him in line."

I wasn't touching that comment so instead I just got Meatball set up with his favorite squeaky toy and the blanket he loved to drag around.

After we cleared the desk, I had him log in to his accounting software so I could see what we were working with. Over the next hour, I cleaned up his chart of accounts and did what felt like two years' worth of bank reconciliations. David gave me permission to enable remote access, so I set that up as well. Now I could work on his books from the comfort of home, which would be a relief on days when I wasn't up for a trip into town.

I finally stood up and stretched. My back ached a bit from hunching over the desk. I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was later than I thought.

"Oh, shoot! I need to take Meatball out."

"This was a great start." David said warmly. "I can't thank you enough for this, Charlie. Seriously."

"It was my pleasure." After a quick tug of war, Meatball relinquished his toy and I packed it up with his blanket in the huge tote bag I carried. "I'll call you next week. Once you get into a routine, it will never get this bad again."

I waved goodbye and headed back out into the shop. As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I heard the grinding noise again. I realized his office must be soundproofed. Luckily Meatball didn't seem bothered by noise, just grumpy men wearing work boots.

As I passed the front desk, I saw Dot standing in the waiting area. Her hair was nicely curled and she was wearing a pretty blue sundress. It was strange to see her out of context. I'd only ever seen her at the diner. She put a piece of paper up on the bulletin board and secured it with a push pin. When she turned and saw me she waved.

"Charlie, have you seen this?" She handed me one of the colorful flyers.

I skimmed over it quickly. The Violet County Fall Fair. I remembered the fair since Gran had won several ribbons for her violetberry jam when I was a kid. By the time I'd moved here for high school, I had been way more interested in hanging out with Tana at the fair to ogle the farmhands coming in from Harrisonville.

The flyer mentioned games, a pie contest and… booths. There was a section for artisans to sell their wares and it specifically mentioned artwork. An idea clicked in my head.

"Dot, do you know if there are any booths still available?" I asked.

"I think so, hon. Would you like to reserve one?" She smiled warmly.

Rix had mentioned doing a small mural for his parents' neighbor. I hadn't wanted to make a big deal out of it since my ego was still smarting from the last time we'd talked about his painting. But maybe that was a sign he was ready to start showing the world what he could do. If I waited all the booths would be gone. It couldn't hurt to reserve one now, just in case.

"Yes! I would," I blurted before I could change my mind.

She pointed at the flyer. "Just fill out the form online. My daughter set us up with a fancy website."

"I'll do that. Thank you."

After taking a few flyers and promising to hand them out, I stepped outside. As I strolled down the street a kid on the other side waved frantically.

"Hi, Meatball!" His excited screech cut off as his mother scooped him up.

Laughing his mom waved before they disappeared inside one of the small shops. I didn't recognize her but she was probably one of the many people I'd met at the diner or at Tana's shop.

I looked down at the dog trotting beside me. "Looks like you've got yourself a fan club, buddy."

Then it dawned on me, Meatball wasn't the only one with friends here.

Owning a home was only part of the puzzle. Being part of a community was about more than just property lines. People in town were getting to know me, and I was getting to know them back. That was the real gift that Gran Grace had left me. A warmth spread through my chest.

If I really wanted to belong here, then I needed to act like it. It was time to get the rest of my stuff from my old apartment. I needed to stop waiting for something to go wrong and start putting down some real roots.

Most of all, I needed to have a talk with Rix about his plans for the fall. Things were complicated because my mom and sister were coming soon. He had been planning to get another place. Maybe I could go with him and leave the house for Mom and Billie? I didn't know but we could figure it out if we really wanted to. Because I didn't just want to stay in Violet Ridge.

I wanted to stay with him.

* * *

As I made my way home, I decided to stop at the store. Maybe I would even surprise Rix with some onion rings since he loved them so much. Food was a good buffer for a potentially awkward conversation, right?

There was just one wild card in the plan.

I scooped up Meatball and placed him in my bag. "Okay, buddy. I'm not entirely sure if you're allowed in the grocery store so this needs to be a covert mission. No barking. Stealth mode, got it?"

Meatball looked up at me with his big brown eyes, and I could swear he was in on the plan. I leaned down to kiss his fluffy little head.

"Let's go."

When I entered the store, Mrs. Murphy looked up from behind the counter.

"How are you doing today, Mrs. Murphy?" I'd learned it was best to get the pleasantries out of the way early.

She turned a page in her magazine. "Can't complain. Wouldn't do no good if I did."

When my bag started moving I hurriedly grabbed a push cart. Once we were out of sight, I put my bag in the cart and made sure the top was as open as possible.

"Would you calm down in there?" I muttered.

Meatball popped his head out and looked around. So much for stealth mode.

I wandered over to the produce and picked up a bag of onions. Were onion rings usually made with yellow onions or white? After a quick search on my phone I decided these were good enough. Placing the bag in the cart, I thought of all the specialty grocery stores in the city where I could have found five different varieties of onions. Now, I was just happy with whatever I could find.

The thing was, it didn"t bother me as much as I thought it would. The simplicity was kind of refreshing.

"Do you need help finding anything?" Mrs. Murphy inquired as I rounded the corner.

"No, I've got it. Just making some onion rings," I replied with a smile before picking up a bag of flour.

Mrs. Murphy gave me a knowing look. "Oh, Rix does love his onion rings. Smart girl." She winked.

My face flushed. I still wasn't used to how people in town not only knew all your business but had no problem commenting on it.

Just as I was about to go down the next aisle, I had this weird feeling. I turned and saw a woman standing a few feet away watching me rather intently.

"Hello."

She didn't respond.

Okay then. I pushed my cart faster. But when I turned to the next aisle, she was already there.

She looked into my cart. "Let me guess. Onion rings? Rix always did love those."

I took a closer look at her. It took a second but recognition finally clicked. Her hair was different but there was no doubt this was Rix's ex-girlfriend. "You must be Janelle."

She looked pleased. "He talks about me?"

"No. I just remembered seeing you at the bonfire."

Her smile wilted slightly. "You're the one he's living with then?"

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Well, renovations are a lot of work."

"Renovations?"

I angled my cart around her and headed for the front of the store. "Yes. I hired Rix to renovate my Gran's house."

She arched an eyebrow. "Hired, huh?"

Inside, my mind was racing. I didn't want any drama, especially not in Mrs. Murphy"s store. But I also didn't want to be pushed around. Meatball, still hidden in my bag, gave a soft whine.

"Yes. Hired."

Mrs. Murphy smiled as I approached. I started putting things on the counter. In between I snuck glances at Janelle. She really was beautiful. Her hair fell in perfect waves, and her makeup looked flawless.

Meanwhile, I was usually either dusty or sweaty and hadn't worn makeup since I arrived in town.

If this was Rix's type, then what the hell were we doing?

As if she had read my thoughts, Janelle suddenly laughed. It was a sharp, mean-spirited sound that caught me off guard.

"Don't look so worried, sweetie. I'm not here to break you two up," she said with a smirk. "I don"t have to."

"Look, I have things to do. Why don't you just say whatever it is that you're so desperate to say."

The direct delivery seemed to shake her a bit but finally she leaned closer.

"Rix has a hero complex. He loves playing the savior. But once he doesn't feel needed anymore, he's done. It feels really good to be needed by him. Trust me, I know. But don't get used to it. Just enjoy it while it lasts."

She unfolded the sunglasses hanging on her shirt and slid them on with a flourish. I think she was going for drama but since it was pretty dark inside the grocery it honestly just looked ridiculous. Either way, Meatball chose that moment to lose his damn mind.

I wasn't sure if it was her sudden movement or the shades themselves but apparently he didn't just have a problem with men's boots.

Add sunglasses to the list of things that triggered his rage.

"Oh my god, what is that?" Janelle screamed while I frantically tried to stop Meatball from throwing himself out of the cart.

Mrs. Murphy leaned over the counter. "Charlie, what in the world? Is that a dog?"

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry. He's normally pretty quiet."

I couldn't even finish the lie as Meatball climbed up my chest, using the higher vantage point to bark madly at them both. It was clear he was cursing somebody out in dog language.

Janelle turned and ran out. The bell over the door jangled loudly which only seemed to reignite Meatball's fury.

Mrs. Murphy hurriedly finished scanning my final items and I tossed two twenties over the counter before grabbing my bags and getting out of there. As soon as we emerged into the bright sunshine, Meatball stopped barking.

"Seriously?"

He looked back at me innocently as if to say, you needed an extraction. You're welcome.

It would be difficult to walk holding him and the bags so I set him down on the ground. Hopefully he could hold it together long enough for us to get home. Clearly we needed to have a talk about his anger issues.

As I walked, I thought about that scene back in the store. Janelle was hardly an unbiased source so it would be foolish to take anything she said seriously. After all, if there were any truth to her words she wouldn't be so desperate to get Rix back.

But as I walked home, I couldn't deny that she was right about one thing.

It did feel really good to be needed by him.

What was going to happen when I wasn't?

* * *

By the time I got back home, my mood had plummeted. Despite knowing that she was likely just a bitter, jealous ex, I still found myself with very little enthusiasm to actually talk to Rix about the fall.

Maybe this was a sign that I was moving too fast? Our enemies-with-benefits arrangement aside, we were fundamentally roommates. Transitioning to dating was an entirely different thing.

This whole thing was moving at light speed and I was starting to feel like my head was spinning.

Once Meatball was happily snuggled in his bed, I washed my hands and started peeling the onions. Even if I didn't talk to Rix, eating something deep fried would likely make me feel better. My eyes burned as I sliced into another onion.

Ugh. I was reminded of why I normally didn't cook. My mom was a vegan and basically only ate lettuce and working in a busy finance department, everyone there pretty much existed on takeout. But I'd baked so many different things with Gran. It couldn't be that different, could it?

I pulled up the recipe I'd found for onion rings. It said I needed to heat the oil, so I did that first and then started mixing the flour, cornmeal and spices.

As I stood there waiting for the oil to heat, I felt the overwhelming urge to talk to someone. I grabbed my phone and dialed Retta. She picked up on the second ring, her face way too close to the camera as usual.

"Who is this? It kind of looks like my girl Charlie but I'm pretty sure she's been abducted by a mountain man." Retta's voice instantly lifted my mood.

"I know. I meant to call but I've been so busy. Did I tell you that I'm apparently the official Violet Ridge bookkeeper now?"

"How did that happen?"

"Not exactly sure but I think it has something to do with Hendrix and his very big mouth. Also the fact that I'm the only person in town who actually likes spreadsheets."

She laughed. "That sounds about right."

"I miss you so much! How's everything in the city?"

"Oh, you know, the usual chaos. How is Mr. Handyman? Have you two finally admitted you're sucking face yet?" Retta was never one to beat around the bush.

"We kind of didn't have a choice. He kissed me and everybody saw it." I hesitated. "Tana was super drunk but there's no way she doesn't remember that. But we're not talking about it. I mean, I know she knows. And she knows that I know that she knows."

Retta squinted at the screen. "Girl, what?"

"You know what I mean."

While we were talking, I'd whisked together the milk and eggs and dipped each ring before rolling it in the flour. Carefully I used a pair of tongs to drop a few into the oil. It popped and sizzled so much I jumped back. A few drops landed on my forearm.

"Ouch!"

"Are you okay? What are you doing?" Retta asked.

"Making onion rings."

She blinked dramatically. "You have never fried anything a day in your bougie life. What kind of magical dick is that boy slinging to have you standing over hot grease?"

Frustrated, I added another few slices of onion to the pan, being careful to do it more slowly this time.

"I just wanted to do something nice for him. Retta, he does all these amazing things for people in town and never even tells anyone about it. I'm talking like ‘helping old ladies cross the street' type of stuff."

"Well, you knew he was a good guy underneath it all. He's Tana's brother and you've known him forever."

"Yeah but it's not just that. He's different than I thought."

She put a hand to her head. "Oh boy. You're really in deep."

I huffed because, well, she wasn't wrong. "Then today his ex-girlfriend starts stalking me around the grocery store saying all this stuff about how he's going to get bored and leave soon. I mean, he was with her for almost year so what do I know? Maybe that is his thing? He lives with women for awhile and then leaves when things get intense."

Things were quiet for a moment as she watched me scoop the onion rings out of the pan. They were golden brown and the crust looked like it had held up. I slowly added the second batch of onion slices to the pan.

"Listen," Retta said in a serious tone, which was rare for her. "Don"t you dare let some jealous ex mess with your head. She doesn't know anything about you or what's going on between you and Hendrix. Hell, the two of you don't even know what's going on between you."

"True," I admitted.

"But if you're really worried about what she said, just talk to him."

"You think so?"

"I think talking to him is way better than listening to whatever bullshit she's telling you."

She waited as I extracted the second batch of onion rings and arranged them on a tray lined with a paper towel. After they cooled, I could try one to make sure they tasted okay.

Just then I heard the distinctive beep on the line that meant I was getting another call. Billie's picture flashed on the screen.

"I have to go. Billie's calling from camp."

"Well just leave me hanging, why don't you?" Retta grumbled. "Fine. Go talk to kiddo but you better call me back!"

"I will. Thanks for letting me vent."

"Anytime, girl."

I switched over to take Billie's call. "Hey bug."

"Hey." She sounded glum.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay at camp?"

"Mémé said that I might be coming to live with them," Billie said.

I put a hand over my suddenly pounding heart. "She said that? When was this?"

Christian's parents lived in Manhattan but we usually only saw them at their Hamptons house for Memorial Day or at Christmas.

"Last night. She said that after camp is over, I might be coming to stay with her for a while. Charlie, I don't want to live in their apartment! It's like a museum. Not a fun one, either."

Despite the circumstances, I smiled. I'd only visited the Delacourts Park Avenue penthouse once and it made Christian's penthouse look cheap. Filled with priceless paintings and various sculptures they'd collected on their travels around the world, I'd been scared to move for fear of knocking over some rare artifact or something.

"I hear you on that. Let me find out what's going on but I don't think you need to worry. She probably just meant they want to see you before school starts."

"Maybe."

I switched the camera around and walked over to where Meatball was sleeping with his feet sticking up in the air. Billie laughed.

"He's so cute. I can't wait to meet him."

I turned the camera back around. "You'll be here before you know it. Try not to worry, okay. I'll take care of it."

She waved before hanging up.

I immediately dialed my mother. When she didn't answer, I hung up and called back again. As I paced in the kitchen, my elbow clipped the bowl with the egg mixture and it fell to the ground, splashing the remains all over the bottom of my jeans. I groaned but quickly wiped up the floor.

My mom still wasn't answering so I walked upstairs and into my room. I stripped out of the soiled jeans and threw them in the hamper. Quickly, I ducked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. There was some egg stuck to my left foot so I washed it off and then patted my leg dry with the towel. Once I didn't feel so gross, I went back to my room.

I wasn't planning to go anywhere else, so I just pulled on a pair of pajama pants. Then I picked up my phone and dialed my mom's number again. With every ring, my heart started beating faster.

"Hello? Charlie, I can't talk now–"

"Mom, what's going on with the Delacourts? Are they trying to take custody of Billie?"