But if Bean & Nugget goes under, the Tooth loses one of its primary hangouts. A bunch of people lose their jobs. Em would deal with the stress since Chandler would be dealing with it, even if she can support herself with her own accounting business.
She can support him too.
But she can’t dig the café out from its debt. She doesn’t have that kind of cash.
“We have maybe two months, Theo,” Sabrina says. “Think of the wedding gift this would be to Emma.”
And the gift it would be for Sabrina too. It’s her life, even though her mom sold her share in the café to Chandler’s parents so she could send Sabrina to college. The triplets’ parents sold their share to Chandler’s parents too. And they handed the reins to him not long after Grandma Sullivan passed away.
“If Emma wanted my help—” I start.
“She wouldn’t ask you for it, because she knows you don’t want anyone to know you can afford it, she knows you don’t want people knowingwhyyou can afford it, and she knows how much Chandler would hate knowing you’re the reason he’s no longer in debt.”
I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin.
If Bean & Nugget’s time came to an end, some other enterprising person in Snaggletooth Creek would open a new shop.
We wouldn’t be without coffee. People would get jobs back. There’d be a new kind of hangout.
Some people hate change.
I love it. It has a scent of possibility. Of surprises. Of fun.
But I don’t like knowing that change hurts in the middle of it. Especially when it could hurt my sister.
And I don’t like feeling trapped and blackmailed.
One more checkmark in why I don’t want people knowing my bank account—the onenotkept at the Tooth’s local bank—is as large as it is.
“You gonna sit out here all night?” I ask Sabrina.
“For Emma and Laney? Yep. Also, I scattered broken glass on the ground under your porch on the other side, so if you’re thinking of going out the back way, I’d advise you to reconsider.”
I know she knows that I know she’s lying, but I also know if I leave here and run into Chandler and anything goes wrong again, she’ll probably do worse. I grunt a noncommittal noise and turn back to my bungalow door.
I can handle being trapped inside for one night, even if it makes me testy as hell.
Chandler will get his head out of his ass for Emma’s sake—much as I don’t like him, I can admit that he treats my sister right and gets along with me for her sake too—and tomorrow will be fine.
“And go easy on Laney,” she adds softly. “She will fixanythingto make sure Emma has the wedding of her dreams. It’ll be easier on everyone if you just avoid Chandler until after the wedding. No matter how unfair it is that you don’t get to enjoy this week the way you should.”
Hell. Does she know I paid for the wedding too?
“Donottell Emma,” I say.
She scowls, but she doesn’t tell me I can buy her silence by saving her family’s café.
Two points to Sabrina. We might stay friends beyond this week after all. And not because she’s borderline blackmailing me for money.
“And I’ll think about it,” I mutter.
Two months.
I don’t have to decide today.
The café has two months. Emma can get back from her honeymoon. We can sit down and talk. Clear the air. I can ask her what she wants me to do.
How to do whatever she wants me to do.
