My throat burned. “Didn’t mean to stay gone so long.”
Her hand found mine. “You were never a burden, East. Not for a second.”
That did me in. I bent and pressed my forehead to her hand. “I’ll be here, Mags. However long you need.”
She smiled, eyes closing, already half-asleep. I got her to bed and sat for a while, listening to the house settle around us—the same old bones holding steady.
When I finally moved to the kitchen, the plate from her cinnamon roll still sat on the counter, sugar crystals glinting in the lamplight.
Maybe tomorrow I’d stop by Lila Merrick’s shop. Just for a cinnamon roll. Just for a bit of sweetness to cut through the rest.
2
Easton
Chapter & Crumb was nothing like I remembered.
For one, an idiot in an inflatable dinosaur costume was running wild in the back of the shop, stomping around like its tail was on fire.
For another, I’d slept like absolute dog crap, but Maggie wanted me to come down for some rolls. I could never say no to her (or to a roll).
I almost turned right around and walked right out, but the smell of cinnamon and sugar was too tempting to pass up. Howls of laughter erupted from a table of people on the bookstore side. All of them looked like they were pushing seventy-five and loving every second of this nonsense.
“It’s a hoot and a half, right?” the girl behind the counter said with a grin. She had hot pink streaks in herhair and an expression that suggested I was supposed to find this funny. “I’m going to get one of those suits to scare my boyfriend.”
The T-Rex mock-roared, tiny arms flailing, bouncing around the table like it was playing some prehistoric version of duck-duck-goose. I frowned. “Is that a good idea? Scaring people like that?”
Her brows knit in confusion, as if I were the one being an idiot. “What do you mean? Scaring them? They’re having a great time.” Her eyes narrowed at me.
Sure enough, the dinosaur lunged at another woman, who shrieked and clapped like it was the highlight of her week.
“Looks like someone could have a heart attack with that person jumping around like that,” I muttered, trying not to sound like I didn’t have a stick up my ass and failing miserably.
“Not even close. It’s reveal day for book club.” The counter girl leaned forward, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Lila always cooks up something fun to match the book. This month, it’s going to beJurassic Park.” Her eyes glittered in amusement as she looked back at the dinosaur prancing our way, tripping down the steps before righting itself.
Whoever was inside the costume was obviously having technical difficulties due to the suit’s unwieldy nature.
Of course, it was coming over here.
The T-Rex pranced closer, wobbling on the steps.
“Anyway,” I said quickly, wanting out before the Jurassic clown show reached me. “Can I get two cinnamonrolls to go?” I shoved a twenty on the counter, as if it might speed things up.
“Sure thing.” She was already half-laughing at me, not even pretending otherwise. Snorting a little as she tried to cover up how hilarious she thought I was being, which just made me crankier, as if other customers might not find the whole thing irritating.
“Mia! Can you get the zipper? I need a new suit—this one’s on its last arm.” The dinosaur waggled one pitiful arm in my direction, the entire inflated body jiggling. “Sorry! This’ll take a sec. I’m dying in here.” The muffled feminine voice that came from inside the suit surprised me.
“Sure,” Pink Streaks said. “Sorry.” She gave me what might pass as an apologetic look, but she was very obviouslynotsorry. “Lila, can you grab the fan?” she asked the person in the suit (Lila, I assumed).
The dinosaur twisted and wobbled dangerously. “Oh! Oh no!” came a muffled squeak as they tipped and stumbled.
I groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Against my better judgment, I lunged forward just as the oversized lizard tipped backward toward a coffee table and plant stand. I managed to catch an armful of squeaking, flailing plastic dinosaur, but there was no saving the inevitable.
We went down in a heap, the air wheezing out of the suit as we hit the floor with a thud. The table missed us by inches. The plant stand didn’t.
“Wrangle that T-Rex, young man!” one of the women hollered from the peanut gallery.
