“It’s fucking ridiculous,” I said, pulling into the hardware store parking lot. “Do I have to worry about this while I’m getting supplies?”
“Nah, Dick’s a good guy. You’ll be fine.”
“Thank God for that,” I muttered.
“Hey, but I should warn you that there’s a system for going into the hardware store.”
“Of course there is.”
“See, nobody just walks in and gets what they need. You’ll find Dick at the back with his son. And possibly a few others in the family.”
“A few others?”
“It’s a family-run store.”
“Okay, so what’s the procedure?”
“Well, since you’re new in town, they’ll greet you, but then they’ll introduce you to whoever’s in the store. Then, they’ll take you to the seating area in the back for coffee.”
“What if I don’t want coffee?”
“There’s not really a way to say no,” he huffed. “You’ll have to sit around and shoot the shit with them for a while before they’ll take care of you.”
“And if I don’t?” I questioned.
“Well, then you’ll get to experience what it’s like to have a milkshake thrown at you. Keep in mind, it’s still cold out and that shit is hard to get out of your hair.”
“I think I’ll take my chances.”
He chuckled through the phone. “It’s your funeral.”
The whole thing was fucking ridiculous. They couldn’t force me to sit down with them and have coffee. I was on the clock and people expected me to get back with supplies, and as much as I didn’t want any more pressing questions from Jeff, I also had no desire to sit around with people I didn’t know just to talk.
The bell chimed over the door as I walked in. I immediately pulled out my list and busied myself with finding what I needed, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the store.
But that didn’t last long. It wasn’t two minutes before an older gentleman hobbled over to me with suspenders holding up his pants and a plaid shirt tucked in deep.
“Can I help you, son?”
“I just have a few things to pick up.”
He eyed the paper. “Is that Liam’s list?”
“Yep. I’ll just grab what I need?—”
But he turned, waving for me to follow him. “Come on back and meet everyone. Colleen!” he shouted, then glanced over his shoulder. “That’s the wife.”
I nodded and kept my distance. There was no way I was getting sucked into any of this nonsense. I made note of whatwas in each aisle as I passed, writing down on the paper where I needed to go. But all too soon, I was stopped by an older woman with short silver hair, smiling up at me happily.
“You must be JR. We’ve heard a lot about you in town. Liam certainly raves about you.”
I highly doubted that. The most I’d ever heard out of Liam’s mouth that could be considered even slightly as a word of praise wasSee you tomorrow.
“I’m just here to grab a few things.”
“Well, sit down. Meet everyone else,” she grinned.
But I knew if I took that step, I would have to sit in that ratty, brown recliner and join in the conversation, probably staying for a good forty-five minutes as they filled me in on the basics of town.
