She nodded right away and relief swept through me. Though I didn’t like the note of defeat in her agreement, I had no idea how to reassure her. Hopefully, she’d see firsthand that this wouldn’t negatively impact her bottom line, and then she’d be back to her usual self again.
“My beautiful Eden,” I whispered.
I felt the shiver that ran along her spine, trembling under my palm. God, she enjoyed praise as much as I enjoyed giving it. Like she was made for me.
“Everything is going to be fine. I promise you that.”
Whatever it took, I would not let her down.
Chapter Eighteen
Eden
Bythetimethebomb squad finished up and all the barriers were moved off the street, it was only an hour past my normal opening time. I could tell Milo didn’t want to leave me in the store alone, but I forced myself to shoo him off to Dueling Dragons so I could rush through my morning routine.
He was right—from the minute I opened the door, I had a stream of customers that didn’t dwindle until late afternoon. I barely grabbed a moment to scarf down a snack around lunchtime and deflected as many questions as I possibly could.
Addie wasn’t scheduled to work that day, but she showed up anyway and made a beeline toward me.
“What the hell happened?” she whispered.
I glanced toward the customer perusing a rack of filmy silk nightgowns before muttering, “Nothing. Someone faked a bomb threat. Just a stupid prank.”
“I know about the bomb threat,” she replied tartly. “But what’s this about a threatening letter?”
“Who told you about that?” I asked, frowning.
“I have my sources, butyoushould have told me, Eden Rosalie Campbell. So I repeat, what the hell?”
“Addie, it was nothing. Remember the crap my parents used to hand out at Halloween? Those pamphlets about hell and damnation?”
Addie flinched. “Christ. Yes, I remember. That’s what was inside?”
“Not the same exact thing, but similar enough.”
“You think they sent it?” Her blonde brows drew together. “I thought they didn’t know about the store.”
“They don’t,” I replied. “At least, as far as I know—I don’t even think they know where I’m living, nevermind about the store. I doubt an anonymous pamphlet would be the extent of their reaction if they found out, but from what I recall, all the shit they passed out had the name of the church on it. This had nothing.”
I’d known Addie my entire life, so I knew the expression creeping across her face never boded well for anyone. It was equal parts devious and determined.
“Adelaide, don’t do anything stupid,” I warned.
“What makes you think I would do something stupid?”
I huffed out a laugh. “Thirty-two years of experience, for a start.”
“I’m sure as shit not going to let them find out where you are or what you’re doing, Eden,” my cousin said softly. “I don’t want them within a hundred-mile radius of you. All I’m going to do is find out where they are and what they’ve been up to. And Isaiah.”
“How are you planning to do that?” My brother, Isaiah, had been just as embroiled in the church as my parents, the last I knew.
“I have my ways. You’re not the only super sleuth in the family, but it’s nothing for you to worry about. Besides, you’re probably right, just a stupid prank.”
Addie beamed at me as I cashed out the customer, who gave no sign of having overheard our conversation, then apologized when she told me she had to get back to her other job.
With a jaunty wave, she called out, “Looking forward to the party on Saturday!”
Once I was alone in the store again, I let out a long sigh and forced my attention to my to-do list for Monique’s event. Addie and I were responsible for snacks, so I’d need to get my contributions sorted during my break on Saturday afternoon. I tidied up the store, replenished a rack of the emerald green nighties from the front window which had become one of my bestsellers, and set up a rack of party exclusives in the back room so it was ready to go for the weekend.
