“And how’s it going with Sean and you in that tiny flat?” He grinned.
She grimaced. “Let’s just say he spends all day on his Playstation, and I’m probably going to find dirty dishes and discarded underwear all over the place when I go home.”
He grunted. “Sounds like a nightmare.”
“One I’m not likely to ever wake up from,” she confirmed.
“He’s staying?”
Her lips pressed together into a straight line. “It seems that way.”
“Can’t you kick him out?” Bradford scooped up some salad with his fork and munched on it.
“He’s family,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “I know family can be tough.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m glad I ran into you. Gives me a chance to forget all about my wayward brother for a little while.”
They talked for two hours before Charmaine realised it. The time passed quickly while the two of them had a slice of pie for dessert followed by a leisurely coffee. Finally, Bradford left to attend a business meeting on the mainland. Charmaine stretched her legs, which were cramped from sitting in the same place for so long. Then wandered to the register to pay.
“Already paid for,” Beatrice said, with a smile. “Have a great day.”
Charmaine walked out into the sunshine with a giddy feeling bubbling deep down in her gut. It was amazing how quickly things could turn around. She’d started the day in a foul mood, with no hope that things would improve. And now all she could think about was how bright the future looked from where she stood.
Eight
From the momentthe renovation on the bookshop began, everything went wrong. They ordered the wrong-sized support beams to redo the ceilings. The paint came in charcoal when it was supposed to be a light grey. The floorboards were rotten in so many places, they had to redo the entire thing, and the wait time for the order was going to set them back weeks.
Already Evie was more stressed than she’d been in years. And having Emily around only exacerbated those feelings.
“I opened a bookshop because I don’t like stress,” she said, tucking a pencil behind one ear as she studied the plans laid out on the small folding table. “I dreamed that selling people books would involve me sitting with my feet up in a soft armchair, reading while customers quietly browsed through the shelves. I was completely delusional, but that’s beside the point.
“I don’t like feeling pressed in on all sides and that’s all I’ve had lately — complaining customers, damaged books, stubborn suppliers and disgruntled tourists. Not to mention the building falling down around me and the landlord ignoring my requests for help. I get cheap rent, she said, so the fine print on the contract is that any upgrades are my responsibility. I can’t believe I signed something like that without running it past a lawyer. Of course, at the time I’d sunk all of my capital into stock and didn’t have a cent to spare on legal fees. This is all so frustrating!”
“You never handled pressure well,” Emily muttered as she tapped the lids of the paint cans back into place with the end of a screwdriver. “You always say I’m a complainer, but wow…”
“That’s not helpful right now,” Evie growled. “Maybe you could take the cans outside to wait for the delivery driver.”
Emily sniffed. “I didn’t come here to be free labour for you.”
“You’re a grouch. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“I thought I’d be lazing on the beach and soaking up the sunshine,” Emily said as she picked up one can in each hand and headed for the door. “Instead, I’m your errand girl.”
“Nothing you don’t deserve,” Evie muttered beneath her breath.
Brett O’Hanley, the builder she’d hired to do the renovation appeared suddenly behind her. “Huh? Did you say something?”
“No, nothing important. So, when do you think we can get started on the floorboards?”
“Not for weeks yet. The manufacturer is in China, and there’s a backlog. Nothing we can do about it, I’m afraid.”
“So, I won’t be back in business for months?”
“We’ll put some temporary flooring down to keep people from falling through the holes. You can reopen if you don’t mind the way it looks.”
She sighed. “I can live with that. Thanks, Brett.”
