“Oh, Anna, you can do anything. You’re the best lawyer there ever existed.”
“I appreciate that,” I said, trying to keep my patience on a short leash. “Who’s your distributor, and why do I have a horrible sinking feeling in my gut?”
Her sigh drifted out, carrying the weight of Ireland and guilt in equal measure. “All right. Brooke Walton is my distributor for the tea.”
If a chair had been close, I would’ve fallen into it. “What did you say?”
Nana’s gaze slid back to the mountain of paperwork on the counter. “Brooke Walton distributes the tea. I’m not sure if her connections come from Gloria’s shop maybe? You know, with the health supplements and all that? She’s been working for Gloria while studying to take her boards so she can be a psychologist. Anyway, we were having coffee one morning, and she seemed like such a nice girl. She dates Clark quite a bit, but she’s sweet, really. I’d love to see them together.”
My pulse ticked fast. “Nana, Gloria thinks you’re competing with her.”
Nana reared back. “Well, I’m not. She doesn’t sell tea.”
My ears heated so fast they throbbed. “I’m going to kill Brooke.” I blanched. Shouldn’t have said that out loud. “I assume you have her number.”
“I do.”
“Call her. Please.”
Nana waved her hands. “Oh, no. I really don’t want to drag her into this.”
I fought the real urge to yank my hair out. “Nana, she’s already in it. Call her.”
“Oh, all right.” She sighed again and reached beneath the counter for her phone. Her fingers shook a little as she dialed. “Hi, Brooke. Hi, honey. Yes, it’s true. I know, can you believe it? Oh, no, you’re not in any trouble. Would you come by the shop? Anna wants to speak with you. No, no, honey, you don’t need a lawyer. I promise. If you do, Anna will represent you too.”
I shook my head hard enough to rattle my brain. “I most certainly will not.”
Nana ignored me. “Okay, honey, see you soon.” She ended the call. “Brooke will be here in a second. She’s just down the street.”
I stepped back because there was a very good chance my head might actually spin and launch off my neck. “Nana.”
“Anna,” she said in that patient voice that usually followed disaster. “Brooke’s a nice girl. Yes, she dates around, but she’s young. She’s still finding her path. She’s been kind to me.”
“Except for selling you psychedelic mushrooms disguised as tea,” I croaked out.
“No, she didn’t.” Nana’s chin lifted. “She had no idea.”
I doubted that. Strongly.
We sifted through another pile of paperwork. My stomach kept twisting tighter with each passing minute. Aiden lay in a hospital bed, maybe still half hooked to monitors, and here I stood chasing tea labels and bad decisions. I’d thought he couldn’t break, couldn’t fall, and yet I’d watched him crash. The memory dug in deep, reminding me how fast everything could shift.
The bell over the door jingled, and Brooke finally stepped inside. I hadn’t realized I’d left it unlocked. She carried the kind of confidence that came easy to people who hadn’t yet learned how fragile the world could turn.
She wore black leather pants and an orange-and-red blazer buttoned high. Her dark hair sat twisted tight, the tawny tone of her skin catching the weak light from the window. The scent of fresh rain drifted in with her, mixing with Nana’s lavender oil.
She hesitated on the threshold, glancing toward the street like she expected cameras. “Oh my gosh, Fiona, I can’t believe it.”
I crossed my arms, my pulse steady and cold now. “Yeah, I can.”
Brooke rushed straight to my grandmother and caught both her hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, honey, it’s not your fault,” Nana said.
“The hell it isn’t.” I stepped forward. “What did you do?”
Brooke jolted, her dark eyes flicking to me. “I swear to God, I had no idea. It couldn’t be me. That tea sells all over the Pacific Northwest.” She still clung to Nana’s hands like they might save her. “Honestly, Fiona, I don’t know what happened.”
“Okay, take a breath,” Nana said, her voice steadying them both. “We’re going to figure this out.”
