“I’m studying,” he protested.
“Go home, Isaac.” I slumped at a table. I couldn’t believe I had done that to Hunter. Of course he hadn’t told me he was married. He had been just a kid! He had been Isaac’s age, and Isaac was a derpy little teenager.
What had happened wasn’t Hunter’s fault. But now I had given Leif a reason to stick around Harrogate.
Isaac cleared his stuff off the counter and went out to the side patio to grab his bike. Minnie followed him out. I let them have their moment. I could see them through the window, so they weren’t going to get up to that much trouble.
The bell over the door jangled. A tall blond man walked in.
“Meg,” he said.
I stood up abruptly. “You can’t be here,” I informed Leif in my best authoritative mayor tone. “I will not have any more dealings with you. Now you need to leave.”
His face turned ugly, and he glared at me. I forced myself to stand firm.
“You gave me money,” he said.
“Yes, and it was a misstep on my part and will not happen again. Now leave, or I am calling the police. And do not contact me again.”
“You’re making a mistake,” he spat, shifting slightly on the balls of his feet. Was he going to attack me?
“I assure you, I am not,” I said firmly, forcing my voice to remain steady.
He glared at me one last time before I left. Minnie came back inside as Isaac pedaled off into the night.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“No one,” I told her. “Don’t you think you should close up for the night?”
She wrinkled her nose. “We’re not supposed to close until eight.”
“We can watch a movie,” I cajoled.
“Pride and Prejudice?” she asked in excitement.
“Yes,” I said, “Except, shoot, it’s still at the old house.”
The bell jingled. I jumped, thinking Leif had returned.
“Oh, hi, Frank,” I said in relief, trying to calm my pounding heart.
“I’m glad I found you,” he said happily, pulling a folder out of his briefcase. “I wanted to let you know the paperwork came through. You have access to your house for the next two weeks to remove everything out of there that you need. This is the key to the padlock on the door.”
“Thank you, this is great news!”
“Now we can watch the movie!” Minnie said happily after Frank had bought a to-go pastry and hot chocolate.
“I’ll go grab it while you close up the store. Lock the door behind me,” I instructed. “And the patio door too. Wait to take the trash out until I get back.”
“This is Harrogate, not Manhattan.” My sister rolled her eyes.
“Just do it,” I told her, grabbing my car keys. My phone beeped as soon as I sat down behind the wheel. The battery was low. I cursed as I tried to plug it in then remembered that my car was a hunk of junk and had no charging port.
“Figures,” I said angrily then forced myself to relax. I had access to my house, at least, and my stuff.
I tried to formulate a plan for how I was going to afford to have all of my and my sisters’ stuff removed and then pay for storage. There was not enough room in Hazel’s building for our things. The old Victorian house was packed, not just with our possessions but Barry’s stuff as well.
“He can just do without,” I decided as I parked in front of the old house. It had been home to good memories and some bad ones, but now I was ready for a fresh start. This was a lot of house for one person. I wouldn’t mind a condo where I wouldn’t have to worry about a yard. Of course, it was all wishful thinking. Who knew how the mayoral election would play out?
