“How do you even know that’s true? Just because Gray said so?”
“He’s a competent accountant. He showed me the books, went over the numbers.”
Caleb shoved his glasses into place. “I don’t trust him.”
“Well, I do—at least with this.” Her heart was an entirely different matter.
“If I were you, I’d hire someone else to do an audit.”
“With what money? And anyway, I don’t need another audit. He wouldn’t lie to me about this. He wants Gram’s store to succeed.”
Caleb leaned back in his seat, seeming to shrug it off. “It’s your store. You’re going to do what you want.”
“I wish you could let go of the past.”
“I wish you could see he’s still into you.”
She rolled her eyes. “This is about Gram’s business and nothing more. But I’m not here to discuss all that. I found out where that equity loan went. The store had a roof leak back then. Gram used that money for repairs.”
“Forty grand? For a leaky roof?”
“Believe it or not. It was pretty far gone by the time we discovered it. I have the receipt.”
“Okay, well, at least that explains the mystery.”
He didn’t seem to understand. “Caleb, you were supposed to get the house and I was supposed to get the bookshop. And now the bookshop owes you forty thousand dollars. I can’t pay it back right now, but—”
“Whoa.Hold up. You don’t owe me anything, Shel.”
“I actually do. You should talk it over with Liddy.”
“Please. As if she’d disagree. This house is worth a ton of money, and if it’s true that the bookstore’s in the red,you’rethe one who got the short stick here, not me.”
“Still...”
“No way. I’m not taking any money from you.” He shook his head. “In fact, if the store’s truly in jeopardy, we could take out another equity loan to help you get things—”
“Absolutely not. This house belongs to you and Liddy. That’s what Gram wanted.”
“I wish you’d reconsider.” He gave her a wry look. “The accountantandthe equity loan.”
“I’m comfortable with both decisions. So I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.”
Chapter 21
Gray’s efforts to escape the store before the romance book club arrived had been in vain. At the last minute he had to take Dog out back to relieve himself.
He did his best to avoid townspeople in general, but crowds in particular. There were newcomers who didn’t know him, of course, but the old-timers seemed to have long memories and short fuses.
The dog seemed more interested in sniffing each bush than actually doing any business. “Hurry up already.”
The backyard had changed over the past eleven years. The basic layout was the same: a grassy area set in the U-shaped space between the brick buildings flanking the shop. But now shrubbery and colorful perennials graced the periphery. A fire flickered in a center pit and white lights twinkled overhead. The cozy space and fall weather made the perfect setting for a book group.
A clatter of laughter and chatter sounded just before the first readers arrived. He braced himself for rejection. But when the three sets of eyes fell on Dog, squeals of delight followed as the women gathered around the mutt like he was the best thing this side of heaven. They were friendly, asking him questions about Dog. Gray tried to talk them into adopting him, but they all had excuses.
Even so, they did their best to get Gray to stay for the book club, atwhich they would be discussing a rom-com. It was nice to find a little acceptance. Sometimes people could be kind—even people in Grandville apparently.
Shelby, who’d entered the yard at some point, just looked on with an amused grin as he tried to extricate himself from the friendly group.
