Page 37 of To Obsess

PUDDING IS A FANTASTIC NAME FOR A TURTLE. HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT? I’M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE

GIFT.

lOVE ALWAYS,

-K

Despite the alarm bells blaring in my head, I smile. He got the note I left for him last night in the mailbox.

The mailbox! I hadn’t even thought about checking it this morning to see if he had been here at some point during the night. I don’t guess I need an answer to that question now, though. Still, I decide to check it on the way to work in a little bit.

I tuck the note into the top drawer of my nightstand and dress in some loose yoga pants and a T-shirt for the day. It takes about twenty-fives minutes to get everything prepared to upload the podcast to our website, another ten to grab my stuff for my shift, and then I’m out the door and on my way to the store.

A quick stop at the mailbox has me pulling a note from the darkness, which is promptly tossed into the passenger seat of my car to read later. With all of the excitement of the morning, I’m running a little behind, and I don’t want to be late to see the Yates’ off for their vacation.

Although we go through this every single year, I’m sure they’ll want to go through each thing I’ll need to take care of in their absence. As I pull into my parking spot in the back alley, I sigh out through my nose at the impending checklist. I love them both dearly, but that doesn’t make this task any more enjoyable.

I glance longingly at the note before deciding better of it. I can read it when the work here is done tonight. It’ll give me something to look forward to for the rest of the day. Before I can change my mind, I push open the door and climb out of the car.

A chime rings out into the nearly empty store as I step through the back door, dropping my keys onto the table in their usual spot. “Let’s get this day over with,” I mutter to myself as I knock on the office door to let them know I’ve arrived.

“Hello, dear,” Mrs. Yates says cheerily. “Do come in.” She opens the door wider, stepping back to allow me the space to enter before closing it behind me. “Have a seat, Violet.”

The look she gives her husband has me crinkling my eyebrows in a bit of confusion. Typically, this is a fairly quick endeavor. I come in, we run through the checklist, and they go on their merry way to whatever destination they’ve chosen this year. Instead, Walter’s hands are folded on top of a maroon folder, no checklist in sight.

“It’s good to see you, Walter,” I say as I pull the leather chair underneath me and settle in. “You look well.”

“Lovely as always, Violet,” he replies with a warm, grandfatherly smile. I’ve worked for these people so long it’s hard to remember that they’re getting on in age now. The fine lines that caressed their faces when I first started have turned to deep ridges now. The hair that still had a lot of color has turned mostly white with just a few dark strands mixed in here and there. It tugs at my heart to remember how they were all those years ago.

I watch as the paper-thin skin stretches over his knuckles as he picks up the folder his hands had been resting on when I entered the office. “Go ahead, Betty,” he prompts his wife gently.

“Right. Violet, dear. Things are a little different this year than they’ve been before. We’re still going on our trip as planned, but we wanted to discuss some other things with you today before we head out,” she starts, leveling me with a kind but serious gaze.

I wait in silence, not sure where this could be headed and not wanting to say something stupid.

“Walter and I have been thinking. You’ve worked here a very long time. In fact, you’ve been here almost as long as we have! We only opened this store maybe five or six years before you came to us asking for a job,” she says, the corners of her mouth upturned at the memory.

“That’s right,” Walter chimes in, matching her smile. “Watching you grow and change over the years has been so precious to us. You’re like a daughter to us, you know.”

I blink several times to fight the tears pricking my eyes and nod, not trusting my voice to be steady.

“Anyway, enough of the emotional stuff.” Betty waves a hand as if fanning fog away. “We wanted to talk to you about a more serious position here. Obviously, you’ll always have a job here, but we were thinking it’s about time to give you more responsibility.”

Heat floods my face as my thoughts begin to spin at her words. More responsibility? I’ve always been whatever this store needs, regardless of what ‘title’ that falls under. What else is there in a mom-and-pop shop like this?

“We were thinking you could take on more of the administrative duties. Slowly, of course. Nothing too dramatic at one time. We want to give you enough time to get your feet wet and find solid footing.” Walter flips open the folder, thumbing through some of the papers.

“Oh. Um, of course. I’d be delighted. But can I ask what this is about?” My voice sounds steadier than I had expected.

A quick glance at each other before Betty opens her mouth to answer. “We want to give you the bookstore, darling. When we retire.”

The air whooshes from my lungs in one giant huff as the world spins before my eyes. The bookstore? They’re giving me the shop?

Chapter 34

KILLIAN

Several nights—four to be exact—pass with no communication from Violet, though she does stare out the back door into the woods every night for a while.