That wasn’t part of Marketing 101. There was another word for his level of ruthlessness. I needed a few minutes to unpack all the nonsense from his little speech, so I headed back to my store, mumbling to myself the whole way. “Craig did not flirt to get customers and sell products.”
Did he?
“Oh, Elsie … wait up!”
I stopped ten feet from the door to my shop and spun around. “Rach, what’s up?” I opened my arms and hugged one of my good friends from high school whom I hadn’t seen in years. “Did you move back here? Or are you just visiting?”
“I lost my job, so I had to move back home. How embarrassing, right? I have one child in college and another who got married last year, and I’m living with my parents … at forty-two!”
I jerked my head toward my shop. “I’m running the Smith family business that has no business and apparently terrible carpet. No husband. Kids are basically grown. Bella just informed me that she’s not a virgin. And my parents now have a place in Arizona, so I see them during the summer and on Christmas. When Bella goes to college next year, I might quit my job and go live with them, so really … it’s life.”
Rachel laughed. “Who knew the forties would be such a shit show. And who knew you would be the talk of the town.” She rolled her lips together and eyed me with wide blue eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“My mom said you’re in a support group at church, and you brought out the evil side in some of the widows.”
I coughed a laugh. “Um …”
“It’s fine.” She waved off my stuttered response. “It stirred up some good conversation between us. I can’t believe all the stuff my dad has done over the years that drives her crazy, and I never knew. Like his slurping. She said that first cup of coffee in the morning touches her soul, and she likes to enjoy it in a quiet kitchen, slowly bringing her senses to life for a new day. But then my dad wakes up, pours himself a cup, and slurps it over and over again. She said she’s seriously considered diving across the table and strangling him. Slurp. Slurp. Sluuurrrppp. And I totally relate because Trace used to slurp his smoothie every morning. And he chewed with his mouth open, whole body hunched over his plate like a caveman, constantly smacking and slurping. God … he was so loud. Then he’d lift his plate and lick it, kid you not … lick it clean. Even in restaurants. And I just sat there with this grimace of disgust stuck to my face, and he’d have the nerve to say, ‘What?’ Then one day … I answered his what. The next day we decided to end our marriage.”
She was my person. I could tell her my truth, and she wouldn’t judge me. But just as I started to say something, the shop door opened behind me.
“Elsie, I’m not feeling so well.”
I turned toward Kandi and her pale, almost green, complexion. “You can go home. Need a ride?”
She shook her head. “I think I can make it home.”
“No. Call your mom.” I turned back to Rachel. “I have to go, but we should get together soon and talk more.”
“Absolutely. I’ve got to get to work, but maybe I’ll stop by your shop later and get your number.”
I noticed she pointed over her shoulder when she said get to work.
“Where are you working?”
“The new place. What Did You Expect? It’s amazing! Have you had a chance to check it out yet? And don’t even get me started on Kael, the owner. He’s so freaking hot. Young-ish, but so hot. And nice. Gah! The guy will do anything for anyone. Izzy Stanton said he removed dead limbs from her tree and fixed her broken front porch steps. And she didn’t ask him to do it. He just noticed she needed some help around the place.”
“Does he know she’s married?”
“Why?” Rachel laughed. “You think he did it to get into her pants? I’m pretty sure he knows Lane is in the service and hasn’t been home in over a year. Epperly has grown since I moved away fifteen years ago, but it’s still a small town. I think he’s just genuinely a nice guy. He changed Violet Ryan’s flat tire two days ago. He fixed Arnie’s and Mable’s bent windmill