Jack went back inside and stopped by the kitchen. “Mom, I’m going to the hardware store to pick up some propane tanks.”
His mom was chopping what looked like her twentieth onion based on the small mountain beside her. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes.
“Aww, there’s no need for that,” he said, patting her shoulder. “I won’t be gone that long.”
With an exaggerated sniffle, she said, “Sorry. It’s just that I’ll miss you so very much.”
He laughed as a surge of affection rushed through him. His mom was the world’s best one-upper. “Do you need anything?”
“Not that I can think of. But isn’t it a little early to be stocking up on propane?”
“Being prepared never hurt anyone.” He hated the hint of defensiveness in his tone.
“Can’t argue with that.” Her eyes softened with understanding, making him wonder if his mom knew how lost he felt.
He was gripped by a desperate urge to spill everything to the woman who gave him life—how he felt like a third wheel at the brewery and how he believed that he could do so much more if he branched out on his own. But the urge fizzled out as swiftly as it had flared.
“Bye, Mom.”
He reached his car with long, hurried strides and got into the driver’s seat. Gripping the steering wheel, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Waiting to hear back from McBain was stressing the hell out of him and making him irrational. Telling his mom right now would’ve only caused her unnecessary worry. Even if he got the job, he needed a plan before he shared the news with his family—he had to convince them Weldon Brewery would be fine without him. He huffed a humorless laugh. Little did they know, all they needed was a bookkeeper and a server to replace him.
He scrubbed his face with his hands, then started the engine.He needed a distraction—something to keep him busy while he waited for McBain’s decision. For the time being, shopping for propane would have to do.
After parking his car in a shared lot in the back, Jack walked into Arthur’s Hardware Store. It was a cluttered mess with every available space, including the walls, covered with wares for sale, and yet, it was somehow utterly charming. Much of it probably had to do with Ol’ Arthur. He always had a joke to share and knew the exact location of every nut and bolt in the store.
Ol’ Arthur was actually a twenty-three-year-old recent college grad who had taken over the store when Li’l Arthur, his grandfather, retired about a year earlier. It wasn’t a surprise to most townsfolk when Ol’ Arthur became the new owner. As a kid, he’d spent all his summershappilyworking for his grandfather. Those of little faith predicted that he wouldn’t come back once he left for college, but every summer without fail, he was back in Weldon at his grandfather’s store. Arthur’s Hardware was his calling—his passion. Jack envied him.
But at the present, the good owner was nowhere to be found. Puzzled, Jack roamed down an empty aisle when he heard a familiar laugh—a sound he would never have expected to hear at Weldon’s premier hardware store… or any hardware store, for that matter. If she needed any frames hung up, she would wait months for him to visit Los Angeles to do it for her. She claimed she was traumatized by the one time she’d hung up a picture in her dormitory only to have it come crashing down the next day.
He followed the merry sound down two aisles to find Ol’ Arthur leaning toward a laughing Lizzy, grinning like a dumbass. A muscle ticked in Jack’s clenched jaws, and his nostrils flared. Logic dictated that his raging-bull impression was unwarranted, but the kid was standing much too close to her.
“Hey, Arthur. Where’s my joke of the day?” he boomed, marching up to them.
“Jack?” Lizzy’s smile widened.
“Umm… you guys know each other?” Arthur shifted from foot to foot under Jack’s icy glare.
“Yeah. We’ve been friends forever,” she offered helpfully before turning back to Jack. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to pick up a couple of propane tanks for the heat lamps.” He cocked his head at the kid, stomping down on his irrational antagonism. He couldn’t blame Arthur for being drawn to Lizzy. She just had that effect on people. Besides, Jack wasn’t the flirtation police. “If you’re done helping her, can you get those out for me?”
“Sure.” Arthur recovered his good humor. “And I’ll have that joke ready for you as well.”
“Looking forward to it,” Jack said before turning toward Lizzy. “And what bringsyouhere?”
“Shannon needed a shopkeeper’s bell for the front entrance.” She held up the bell in her hands.
“Is this part of your volunteer work?” He reached out and tapped the bell. It made an impressive jingle.
“Yup.” But there was more to it. She tugged her upper lip between her teeth and performed a variation of the gotta-go dance. Either she had to pee or she was dying to tell him something. Before he could tell her where the restroom was, she squealed, “Shehasatodolist.”
“Good Lord.” He swiped a hand down his mouth, half in dismay and half to cover his smile.
She once made him go through his entire summer reading list in two weeks. Forfun.Because who needed sleep? To her credit, she read all the books with him, and they didn’t run outof things to talk about for the rest of the summer. In short, Lizzy with a list was both a wonderous and infuriating thing.
“Is the bell on her list?” he said, understanding dawning on him.
“Mmm-hmm.” She rocked back on her heels.
