“What’s wrong?” Carmen asked, her stomach in knots. Her mind flooded with various scenarios of what could possibly have her daughter ending the day in tears. Boy problems? Argument with a friend? Had she gotten into trouble at the bookstore?
“Nothing,” Mia said, hugging her knees to her chest and wiping her nose with the edge of her T-shirt.
“Let me get you a tissue,” Carmen said, leaving the room just long enough to retrieve a box of Kleenex from the linen closet. After handing it to Mia, she folded her arms across her chest. “Obviously, something is wrong.”
“I just...finished reading Shelby’s new book. It’s sad.”
“Oh!” Carmen said, relieved. “Okay. Got it. All right hon—love you.”
She kissed the top of her head and left, closing the door behind her.
Only later, after she’d folded the laundry, did she remember what Shelby said the other day at the bookstore:I always write happy endings.
Kate’s father was in town to check in on the bookstore.
Martin Hendrik was medium height, with wide-set blue eyes, thick gray hair, and a quiet confidence. The only signifier of his wealth and success was the expensive diver’s watch on his wrist. He had the relaxed demeanor of someone who worked hard, but had nothing left to prove. Justin liked him.
Since her father followed a strictly paleo diet, Kate suggested they eat at Fishtail Restaurant instead of at Lombardo’s. Justin actually preferred it that way; after his mother’s little office visit, he didn’t want her to feel like he was being passive-aggressive and foisting his new relationship onto her.
“I have to thank you for luring my daughter out here for the summer,” Martin said over an icy tray of Wellfleet oysters. He had a deep, booming voice. “A Hendrik’s Books seaside outpost is a great idea. Lots of untapped potential here.”
Justin nodded, even though he had the opposite view of the development of Ptown. Decades ago, it was untapped potential. Now it was overrun.
“That’s an interesting perspective,” Justin said. “I feel like things are closing in on us in some ways.”
“Justin’s very involved in the town,” Kate said, placing a hand on his forearm. “I’ve gone with him to some committee meetings and it’s interesting. It does feel like a bit of an inflection point.”
“Growing pains are normal,” Martin said. “It’s a sign of progress. My father started with one Hendrik store in Dover, and we ended up with ten fanning out all over the state. Now eleven, counting Katie’s little venture here. And now, with so much brand equity, my son Karl is branching out into hospitality.”
Kate nodded. “I told Justin about the resort.”
Her older brother, Karl, had opened a boutique hotel in Chatham, a wealthy beach town on the southeast tip of the Cape.
“You’ll meet Karl on the Fourth. Glad you’ll be joining us,” Martin said.
“Looking forward to it,” Justin said.
After dinner, they walked fifteen minutes down a bustling Commercial Street to Hendrik’s to show Martin the space. The store was closed because Kate still hadn’t found reliable part-time help.
“Katie, you can’t close the bookstore so early in a walking town like this,” Martin said, appraising the space with his hands on his hips.
“The housing crunch here trickles down to staffing issues,” Justin said. “If people can’t afford to live here, they can’t work here.”
Martin seemed unconvinced. He ran his hand along the shelving and straightened a display table. “You should have said something, Katie. I can transfer someone from another location...”
Kate shook her head. “It’s fine, Daddy. I’ve got it under control.”
“If you don’t have part-time help, how are you going to come home over Fourth of July?” Martin said.
“I’m closing it for the weekend,” she said.
“Closing over the busy holiday weekend? Sweetheart, that’s just bad business. I won’t hear of it.”
Kate looked at Justin, but he didn’t know what she wanted him to say. He basically agreed with Martin, but she would think he was just siding with her father because he wanted to stay in Provincetown for the holiday. Which he did.
“Katie, you stay here and mind the shop. And next summer, you’ll plan ahead to have more help. Summer retail business means sacrifice. Am I right, Justin?” he said.
“I can’t argue with you on that,” he said. Kate gave him an annoyed look. But Justin could tell that while she would debatehimover where to spend the Fourth, she would not debate her father. He didn’t hold that against her. It was hard to disappoint parents. He was a grown man and still he felt bad missing his parents’ anniversary party. But now it seemed the Boston trip was off.
