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I take over the folding and then spend an hour reorganizing and straightening the clothes on the floor, making room for some new stock that should be coming in later this week. The best part about this business is the merchandise is forever changing.
By the time Katie arrives, business is picking up, and I’m helping a tourist find a dress for a wedding she’s attending next weekend.
“Thanks for calling me in,” Katie says once I get the customer settled in a fitting room. “My plans for today got canceled, so I would have been bored.”
“And we don’t want that,” I reply with a wink. “I appreciate you coming in. I like that skirt.”
“Thanks.” With a smile, she does a little spin and then stops and clears her throat, looking at someone over my shoulder. “Oh, hi, Jake.”
I turn and smile at the teenager and then feel my eyebrows climb when I see that he’s holding a bouquet of pink roses.
“Hey, Katie.” He nods, and his cheeks darken, and I can’t help but smile. “Uh, Polly, Ryan asked me to stop in and bring you these.”
He holds the flowers out to me, and I accept them, burying my nose in the blooms, happy that Ryan thought of me.
“How sweet,” Katie says behind me.
“Yeah, he says he’s sorry that he’s been quiet and stuff,” Jake continues. “He’s just been busy. It’s nothing personal, you know?”
“I figured that was the case. Thanks, Jake.”
“They’re from Ryan,” he clarifies, and I nod.
“I get it. Still, it was nice of you to stop by with them. How are you doing out there by yourself?” I walk Jake to the front of the shop and step outside with him so we can talk without anyone else listening in.
“I’m not really alone,” he says with a laugh, immediately relaxing now that Katie’s not within earshot. “Pretty much everyone has been out to stay with me. Even Mac has.”
I blink in surprise. “Really? He didn’t mention that.”
“Yeah, so I can’t get a minute of quiet.” But the smile doesn’t slip from his face.
“You’re a popular kid, and everyone enjoys hanging out with you,” I remind him. “How is Ryan, anyway?”
“Really busy,” he says with a sigh. “He manages to call me once a day, but it’s only for a few minutes, and then he has to go into another meeting. I think he’s in Stockholm right now. Or maybe he’s in Germany. Tokyo? I’m losing track, honestly.”
“It’s a lot of travel.” I nod thoughtfully. “Would you ever want to go with him?”
“Maybe on a shorter trip, but not if he’s gone for this long. The horses need someone, and they know me. We trust each other.”
“That’s true.” I wish Ryan didn’t have two more weeks to go on this trip. I miss him, even though I just spoke with him. “Who’s bunking with you tonight?”
“Millie. She’s cool, but she wants me to, like, talk to her and stuff, and I just want to play video games with Russ in the evening, you know?”
“You poor thing.” I punch him lightly on the shoulder. “Having to have a conversation with a nice lady and everything.”
Jake laughs. “Yeah, I know. It’s not so bad. Do you need anything?”
I blink at him, surprised. This kid is the best, most thoughtful kid I know. “I think I’m good. Do you need anything? You can call me anytime, you know.”
He nods. “I know. Nah, I’m good, too. It’s weird having him gone this long, you know?”
And there it is. He may have a village around to help look after him, but Jake misses Ryan.
I can’t blame him. So do I.
“Is this the longest he’s been gone since you moved in?”
He nods and looks down at his feet. “Yeah. Back before…after all the bad shit happened, he stuck close. I know he wanted to look out for me, make sure I was okay. But now things are better, and I guess he feels more comfortable with going. He’s important and stuff.”
