Page 15

Six years was a long time to be alone. Chuck had barely made it five months after his last breakup before falling in with Jeremy, and that had been a record for him. Commitment—six years of school runs and a leaking roof, and the guy had not once let himself be talked into a Friday night.

He finished the patch he was working on and climbed down to take a break. Inside, the bookstore was quiet, a handful of customers browsing the shelves. Amber was on the register, looking bored and anxious as usual.

“Niall back yet?” Chuck asked her.

“Nope. Still with the number cruncher.” She eyed his sweaty T-shirt with teenage disdain. “You’re getting dirt on the floor. Or something dark. Is that dirt?”

“Sorry. Shingles.” Chuck glanced down at the smudges his boots had left. “I’ll clean it up.”

“Whatever.” She turned her attention back to her phone. “There’s a broom in the closet by the bathroom.”

Chuck found the broom and was sweeping up his mess when the bell over the door jingled. He straightened, expecting to see Niall, but instead found himself face-to-face with a petite woman in huge sunglasses and a cream linen pantsuit that probably cost more than his truck.

“Excuse me.” Her voice was cool and quiet, as though she were speaking from another room. “I’m looking for Niall Ashworth.”

“He’s, uh, tied up in a meeting.” Chuck smiled at her, but she wasn’t having any of that. “Should be back soon if you want to wait.”

She removed her sunglasses, revealing a stare like granite. “And you are?”

“I’m helping with some repairs around the place.”

She scowled. “But Niall is selling.”

“I don’t know anything about that. I’m just fixing a few things. Chuck Mitchum.”

“Mitchum….” She frowned. “The boy who skipped town years ago?”

Chuck leaned on the broom, unsurprised by the recognition. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Interesting.” She glanced around the store with a critical eye. “Well, when Niall returns, be so kind as to inform him Helen Yao stopped by. I’ll speak to him later.”

Mrs. Yao. Niall’s former mother-in-law. Not a friendly woman, by all appearances. He must have gotten custody of them along with the kid. “Will do.”

She turned to leave, then paused. “Mr. Mitchum, my daughter made the mistake of being charmed by a stranger who made her forget what matters. I would hate to see Niall or my granddaughter suffer a similar disappointment.”

The warning was clear, and irritation flared in him. “With all due respect, Mrs. Yao, I’m only fixing his roof.”

“Of course.” Her quick smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Afternoon, Mr. Mitchum.”

After she left, Chuck put the broom away, his good mood shredded. He’d forgotten this small-town disease—the way randos judged you based on who you’d been, not who you were working to become.

“Was that Winnie’s grandmother?” Chuck asked Amber, who was watching him with newfound interest.

“Yep. Scary. She and Mr. Yao want Niall to move back to Sacramento so they can see Winnie more.” Amber lowered her voice conspiratorially. “They keep offering to buy him a condo and set him up with a job at Mr. Yao’s company, but Niall always says no.”

“Why?”

“Because Winnie loves this dump. Duh. And because the Yaos are control freaks who would, like, hyper-micromanage their lives. I mean, they’re nice and all, but they need someone to worry about.” Amber shrugged. “At least that’s what my mom says.”

Chuck was saved from responding by the return of Niall, who looked tired and stressed as he ducked inside. His expression brightened when he saw Chuck.

“Hey. How’s the roof coming?”

“Almost done with the patches. Should hold for a while.” Chuck hesitated, then added, “Your mother-in-law stopped by.”

Niall’s face fell. “Oof. Okay. What did Helen want?”

“Said she’d call you later. Looked pretty shocked-slash-annoyed to see me here. Oh, and you’re selling this place and I shouldn’t be fixing anything because she finds it all most inconvenient.”