Page 83 of Merging Wright

Jane shakes her head while chewing at her lower lip.

“Jane?” Panic courses through me. Did someone approach her? Frighten her? Another fire incident hasn’t happened, but it hasn’t lessened my concerns that someone has it out for the project. For Jane and me.

“I just had an . . . altercation with the owner of Needles & Thread.”

The business offers tattoos in the back and yarn and embroidery thread in the front. We’ve known the owners might be a problem as they are working two businesses in one location. How Fischer let that pass I haven’t determined.

“What happened?” I grip her harder, feeling the unsettled vibration in her through my fingertips.

“I explained that they couldn’t share the space and we’d need to find an alternative. Knox wasn’t happy.”

Knox Mathers is the tattoo artist, and I don’t give a fuck if he’s happy or not. He upset Jane.

“Did he yell at you? Did he touch you?” The hairs on the back of my neck rise. Jane is shaking her head, but my mind is spiraling. “We’ll evict them.”

“No.” Jane places a hand on my chest. “That’s not a solution. We’re here to help. We’ll need to think of something else.”

“I know you already have a plan in that sees-the-whole-picture-brain of yours, but this might be a sliver that’s more like a thorn.”

Slowly, Jane’s lips curl. Her gaze meets mine. “I wanted them to separate, one taking the empty space next to Trixie’s, but their business name ties them together. Maybe one could move upstairs and the other remain below?”

The storefronts with upper levels are varied in their zoning. Some are residential. Some are for professional services like doctors and dentists.

“Whatever you want. You’re the boss,” I tease. She’s so passionate about this project, and when she smiles, wide and bright, that funny feeling happens inside me again.

Happiness?

Feet slapping the sidewalk turns both our heads. Stella is walking toward us with Willow in her arms.

“Hi.” Jane’s voice lifts, her demeanor shifting at the sight of Willow. A new smile brightens her face despite the upset from the confrontation with Knox. He and I are still going to have words, but Jane slips her hand around my arm as she turns toward Stella and Willow. “What’s going on?”

Shouldn’t Willow be in school?

However, the sudden concern in Jane’s voice has me looking between all three ladies.

“Another stomachache.” Stella jostles Willow in her arms, giving Jane a look.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I was hoping we could have some hot chocolate. I could use some cheering up,” Jane offers.

Willow lifts her head from Stella’s shoulder. “I could drink hot chocolate.”

“With a stomachache?” I interject and Jane squeezes my arm.

“Uh-huh.” Stella lowers Willow to the sidewalk and reaches for her hand. “That’s what I thought.” She looks up at Jane. “What I could use is someone to watch her for a bit.” She jiggles Willow’s hand.

“I could take her,” Jane offers. I’m not upset by the suggestion, but I thought we had work to do. “We could take her up to Camilla’s until you close the coffee shop at two.” Jane pauses a moment while Stella contemplates. “It takes a village, right?”

“Is Camilla around?” Stella asks. I’m offended by the question. As if Jane isn’t capable but Jane is quick to answer.

“Of course. I understand you don’t exactly know us.” Jane turns to me and back to Stella. “But we’ll stay at the house until you’re ready for her.”

The eagerness in Jane’s eyes almost matches Ma’s grandmother-heart eyes and I can’t deny that look is doing strange things to me. I also didn’t miss how she said we would take Willow to the house.

“Okay. I’ll let Theo know, just so he’s aware, and check in on you later.” Stella leans to address Willow. “And you. Be the angel I know you are.”

Willow nods and then looks at Jane. When Jane extends a hand, Willow’s small smile grows into a fooled-you-all grin. Stomachache my ass. But she has Jane won over and we’ll be spending the afternoon watching Willow.

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