Page 65 of Winter Break
“Thank you, Dalton.”
“And I can help with some planning, maybe get people excited to come in after the holidays. You know I’m pretty good at story time and game night.”
“We transferred some of that stuff to the bookstore.”
“Okay, so we focus more on younger kids over here, then. Games and activities. Oh! How about mom’s day out? The kids can do a craft here, and the moms can have book club, or whatever, next door.”
“Dalton, that’s a great idea!”
Dalton glanced out the office door.
“Are we the only one’s here? I’ll head out there.” I turned, but Turner stood and grabbed my arm.
“Dalton.” He shook his head. “Store’s empty.” His smile over the mommy-book-club idea was gone, worry lining his face again. “I shouldn’t have told you any of this.” The comment had a weight dropping to the pit of my stomach.
“Of course, you should have.” I caressed his cheek.
“It’s just. I haven’t told anyone.”
“Not even Anita?” He shook his head. “Baby, you know you can tell her.”
“I know, maybe. But I also haven’t told my best friend, or Anita’s.”
Turner gave me a second to figure it out.
“You mean Brett and my mom.”
“Ah fuck, this is about my dad.” Fuck At Home and their bid at boardwalk domination. Could One Hundred Four be at risk from one bad year?
“He’ll try to strike. He’s already offered to buy out the ice cream shop contract more than once. If they’re worried about making their numbers, that offer becomes more attractive. Then your dad has a foot in the door. My door. He could tank the business …”
Could he do that? Would he do that? I hated how easily I could envision it.
“But it’s still your building!”
“It’s my building as long as I can afford it.”
“Fuck, Turner. Could At Home, could my dad really swoop in …”
“He keeps telling me his lawyers are looking into the deed for this place. Anita assures me it’s all been done properly, and so have her lawyers, but your dad … I’m sorry, Dalt. We shouldn’t be talking about this.”
“Don’t say that, Turner. We absolutely should. You know I’m on your side. Always. You can say it, Turner. Please know, you can tell me anything.”
“He just sounds so sure and so”—he looked at me apologetically—“menacing that I sometimes believe it’s more than bluster. I’ve called the lawyers and bothered Anita about it, and they keep telling me not to worry.”
“Turner, baby. You are never a bother to Anita; you have to know that. And she may be a kooky old lady …”
“Her words.”
I smiled and nodded, “Her words. But you know she badgered those lawyers to get this right because she’s known my dad’s been after this place since forever.
“So let’s worry about the part that we can fix and not about my dad and his bullshit. Okay?”
“Okay.” Turner smiled at me through wet eyes, and I felt like I'd made an incredible discovery. For the first time, I was the one he leaned on, the one assuring him we could fix it.
Despite the challenges he faced, Turner lit up when the store got busy, and I floated on air all day as the two of us danced a dance around that storefront. We had done it during other winter breaks, but it felt entirely new. I helped out for most of the day, asking every kid who came through what craft they might like to do before school started up again after winter break.
Chapter Fourteen
