Page 13 of Here With Me

Jon stood and stretched. “You’re coming for dinner tomorrow, right?”

“Leah has texted me eight times today. I’ll be there.”

Jon grabbed his bag and left.

Silence fell in the gym, and David stood to pack up. Nate waited, his gym bag over his shoulder.

“I’m gonna have to call Gary, huh?” David rubbed his chin. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“You don’t have to.”

But what choice did he have? David had called or talked to just about everyone in town. No one was hiring, and thanks to the new high school community service hours, no one needed volunteers.

David pushed open the door and the cool evening air chilled his damp skin.

He said goodnight to Nate and climbed into his grandpa’s old truck. He started the engine and sat there. It was only six. The store had closed an hour ago. Gary would be finishing up dinner. Years ago, David had saved Gary’s number. It wouldn’t be hard to call and chat with the man. He had said he could use help around the shop.

Before he could lose courage, David pulled out his phone and called him. Gary answered on the third ring.

“Hey, Gary. David Williams here.”

“David. What a surprise. What can I do for ya, son?”

David swallowed at the endearment. It shouldn’t surprise him. Gary had called him son when he’d seen him at the shop.

“You mentioned you could use some help around the store.”

“Ah. About that.” Gary hesitated a moment, and David tightened his grip on the wheel even though he hadn’t moved from his parking spot.

Not the enthusiastic and overwhelming yes David had hoped for, but considering his past with Sadie, perhaps he should expect the hesitation.

Gary cleared his throat. “We, uh, could use some help. But unfortunately, we aren’t in a position where we could pay someone.”

It took a lot for Gary to admit that. David knew how much the man kept his personal business personal. Never in all his years working in the store had he heard Gary mention anything to do with the books. Even when he’d planned to pass the store on to David and Sadie, he said they’d discuss the money issues later. Always pushing the conversation off. Of course, they never got to the point where it had been time to discuss finances, either.

David shifted into first gear but didn’t move the car. “Good news for you, Gary. I don’t need to be paid. I’m looking for something short term. It would only be a few weeks, but I’d be happy to be an extra set of hands.”

“Well.” Laughter sounded over the phone, but then cut off. The line was quiet for a beat, and David pulled the phone down to look at the screen to see if the call had dropped. Gary hadn’t hung up. Another beat, and then he cleared throat. “It would be like old times.”

Not really. Sadie wouldn’t be there. But that would be for the best. “Perhaps.”

“I tell you what, meet me tomorrow at the store around ten. We can talk then. And it gives me time to talk with the new proprietor.”

New proprietor?

But did it matter? There were no other options. He needed a job to show Lance he was willing to be out in the community. Working for free would look even better. He was helping. Giving back. Making connections.

Even if the impossible might happen, David would have to make it work. He’d do whatever he had to in order to get back to Costa Rica.

If that meant facing the new proprietor of Hoover’s Hardware—whoever that might be—he could do that. He had to.

David nodded. “Okay. See you in the morning.”

Why had Sadie told her dad she’d deal with the bank?

She stared down Eddie Fry who sat across the desk in his plush office. His freshly pressed suit and neatly styled hair. How could her high school classmate have grown up and become so put together? And old?

His thick-rimmed glasses perched precariously on his nose, in no way hiding his woolly eyebrows in need of a good plucking. “I understand your concerns, Ms. Hoover, but there’s very little I can do. I’m sorry.”

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