Page 35 of All Because of You

“My hero. I didn’t eat breakfast.” Madison motioned for Dottie to take one.

The older woman waved her hand at the box. “No, no, that would ruin my blood sugar for the day. But you go ahead, dear. I think I’m going to take this swatch home and ask Mr. Wildman which he prefers for the bathroom. It’s so good to see you again. I always knew you’d make something of yourself.” The retired librarian patted Madison on the cheek.

Were those tears shining in Madison’s eyes? “Thank you. It’s wonderful to see you as well.”

Dottie shuffled off, clutching a swatch with an array of bright orange colors.

Evan leaned in. “Do you think there’s something wrong with her vision? Those paint colors are something else.”

Madison sniffled and laughed while her fingers hovered over the box. “I tried to steer her more toward the calming blues, but she insisted that orange is her husband’s favorite color.” Snagging a chocolate long john, she took a bite and groaned. “Oh man. That’s amazing.” The donut left behind a smudge of chocolate at the corner of her mouth.

Evan itched to swoop in and kiss it away. But he didn’t want to presume, so he reached up slowly with his thumb and rubbed it off. “Your donut left a mark.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

“I’d better let you get back to work.” He closed the box as he glanced around. Even more customers flowed into the store. “How’s it going?”

They started walking toward the front desk where the owner of the local plant nursery waited with a hammer in his hand. “Great so far. I mean, I’ve only been open for about an hour, but I’ve had a lot of traffic just in that time. May have something to do with the raffle I’m holding—winner gets a fifty-dollar gift card—but I figured if I can just get people in the door, I’ve made progress.”

“I doubt it’s the raffle. Everyone’s been waiting on pins and needles for a hardware store they don’t have to drive a half-hour to.”

While she rang up Ned, Evan placed the donuts in the back on the little table in the break room. He chose a strawberry donut with sprinkles for himself and polished it off in three bites before returning to the main part of the store.

Already, Madison was showing hippie artist Jules Baker—Chrissy’s best friend and the owner of Serene Art next door—the display of tools on the other side of the store. Although Evan couldn’t hear what she was saying, the confidence in Madison’s tone drifted across the space as she pointed to various tools. Her posture indicated the same ease, as did her laughter. And when Jules leaned in to give Madison a long hug, Madison squeezed back with fervor.

On her way from talking with Jules, Madison caught him staring at her. “What?” The flash of vulnerability in her eyes did something to his insides, made Evan want to pull her to him and reassure her of what he was feeling.

Don’t screw it up.

He batted away the thought and smiled. “Just proud of you, that’s all. The town is really rallying to support you. You’re doing it.”

As she maneuvered around him to the spot behind the counter, he allowed his hands to skim her waist, and her eyes snapped to his, holding his gaze for what seemed like hours, not seconds. Finally, she spoke. “It wouldn’t have been possible without your help.”

“Nah, I was just the brawn. You’re the brains behind all of this. And the heart too.”

“Chrissy was—is—the heart.”

If he hadn’t known her like he did, he’d have missed the slight tremble in Madison’s lips. He joined her behind the counter and snagged her hand, squeezing it. “You both are.”

“I feel her here, you know? And . . . I hope she’d be proud. I didn’t let the family legacy die.”

Evan cocked his head to the side, studying her. “It’s not the store she cared about. It was you.”

“I know. But still. I feel like she’d approve, you know?”

Would she have approved of her niece giving up her dream of being a librarian to run the family store? It was impossible to know, but Evanwassure of one thing. “She’d have supported you doing whatever you wanted to do.”

Madison’s eyes narrowed slightly. Frowning, she fiddled with the keys of the cash register. “So, you think this was a mistake?”

“That’s not what I said at all.” Great, he’d stepped in it. “I just meant that Chrissy was the kind to support the people she loved in following their dreams. And I support you too.”

A teenage boy called to Madison for some help, and she turned a tight smile to Evan. “I’ve got to go.”

“Want me to man the register?”

“I don’t need you to.”

“But can I? I’d love to help somehow.”

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