Page 7 of All Because of You

Madison walked over and cracked the door to find a thirty-something man clutching a toddler’s hand. “Sorry, we aren’t open.”

The street and sidewalks behind the pair were wet, and gray clouds rolled gently across the horizon.

“I saw your light on and hoped . . .” The guy hugged his daughter close to his leg. “Our car broke down out front, and I don’t have any battery cables. I thought if I could buy some, surely someone would stop and give me a jump.”

“I’d love to help, b—”

“It’s my wife’s birthday, and Lucy and I were picking up a piece of artwork from next door—we’re not from around here, just visiting—and of course the car wouldn’t start after we got back in. But my wife has had a rough few months, and we just need to get her this present . . .” The guy’s eyes pleaded with Madison. His little girl’s lip trembled.

Madison sighed. “I don’t know if we have what you need, but you’re welcome to see.” She widened the door opening, and the man ushered his daughter inside. “I’m afraid I don’t know where they’d be.”

She didn’t know where anything would be. Who was she kidding? She didn’t even know what half the items in this store were.

“No worries. I’ll just have a look around if you don’t mind.”

“Be my guest.”

While the man perused, Madison tidied up the desk. A few minutes later, he and his daughter approached, a triumphant look in his eye and a package of red rope-looking things with handles in his hand. “Found them! What do I owe you?”

“Oh, uh. You can just have them.”

“No way. The least I can do is pay for them.”

Madison bit her lip. “What do you think is fair?”

The man shrugged. “I don’t know. Twenty bucks?”

“Sold.” She opened the drawer of the desk, tugged a note off the sticky pad, and wrote a “receipt” for him. “Oh, wait, I don’t have a way to take a credit card.”

“I’ve got cash.” He pulled a twenty from his wallet and held it out to her. “Thank you so much again. You saved us.” Then he left the same way he’d come.

Huh. That was . . . interesting.

Madison picked up her book again, losing herself for several minutes in another world.

The bell jangled over the door. She’d forgotten to lock it. “Sorry, we are—”

“Holy cow! Madison, is that you?” A willowy blonde pulled a wireless headphone from her right ear. Dressed in hot-pink pants and a sleek black jogging jacket, her long hair strung up in a messy ponytail, she looked like she belonged on the cover ofRunner’s World.

“Ashley?”

“Itisyou!” Ashley Baker shot forward, and they embraced. “How are you? I can’t believe it’s you. Girl, you look amazing!”

“Thanks.” Madison pushed her hair behind her ear. “I’m good. What about you? You look great as well.”

“Aw, you’re sweet. When did you get back into town, anyway? Normally I’d have heard something from the Walker Beach gossips.” A silly grin slid across her face.

That made Madison laugh as well, which felt good after the way she’d been feeling the last few days. Of course, Ash had always been good at bringing Madison out of her shell, being just about the only friend Madison had here. They’d drifted apart a bit in high school due to the natural course of things—Ashley being as involved in sports and other clubs as she was, Madison being the lonershewas.

But the woman acted as if they hadn’t missed a beat. And maybe, in her mind, they truly hadn’t.

Warmth stirred inside Madison’s chest. “My aunt left the store and her house to me, so I’m here to prep them for sale.”

That sobered Ashley right up. “I’m so sorry about Chrissy. We all miss her. She was such a light in this town.”

“Thanks.” Madison bit her lip. “What are you up to these days?”

Ashley tugged her ponytail around and played with the ends. “Oh, a little of this, a little of that. I work for a company in town as an events coordinator. Weddings, bar mitzvahs, corporate retreats, that sort of thing. It’s fun. I run and hike in my free time. Not that there’s much of that.” She cocked her head. “So, you’re only here for a little bit?”

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