Page 74 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

Instead of heading home, Alex drove to The Cracked Spine. The late afternoon light cast long shadows across the street as he parked and made his way to the bookstore's entrance. Through the window, he could see Claire helping an elderly customer select a book, her animated gestures suggesting an enthusiastic recommendation.

He waited until the customer had paid and left before entering, the bell above the door announcing his arrival.

Claire greeted him with a warm smile. "Alex! Where is that lovely daughter of yours?"

"Hey, Claire." He approached the counter, suddenly uncertain how to begin. "Do you have a minute to talk?"

Claire's expression shifted to one of concern as she glanced around the shop. "Sure, let me find Nick so I can let him know to cover for me." The wholesome young man was being chatted up by a group of teenage girls, looking equally flustered and in his element, and it took a few moments for Claire to get his attention.

Nick hustled to the front counter and the girls followed behind him in a tight pack, making Alex think of an amoeba the way they moved.

Claire held the staff breakroom door opened for him. "I don't have any coffee on right now, but there are some sparkling waters in the fridge," she offered. When Alex declined, she gestured at the table and they both sat. "What's going on?"

Alex got right to the point. "It's about Juno."

Claire nodded slowly, like she'd assumed as much. "She told me you two were 'taking a break.'" She made air quotes around the phrase.

"That's one way to put it," Alex said with a humorless laugh. "Did she tell you about her father?"

"Only that he got another job out of town," Claire said slowly, crossing her arms. "But she was being weird about it. Evasive."

Relieved to at least know the guy was no longer working for Juno, Alex took a deep breath. "I think Leonard stole from her. My boss told me today that she's postponed the project because someone emptied her expansion money account."

Claire's eyes widened. "Oh, no," she exclaimed quietly. "She didn't say anything to me. Are—are you sure it was him?"

"No," Alex admitted, but he could tell by Claire's expression that she wasn't surprised by his accusation. "But it adds up. A few days ago, I caught Leonard stealing from a customer's bag at the coffee shop. I confronted Leonard and Juno walked in on it. Juno and I argued about it. She didn't believe me, and since I didn't have proof, other than what I saw, she basically asked me to leave." He ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't the first time I saw him do something shady, either. I caught him pocketing tips left on the tables, too."

"I knew it. I knew there was something crooked about that guy," Claire muttered, shaking her head.

Alex nodded. "I know. And now you say he's gone, right?"

"Took a construction job out of town," Claire said in a scathing tone. "Like that man has ever lifted a hammer a day in his life."

"Well, apparently, he took Juno's savings with him when he left."

"Why did that man come back here?" Claire smacked her hand on the table. "Hasn't he done enough to her already?"

After a few moments of silence while they both processed the magnitude of the situation, Alex said, "I think she needs help."

"But she's not going to ask for it." Claire finished his thought for him. "You know how she is—stubborn, independent. She'd rather suffer alone than admit what happened."

"Right. But that doesn't change the fact that she needs help," he reiterated. "But I doubt she'd be very happy if I just showed up over there and openly accused her father of stealing from her, since she's not admitting that's what happened, as far as I can tell."

Claire eyed him thoughtfully. "So I take it you have some kind of work-around? A way to help her without her knowing you're doing it?"

"Not me," Alex said. "Or at least, notjustme. All of us. Her friends. The people who care about her."

Claire's brows went up, but she waited to hear what he had to say.

"Your Garden Variety Lovers Club ladies," Alex began. "I was thinking... maybe we—you ladies—could organize something. A fundraiser of some kind. I think she'd accept it easier if it came from her friends."

Claire tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the table top. "A community event. Something that shows her she's not alone, that Autumn Lake has her back." She frowned. "It's going to have to be a surprise. She'd never agree to it otherwise."

"That's kind of what I was thinking, too," Alex agreed, although a tiny spark of hope was igniting inside of him. Claire was getting on board, and if she commandeered her group of friends into putting on an impromptu event, it might just work.

"You know," Claire said, suddenly sitting up straight in her chair. "Our whole GVLC hasn't gotten together out at the B&B since they opened for business earlier this month. We are due for a lady's night out there, don't you think?"

"That's the idea." Alex grinned, his shoulders relaxing as he watched the wheels turning behind Claire's eyes.

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