Page 51 of The Fantastic Fluke

When I turned to look at Gideon again, he was frowning at the door. “What just happened?” I asked.

“Something not right about him,” Gideon muttered, not answering my question at all.

I waved him off. “He’s fine. Hell, Gideon, he practically works for the government. The Aureum vets their people. Like, a lot.”

Gideon didn’t say anything else, just nodded and kept looking at the street. After a moment, he nodded in the direction of the coffee shop. “Don’t look now, but I think we’re about to have another visitor.”

I leaned across the counter and looked where his attention was focused, to find Lina Merton hurrying toward us, all the while glancing toward where David had gone. She definitely didn’t want to run into him again.

Maybe she just had issues with authority figures. Technically, for all his “aw shucks” sweetness and farm boy good looks, David was one of those. Hell, I should have found him terrifying, but he was just so... David.

When Ms. Merton reached the front door, she gave one last surreptitious glance behind her—not suspicious behavior at all—before coming inside. When she found me and Fluke watching as she came in, she ducked her head and scuffed one shoe against the floor. “TooMission Impossible?”

I waved a dismissive hand and lounged against the counter. “I get not wanting another scene. Honestly, I didn’t realize David was so attached to the shop until that discussion we all had.”

“The shop, sure,” Gideon muttered, and went over to plop unceremoniously down on the couch.

She glanced back in the direction David had gone, then back to me, and shrugged. “I don’t know him that well, but I thought the last thing we all needed was another Saturday.”

Huh. Didn’t know him that well. Guess they definitely hadn’t dated in the past, which left me back at square one for understanding their weird dynamic. She wasn’t wrong about us not needing a repeat of that previous encounter, though. I nodded. “Yeah, I’d rather not.”

“But I did want to stop in and say that, you know, I am interested in buying the shop. If you actually want to sell.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a manila envelope. “I had my lawyer draw up an offer. I know, I know, it’s premature, but you really do have the best building on the block. I think I could do amazing things with it.”

Premature didn’t even cover it. I didn’t think I’d given her much reason to believe I was interested, and she’d gone to a lawyer about it? Yikes.

Fluke, who had watched her come in with suspicion, growled as she approached the counter. Gideon wasn’t giving him any cues this time, just sitting there glaring in the direction David had gone. This was all Fluke.

“Go sit down, Fluke,” I said, voice low, but with as firm a tone as I could manage. The woman had already been through David being kind of a dick to her in my store. I didn’t want her to avoid me forever because no one would be nice to her while she was there. At least, I didn’t think I did.

He looked at me, giant brown eyes wide, then hung his head and turned to the sofa. He gave her one last glare on his way past. Bizarre.

Still, as irrational as he was acting, my instinct said to trust him over her. “Thanks for this, Ms. Merton. I have a meeting with my accountant next week, I’ll bring it up with him.”

Her answering grin was fast and—off, somehow. I didn’t know what about it bothered me; maybe I was being paranoid because Fluke was growly. But it did bother me.

She took her leave, waving, and I smiled and waved back. Then I slid the manila envelope she’d given me into the trash can behind the counter.

Just like that.

My chance to get out from under the responsibility my father had laid on me, and I threw it in the trash because a fox I’d known for a week growled at it.

I looked up from the trash to find Gideon watching me, eyebrow raised. “Change your mind about selling the store?”

“Maybe. I mean, I haven’t really given it a chance yet, have I? Beez is buying paint for the break room, and we’re gonna decorate it so she can read tarot cards in there.” I motioned to the door, then to the magazine racks. “I thought I could try getting rid of the fishing and bodybuilding magazines and start stocking some graphic novels. Maybe sell off the ancient westerns and sci-fi for cheap, open the space up to specialize in books that the students will like more. Or at least be able to use.”

Gideon looked over the rows of shelves, nodding. “Gonna change the name of the place? Bradford and Sons, not really a thing anymore.” That, of course, was when I realized my father was standing there listening to us, glaring at Gideon as though he were trying to murder him with his eyes.

I considered for a moment, staring at the counter. The place had been named for my father’s father, I thought, but I wasn’t sure. I’d never met the man. Had there ever been two sons? My father had never mentioned a brother. It was hard to muster up any kind of emotion or sentimentality for people I’d never known.

I had no idea what I would change the name of the shop to, but maybe it was finally time to take control of my life. I bit my lip and pictured the old-fashioned sign out front. How would it look with my name on it? Some other name? Maybe more importantly, was the pounding of my heart excitement or fear? There was only one way to find out.

“Yeah,” I agreed. The bell above the door jingled, and when I realized it was just Beez coming in, I finished my thought, pretending I was talking to Fluke. “It’s not Bradford and Sons now, if it ever was. If I’m gonna stay, maybe it is time for a change.”

She let out a tiny squeal and threw one fist in the air. In the other hand, she clutched a gallon of paint, which she then held up so I could see it. She was even wearing scruffy jeans and a stained shirt, ready to do the work. “How about let’s start with mystic amethyst, and talk about new shop names while we work? The rest of the paint and stuff is in my car.”

I grinned at her as I made my way around the counter to inspect the paint. “I dunno, B. How about we talk about which days of the week you’re planning to work?”

Far from offended or worried, she bounced on the balls of her feet and grinned like a wild woman. “Whichever ones you want off, babe. Maybe two a week till I finish defending my thesis, then I’ll be all yours.”

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