Page 33 of Charm

I glance up at Rook. As usual, he’s wearing a three-piece suit that resembles the one I chose today. It’s not uncommon for us to dress alike. It’s always a coincidence, but his daughter gets a kick out of it.

“You’re twinning again,” Kirby declares with a smirk. “If my daddy didn’t have black hair and a beard, you’d be impossible to tell apart.”

That’s a stretch since we don’t resemble each other in the slightest, but I don’t say a word because she’s a girl with her own view of the world. I’ll never do anything to try to change that.

I push up to stand and look Rook in the eye. “Ice cream in the middle of the work day?”

“Don’t knock it until you try it.” He laughs. “Come with us.”

“Please!” Kirby tugs on my hand. “I need to tell you some stuff.”

Since I had dinner with Rook and his family two nights ago, I can’t imagine what Kirby has to tell me, but the life of a kid is never dull, so I nod. “I’m in.”

“I’m getting strawberry,” Kirby announces as she takes Rook’s hand with her free hand. “Who’s with me?”

Laughing, I smile down at her. “I am. Strawberry ice cream, it is.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Greer

I stareat Krista from where I’m standing near a pallet that holds one of our best sellers. We’re in the crowded stock room of our store. This business we’ve built together has been a labor of love, and now mysometimesbest friend is telling me she wants to bail on me.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I look right at her. “Repeat that.”

“Howie got a job offer in Los Angeles.” She takes a breath. “He’s going to take it. I’m going with him.”

I heard that part just fine the first time she said it. I panicked slightly because I pictured longer working days and late nights devoted to fulfilling online orders. In addition, someone has to ensure our staff shows up to help cover the duties in our small storefront.

It’s what she said after she announced that she’s moving to California with her soon-to-be husband that knocked the wind out of me. “You said something else, Krista.”

I want to believe that I misheard her, but it was clear as a bell. Still, I need to hear it again.

“We need to sell Sweet Indulgence, Greer.” There’s a tremor in her voice. “I already found a buyer.”

It doesn’t even matter that I’m not in a financial position to buy her out at the moment. Our business agreement is ironclad. One of us can’t sell their half without the other agreeing to sell theirs as well. When we launched, we couldn’t picture one of us running it without the other, so we put that sentiment into a legal document and signed it.

We started this business to honor our best friend. All Celia Edlund ever wanted was to run a candy business. It was her dream for years, but she didn’t live long enough to make that a reality, so Krista and I did it.

Sweet Indulgence is built on our shared love for our late friend.

“You’re thinking about Cels,” she says the nickname I bestowed on Celia shortly after we met in third grade.

“Don’t,” I warn with a finger in the air. “Don’t call her that.”

Celia and I were a duo until we met Krista in middle school. From that point on, the three of us were inseparable until we lost Cels.

Her chance to enjoy this business was stolen from her before we even launched. We did that three years ago.

I had a stable and flourishing career in advertising at the time. Krista was floating from one job to another. When she came to me with the concept of our very own candy company, I was skeptical, but I couldn’t shake Celia’s words from my mind.

“One day we’ll work side by side at a candy counter, Greer,” she said months before she died.

I took the leap but held onto my job. That only lasted six months, and then I had no choice but to go all in. It was all toomuch for Krista, and I wanted nothing more than to make it a success.

“I can’t sell,” I whisper. “I just can’t, Krista.”

Her brown eyes well with tears. “Celia would want us to be happy. I’ll be happy in Los Angeles. I’m under consideration for an internship with a fashion designer there. You know how much I’ve always wanted to design dresses.”

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