Page 55 of Coffee Shop Girl
He headed toward the door. Our moment had finally come.
“Lizbeth, upstairs. Now,” I said quietly. “Ellie, you too.”
Something in my voice must have clued her in, because Lizbeth didn’t even look. She pitched her book to the floor and scrambled out of the chair. I slid out from behind the counter to block the view of the hallway just as Ellie stood. All color drained from her face when she saw Jim.
She leaped over the counter.
Lizbeth grabbed her arm and hurried her into the hallway behind me. My stomach flipped as Jim reached for the handle, yanking the door open. The girls’ feet quietly padded up the steps. The upstairs door locked behind them just as Jim walked inside.
My upper lip curled into a sneer at first, but I turned it into a surprised half-smile that probably looked feral. Thankfully, today I’d gone with red lipstick. Power red, thinking I’d need it to get through this stupid manual. Plus a pair of flats that went a little too perfectly with this dress.
I was ready for this.
“Jim?”
Jim stopped just inside, his beady eyes darting around the shop. Those eyes were a deep hazel and surprisingly clear. He had Lizbeth’s fair complexion and red hair. The locks were lank and choppy, as if he’d attacked them with a pair of rusty kitchen scissors in the dark. Knowing him, he probably had. Too bad he hadn’t stabbed his eye in the process. A ragged pair of jeans with holes in the knees and a shoe with a missing shoelace completed his ensemble.
“Bethany. Never thought I’d see you again.”
Never wanted to,I thought.
We stood there for a moment, at an impasse.
“This is ... unexpected,” I said. “I haven’t heard from you since Mama died.”
He frowned, valleys furrowing in his forehead. “Been busy.”
It took all my willpower to gesture to the chalkboard, as if he were any other customer. I strolled behind the counter. “Can I get you a drink? On the house.”
“No.” He shoved a hand in his pocket, eyes on me as he advanced into the room. I imagined him barreling toward the girls, whiskey on his breath, and stood my ground. My chin tilted up. His gaze flickered with uncertainty.
“What brings you here?” I asked.
“The girls.”
I frowned. “The girls?”
“They here?”
“Here?” I echoed again, resting my hands on the counter so he didn’t see them trembling. “Why would they be here?”
He studied me. His own hands shook. Withdrawal, probably. With any luck, he’d leave, get drunk, and crash his car on the way back.
He could burn for hours for all I cared.
“They ran off a while ago.”
I feigned surprise.
“That wild idiot Ellie probably put it in Lizbeth’s head to play a prank on me, and they haven’t come back. People are starting to ask.”
This time I didn’t hold my anger back. They’d been gone for weeks. He probably only camebecausepeople were asking.
“You’ve lost them?”
“No! They ran off. Not like I could stop them.”
“As their father.”
