Page 56 of Between Now and Forever
How ya doing, Jay?” Mr. Thomas asks from the other side of the counter.
The door chimes as it swings closed. The THOMASHARDWARESTOREsign vibrates against the glass, creating its own alert.
The hardware store can’t have changed much since it was built in the early 1900s. A layer of dust sits on just about everything, which would lead one to believe they aren’t busy.They are.Aside from Betty Lou’s, this is the busiest place in Alden.
“I’m good, Mr. Thomas. How are you?” I ask.
“Fine, fine. This rain could stop, though.” He whistles through his teeth. “Three days of it in a row is about enough for me and my arthritis.”
“Every sports injury I’ve ever had has been aching this week.”
He lifts a brow. “You played sports? Where at?”
“Back home in Indiana. A little town in the middle of a cornfield.”
He looks me up and down. “You look like a baseball player.”
“Thanks.”I think.
I chuckle, glancing around the store. I’m the only customer at the moment.
“How’s work goin’ these days?” he asks, busying himself with a stack of papers. “I know you’ve been in here a lot, so I reckon that means it’s good.”
“Yeah, it’s good. I’ve got one on hold until Monday and another ... rained out.”
Mr. Thomas glances out the window at the overcast day. “Okay. Sure. I hear ya.”
I frown.It’s not rained out. I’m just a fool, and I’m sure he knows that now.
Whatever. I have bigger fish to fry.
Gabrielle has been out of sight since I left Monday after the whole breaker box incident. I caught a glimpse of her a couple of times, getting in and out of her car, but unlike every other day she’s lived on the street, she’s not been outside.And I hate it.
The rain hasn’t helped the situation at all. It started Monday evening, and there has been at least a mist since. I love a few days off work, but this time, I’m going stir-crazy.
“Do you have my bill handy?” I ask, pulling out my wallet.
“I bet we do. Gimme a minute to sort through this stack.”
“You know, if you’d get online, this would be a lot easier.”
He snorts. “Not happening. We’ve made it fifty years without going online. I reckon we can go a few more.” He licks his finger and then pulls out a sheet. “Here you go. This one is yours.”
I take a look at it. If it were anywhere else, I’d go line by line. But if there’s one thing I’m sure of, Mr. Thomas is exactly right—to the penny.
“Looks good to me,” I say, signing the bottom. Then I hand him my credit card. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Jay.”
He shoves my card into the machine, and I sit on one of the stools at the counter. If there’s another thing I’m sure of, it’s that Mr. Thomas will take forever to actually take my money. It’s the only bad thing about finding him at the desk and not his helper, Frank.
“Where’s Frank?” I ask.
“Ah, his wife’s gout is back. I told him to take the day off. I can handle it in here.”
I nod, watching him punch buttons, and then grow frustrated.You’ll get it. Keep trying.
My lips twitch as I remember the last time I said that—to Carter not more than twelve hours ago, when he came over to use my pumper.
