Page 90 of A Novel Summer
“More news,” Shelby said, getting their attention. “Because today hasn’t been exciting enough: Justin just texted that the trust wants to buy Land’s End!”
“They do? Still?” Colleen said, turning to look at Pam. “Didn’t you tell her?”
Pam and Annie glanced at each other, then uneasily at Shelby.
“Tell me what?” Shelby said, confused.
Pam stood up from the wooden chair she was sitting in against one wall. A balloon drifted in front of her, and she moved it aside. “I mentioned that I wanted to talk to you before you left. There’s a wrinkle in the plan.”
“Oh?”
Shelby had worried about this: the financial reality would hit them. They were taking a loss with the Community Trust offer. There had to be some way to get more for them. Maybe she could raise additional funds, pitch in, some of her own. Maybe the Dillworths would invest, though Hunter didn’t like asking them for anything.
“Shelby,” Colleen said, looking up with steady blue eyes. “I won’t be able to run the store. Not now.”
“Not right thisminute, obviously,” Shelby said. “You can hire someone to manage temporarily—until you’re ready to get back to work. And Mia still wants to—”
“Shelby, I’m sorry. Everything’s different now.” Colleen’s tone was hard-edged: this was not open for discussion. “I know it’s hard to understand and I really appreciate what you did to save the store. The timing just isn’t right.” Shelby felt punched in the gut. She looked around for a chair and sank into one.
“I...don’t get it. So what’s going to happen?” she said.
“We’re going to accept the Hendriks’ offer,” Annie said.
Shelby looked at Colleen, trying to figure out if this was Pam and Annie’s idea. But the untroubled expression on Colleen’s face told her that it wasn’t. So she nodded with understanding, hiding her disappointment. She wasn’t even sure why she felt so crushed. It was Colleen’s store, so if she was prepared to let it go, why wasn’t Shelby?
“We were going to tell you this week, but then everything happened with Colleen and the babies. I’m sorry.” Pam looked uncomfortable.
“Did you talk to the Hendriks already?” Shelby asked. Pam shook her head. Okay. So there was still a chance. “Can I ask you a huge favor? Can you hold off on taking the Hendrik’s deal? Just for a few more days?”
Pam and Annie glanced at Colleen, who shifted her body to face Shelby more directly.
“It’s okay, Shelby. I’m fine with it. Thanks for everything you—”
“Just give me one more day,” Shelby said, standing.
“For what?” Colleen said.
Shelby wasn’t quite sure. She just wasn’t ready to give up yet.
Sixty-Three
Commercial Street was painted yellow from end to end. Town Hall glowed in green lights as the Emerald City. Carnival “Somewhere over the Rainbow” had begun, and Shelby was on her way to see the closest thing she had to a wizard: Duke.
Hunter dropped her off in front of his house. They’d spent the entire morning drive back from Boston talking about the future of Land’s End. They both felt that losing the store meant more than losing a store. Land’s End was part of their personal history, the nexus of their three-way friendship. But it was also a piece of Provincetown history, and that gave them confidence that Duke would help them with the idea they came up with for a plan B.
Shelby walked up Duke’s driveway and saw he’d posted a painted This Way to Oz sign in his yard. He’d also set out a vintage bicycle with a front basket holding a stuffed dog, and a bunch of haystacks made out of what appeared to be shredded cardboard.
Duke answered the door wearing powder blue pajama shorts with navy piping and a matching top. Surprised, she checked the time on her phone.
“Did I wake you?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” he said. “But it’s obscenely late so I’m glad you did.” He closed the door. “Tell me everything: How’s Colleen? Did you see the twins?”
She followed him into the house.
“Colleen is great, the twins are tiny but healthy. Doug said it will be a while before they can bring them home.”
The living room was cluttered with used dessert plates and mostly empty champagne flutes. “Apologies for the mess,” he said.
