Page 17 of A Box of Wishes
“Can’t have candles?”
“Too many little ones running around during the day. I wanted something to make the place look festive, and these fit the bill. They light up, and we can clip the Reserved signs to the branches.” He shot a sideways glance at Ben. “Which means less clutter.”
“So customers have more room for their laptops?”
“That too.”
Ryan’s excitement was cute and contagious—as intoxicating as kissing while sipping champagne.
And where had that thought come from?
A smile turned up the corners of Ben’s mouth. He shoulder-checked Ryan out of the way and took charge of the trolley. “I’ll guard your haul. You roam and find stuff.”
Ryan didn’t argue. Relieved of the need to navigate the aisles, he poked through the store’s nooks and crannies like nobody Ben knew ever did, exploring the quirky, the mundane, and the practical. Going shopping seemed as rare an event for him as it was for Ben. Ryan shopped with an eye for colour and vibe, adding small pictures, colourful cushions, and an enormous stack of cotton dish towels to his cart. All while smiling at total strangers and exchanging greetings with people he knew.
Ben followed in his wake, considering furniture and accessories for his own home. Modernist simplicity wasn’t his preferred style, nor was he ready to grab a trolley of his own and load it with everything he needed, but the idea of giving his home a makeover no longer made him want to hide, either.
“How about this?” Ryan held up a large doughnut cat bed, fashioned from maroon faux suede and soft cream fleece. “Is this big enough?”
“For what?”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “For Morris, of course. I promised to look after him during the day, so he needs a bed. Right?”
“You don’t need to buy that for him! I can bring his bed from home.”
“And then take it back with you at night? Don’t be silly. You don’t have to drag furniture back and forth, and if Morris is staying with me, I want him to be comfortable.”
Ben spotted a tiny plush mouse in Ryan’s trolley. A plastic litter tray. Two earthenware dishes decorated with paw prints. And a fishing rod with a feathery toy dangling from it. Where had his mind been while Ryan had added all those things to the cart?
“Ryan, he’s a cat. He sleeps all day.”
“Then he needs a comfy bed. So, is this thing big enough, or shall I get the next size up?”
“A stack of old towels will work just as well.”
“I’m not making your cat sleep on old towels! He’s going to be my guest, and he’s going to be comfortable. End of.” He dumped the doughnut bed on top of the trolley and started towards the checkout, leaving Ben to follow at his own pace.
“What’s with this pile?” Ben asked while Ryan separated his purchases. The pile in question contained three large plushies, tubs of crayons, and colouring books. “You already have a stack of colouring books over there.”
“Those are for the shop. They keep the little ones entertained, giving their mums a chance to have a chat. These and the toys are for my girls. They’re running the place by themselves so I could go shopping.”
“You didn’t plan this trip, did you? You only came out because— Ow!” Ben’s hand flashed to his ear, which stung from Ryan’s sharp flick. “What was that for?”
“For being maudlin. I came with you to check on Morris. And when you offered to help me get all this stuff, I would have been stupid to turn you down,” he said, as if the trip hadn’t been his idea. “My girls are worth their weight in gold. I always buy treats for their kids when I come here.” He set his purchases neatly onto the conveyor belt while Ben watched. “Good staff is a lifesaver. I learned that before I went off to college.” He waved at the cushions and blankets on the pile. “There’s more to running a business than paying a decent wage. It’s about making my staff and their children comfortable, too.” His cheeks reddened, and he turned his head away, fussing with the items on the belt. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to rant.”
“I get it. After all, you’ve kept me from worrying all day.” Without making Ben feel he was being managed, too.
It was remarkable to be taken care of like this, and Ben appreciated the gesture.
By the time they’d checked on Morris, returned to the coffeehouse, and unloaded all of Ryan’s haul, it was late afternoon. Ryan, remembering how much Ben had feared that Morris would die, didn’t want to send the man home to an empty house. He stopped Ben with a beer while he rolled out a portion of the bread dough he’d pulled from the freezer that morning, and topped it with sliced beef, green chillies, and a generous layer of cheese.
His instant creation was a hit with Ben. They enjoyed the pizza sitting in the kitchen, beers to hand, until Ben decided he should assemble office furniture.
“Now?”
“Why not? Your office will feel more habitable with working furniture. Especially if the only stuff lying around are papers we haven’t filed yet.”
“Ben, it’s—”
