That was the biggest load of horse-pucky I’d ever heard. “That is not what happened. I was dating another guy when I was writing the book.”
“Oh, really? What was his name?”
“Tim ... or Tom. It was one of those.”
“That’s what I thought.” Grandpa looked smug. “You don’t have to wedge yourself into one life, Stormy. You can make your own life ... and Hunter can be part of it. If you give him the chance, that is.”
“He has a girlfriend.”
“He has a shield.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“She’s a shield,” Grandpa repeated. “That’s how he wields her, anyway. He doesn’t care about her. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her, but he’s not emotionally invested in that relationship. He only keeps her around because she makes a convenient obstacle for you.”
I worked my jaw. He wasn’t the first person to suggest something similar. “I don’t know that I want to stay here for the rest of my life. I mean ... it’s tiny. There’s not even a Starbucks.”
“And I’m happy for that,” Grandpa fired back. “You don’t have to spend the rest of your life here. You can have a life that involves travel ... and Hunter ... and cities ... and those trails by the river that you love walking so much. You can design your own way.”
He was making far too much sense for me today. “I need to wipe down the tables in the front,” I muttered, increasing the distance between us. “By the way, when can I start working later shifts? I’m not a morning person. I think I would be better handling lunch and dinner hours.”
Grandpa rolled his eyes. “Fine. Run away from the conversation. That’s what you always do.”
“I’m not running. I’m genuinely curious.”
“You can start working later shifts when you’re off probation.”
“And when will that be?”
“When you stop showing up late for work.”
“I was on time today.”
“And when you stop running from questions.”
He was nothing if not persistent. “I think I have answered all your questions.”
“As long as you think that, you’ll be lost. You need to get it together, kid. You’re not a teenager any longer. You’re an adult, and everything you want is here. You just have to see it.”
I hated it when he sounded reasonable. “I’m going to check the front.”
I heard his sigh from behind me. “Stormy, the world isn’t against you. You only think it is.”
“It doesn’t feel that way.”
“Then you need to change your way of thinking. There’s a whole world out there just waiting for you to take control. Do it. Embrace who you’re supposed to be.”
He made it sound so easy. “Maybe I don’t know who I’m supposed to be.”
“You do. You’re just afraid to admit it.”
THE MORNING RUSH WAS A BLUR. WE WERE especially busy thanks to an influx of tourists from Hemlock Cove. Apparently there’d been an incident the night before. The women who took over most of the cafe section couldn’t stop talking about it.
“There were lights over the trees,” one of them enthused. “One of the witches set them on fire ... and there was a wedding ... and I think there was some weird bird attack. It was amazing.”
I smiled as she recounted her adventure. “Can I get you anything else?”
“We’re good for now.”
When I turned back to the coffee counter, I was surprised to find Hunter perched on a stool. He was positioned in the spot I’d left Grandpa in only twenty minutes before.
“Hey.” I automatically poured him a mug of coffee without asking. Much like me, he needed caffeine poured directly into his veins until noon to make it through the rest of the day. “Do you want something to eat or are you just here stalking my grandfather again?”
Hunter’s smile was rueful. “I’m a great multi-tasker.”
“You always were,” I agreed, handing him a menu.
“Can I still get breakfast?” he asked, gripping the laminated page without glancing at it.
I shifted my eyes to the clock. “It’s after eleven.”
“I know, but ... .” He looked like a puppy begging for food. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” he reminded me.
I glanced over the swinging doors to see who had taken over grill duty. David was there, so I nodded. “Yeah. You can have breakfast. Don’t tell Grandpa I bent the rules for you.”
Hunter’s grin was warm and wide. “Thank you.”
“French toast?” I already knew the answer. It was his favorite.
“Do you have that cinnamon bread I love so much?”
“Of course.”
“Then give me a double helping.”
My eyebrows hiked. “Hungry?”
“Let’s just say I think it’s going to be a long day.”
“Monica or my grandfather?” The snarky question was out of my mouth before I thought better about asking it.
He didn’t appear insulted on his girlfriend’s behalf. “Yeah, um, I’m sorry about her.”
I wasn’t expecting such a genuine response. “It’s fine.” I averted my gaze.
“It’s not fine.” He was firm. “She was rude to you. It’s not fair. She shouldn’t be making you feel guilty for accepting a ride in the middle of a storm.”
He seemed to be in an open and giving mood today, which made me want to grill him about Monica. That would likely spoil the truce we were enjoying, so I managed to curtail my baser urges. “It honestly is fine.” I flashed a genuine smile before taking his order into the kitchen. “This is for Hunter,” I told David pointedly.
David glanced at the ticket and nodded. “I won’t tell Grandpa.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” I shot back.
David snorted. “Right. None of us are afraid of him.”
Rather than comment further, I left him and took the pot of coffee around the restaurant, topping off cups. When I returned to the cafe section, I found the corner table had been snagged by a familiar face.
“Vera,” I noted as I returned the pot to the warmer and inclined my head in that direction.
Hunter lifted his chin and stared. “She’s been out quite a bit since Roy died.”
It was a statement, not a question. “Do you suspect her?”
“The wife is always a suspect.”
“That wasn’t really an answer.”
“No,” he agreed, rubbing his chin as he watched my cousin Annie approach Vera. “It doesn’t look like she’s alone today.”
My eyes shifted to the man walking through the door. He was distinguished, dressed in a relatively expensive suit, and he made a beeline for Vera. He didn’t greet anyone else in the restaurant, which was practically unheard of in town where everyone pretty much knew everyone else. I didn’t recognize him. “Who is he?”
“Barry Buttons,” Hunter replied with a grimace, distaste evident.