Page 22 of Love By the Slice

Shelly said, “What’s there to think about? You said you were killing time at your father’s place. Why stay?”

Ezra raised his hands, palms outward. “Um, Shelly, you’re at about a ten right now, and you need to dial it down to a three or four. It’s up to Greg where he works, and we don’t need an answer now.” He turned to Greg. “Two weeks, though.” His eyes narrowed. “Even if that means you wait thirteen days and flip a coin when I call for an answer on Day Fourteen.”

Greg opened his hands. “It’s like you know me.”

Shelly said, “Or you could make the decision now and manage the new location.”

Greg said, “They don’t even have a new location yet. Only plans.”

Shelly opened her mouth to keep harassing Greg when the back door opened, and in stepped a man with dark eyes and a salt and pepper beard. Lacey said, “Oh, I’m sorry. We aren’t open yet.”

The man glowered at them. “I need you guys to stop doing something. My kid came home with a pizza box from this place, and he tells me you guys are giving him free food.”

Shelly said, “Greg did. What’s the problem?”

Lacey looked at Greg. “You did?”

Shelly said, “New Year’s. The kid was dumpster diving.” She looked at the man. “You’re talking about Rowan? You’re his grandfather?”

The man scowled. “Look. I know you think you’re helping, but there’s no need. He’s not starving.”

Shelly folded her arms. “Really? He did a great imitation of it.”

Lacey lowered her voice. “Shelly, hang on.” She turned back to the man. “I’m one of the owners, and I didn’t know any of this. Can you back up and tell me the whole thing?”

The man glared at her. “My grandkid’s been coming here and getting pizza, but he hasn’t been paying. Your cook says he gets a free pizza every day, and my kid takes it instead of him. I don’t believe him.”

Lacey’s eyes flickered to Greg. “They are allowed to make a free pizza every day. I don’t police who eats it. Is your grandson allergic?”

“It’s not that he’s allergic. It’s that this isn’t right. He’s not a charity case.”

When Shelly said, “There’s nothing wrong with charity,” Greg flinched.

“Shelly—”

She interrupted. “No, there really is nothing wrong with charity. Sometimes it’s necessary. I wish to high heaven my mother had taken charity.” Shelly turned back to Rowan’s grandfather. “If he’s coming here and getting a meal, what’s the problem? We’ve just verified he’s not stealing.”

The grandfather said, “This isn’t your business.”

Lacey said, “Excuse me, sir, but it very literally ismybusiness. It doesn’t sound like they’re giving him anything they don’t want to, and they’re not giving him anything they’re not allowed to give. As such, they’re not in any trouble with me. So, let’s talk about you.” She tilted her head. “You object to him receiving pizza because you feel it’s shameful?”

Shelly folded her arms and drew breath, but Ezra said, “Shelly. Let the man talk.”

Lacey said, “Since it’s your grandson, we’ll follow your rules, but I want to be clear about the issue.”

The man smoldered, and for once, Shelly waited him out.

Greg leaned back on one leg. Ezra still wore a dark scowl, but he didn’t seem ready to fight. This wasn’t about to become a physical altercation, and even if it was, an injured guy in his sixties versus two guys who routinely hauled fifty-pound bags of flour was not going to finish that fight.

The man sighed. “Look, times are tough. But they’re tough for everyone. Rowan...he takes on the weight of the world. I didn’t know what trouble he was getting in because he didn’t tell me. We can handle this. But I need him not to be hiding things from me, and I need him not to be begging for food.”

Shelly glanced at Greg, who decided now wasn’t the time to talk about sardine and pineapple pizzas and fake addresses. Shelly said, “Rowan never begged. For that matter, he didn’t even ask. He was shocked when Greg offered.”

The man shifted his weight. “You’re saying you got a look at him and decided he was starving?”

Shelly cocked her head but didn’t answer.

Lacey said, “What can we do to help? My brother could eat his weight in pizza when he was in high school, so I get it if he seems like a bottomless pit.”

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