Page 95 of Every Chance After

“No, you’ve lost a customer. For life.For life, gentleman,” she repeats.

And suddenly, I don’t care about fishing because this is too entertaining. I barely control my laughter with a hand over my mouth.

“But a customer looking for vintage pornos, on the other hand,” Wade tries, sounding defeated.

“Most people wouldn’t expect to find that here. There’s a valid market for such materials, but not here if we’re trying to be a convenience store. Ask yourselves, what do you want the G&G to be?”

“A convenience store,” they mumble together.

“The porn has to go,” she says, hands on hips.

“She’s right,” Christie says.

“Fine,” Wade barks. “We’ll… consider removing it.”

“Notconsiderit, Wade,” she chirps back. “Youwillremove it.”

“You aren’t the boss of me, missy. Why should I do anything you say?” he challenges, his eyes dark and narrow and his mustache twitching.

“That’s why you hired me, right?”

His eyes cut to me like he might end our deal right then. “Yes, but maybe I like things as they are. A little tidying up, sure. But this? I never agreed to big changes, and why should I make ‘em anyway?”

She perches her hands on the counter, making eye contact daringly but maintaining her usual smile. “Because Maureen wouldn’t want this for you, Wade.”

My heart stops—I can’t believe she said it. Neither can anyone else. She promised me she’d turn him into a teddy bear, not a damn, pissed-off, claws-out grizzly.

Thisis why I need to be here—to regulate them and protect her from their bullshit.

Wade glowers at her, practically bubbling with anger, while the others stare, mouths dropped and eyes wide. He stands, his chair shooting out from behind him and maintaining his glare, like Marina has thrown a shit-brick directly in his face. Her soft smile feels like fuel, feeding his rage.

Imustintervene. This was my idea. I divulged Wade’s history. And suddenly, bringing her into their lives feels like introducing a lit match to a gas spill. This is not good.

But seconds into their stare-down from hell, with Wade seething and her softly smiling, she does the unthinkable. She lays her delicate hand on his fisted one across the counter.

“Tell me something, Wade. What was her favorite color?”

“Um, green,” he spits out harshly.

“Apple? Sage? Olive?”

“Shamrock. Her Irish roots and all,” he says, slightly softer.

“Perfect, we’ll go with green for good luck,” Marina decides, nodding to Marigold, who quickly scribbles notes. Then, in the gentlest tone, with her hand still atop his on the counter, she says, “Let’s make this place beautiful again.For her.”

She tempers her words with an expression that readsI’m here to help you through your bullshit,not unlike the ones Maureen would give himallthe time. It’s uncanny, the Maureen memories she stirs.

And unbelievably, grizzly Wade transforms into teddy bear Wade. His eyes go hooded, his jaw slackens, his shoulders release, and he doesn’t move his hand away from hers, like she’s a lifeline pulling him from a mental prison.

“Okay,” he says finally, shifting away and restoring his knocked-over chair.

Christie gasps and waves a hand over his eyes like he might cry. Roy sits up, removes his tattered baseball cap, and seems to say a prayer in reverence.

My eyes fix on her satisfied gleam and knowing smirk—I can’t look away. She is effervescent.

A loud honk and the rumble of tires against gravel interrupt the moment. Marina perks up. “Oh, my surprise is here!” she coos, waving for everyone to follow her.

When we file out the front door, we find her directing a pick-up truck pulling a flatbed trailer to the side of the building between it and the swamp. An odd structure is strapped to the low-lying trailer.

---