Page 35 of One Small Spark
“Do you have any more of these carbon fiber gravel bikes?” the customer asks once she’s gone.
“Yeah.” Inconvenient interruption or not, I can’t be mad at the guy for coming into my store. “Let me help you with that.”
I slide past the bike I’ve been working on and glance down at the piece of mail Wren brought over. It’s labeledTo Resident.
ELEVEN
WREN
I’ve suspected before,and occasionally been accused, but now it’s official. I am a terrible date.
Rhett is cute, funny, and friendly to everyone. He’s got a soft, Texas accent that makes everything he says sound vaguely complimentary. He’s engaging and interesting and close with my closest friends. This would be a great evening if I could just stop thinking about Callahan.
The best kiss of his life? What? Who even says something like that out loud? I mean, yes, I was thinking it, but he really just went andsaidit.
“Is this a safe space, Wren?” Rhett levels me a serious look. “Can I tell you something in confidence?”
We’re at a small booth in the new ramen restaurant, waiting for our orders. It’s reasonably crowded for a Saturday night in Sunshine, so I’m not sure it’s really the best location for an ultra-private conversation. I’m probably not the best pick for one, either, as distracted as I am.
But I gesture for him to proceed. “Sure.”
His smile lights up. “When Leo Dalesandro came over toour table last night, I played it cool, but inwardly I was screaming like a six-year-old on a waterslide.”
I laugh at the vivid imagery. “It takes some getting used to.”
He visited once or twice a year when he was in the NFL, but it’s a totally different ballgame when he’s here full time. Pun intended. We’ve got a handful of sleazy guys who hang around hoping to take a picture of him doing just about anything they can sell. Getting coffee. Picking up his mail at the post office. Having a throw down make-out session with another big-name celebrity.
I mean, I assume that’s what they’re hoping for.
“I’ve been glued to his career since he signed with the Austin Hornets.” Rhett’s doing an admirable job of keeping his enthusiasm at a reasonable level, but the light in his eyes is awfully bright. “We’ve been to a bunch of games over the years—Magnolia Ridge isn’t that far outside of Austin. I could have brought merch for him to sign if it wouldn’t have made me look like a total nut job fanatic.”
“Don’t tell me you sleep with his trading card under your pillow.”
He slips an index finger in front of his mouth. “Shh.”
“Grant didn’t give you the heads-up about our homegrown celebrity?” Grant doesn’t really seem like he’s into that kind of stuff, but it’d at least be worth a mention.
“Grant’s too busy praising Lila to talk about anybody else.” He shakes his head, looking around the restaurant as if Leo might show up again. “I knew Dalesandro had retired to Oregon, but I had no idea it was tohere.”
“Lila’s probably adding it to her spreadsheet of reasons you should move here when the store opens up in the spring.”
His eyes sparkle. “Caught onto that, did you?”
“Is that a possibility?” I’m curious, but I don’t want to soundeager, like I’m trying to get him to move to my hometown on the first date.
Especially when I wish this wasn’t a date.
“I never thought about it. I’ll be back when the store opens, for sure. Maybe even before then, who knows. Right now, I’m just getting a feel for how the social media and promo stuff for the new store should go. It’s a totally different vibe out here than Magnolia Ridge.”
“Examples, please.”
“Easier access to different sports and activities, like mountaineering and whitewater rafting. The store will have a slightly different focus for what we sell based on what people are most likely to do here. We try to carry a bit of everything, but make sure products make sense for the area.”
I’ve never really thought about what Grant’s store will sell. Since it’s outdoor stuff, the details sort of slide out of my head. But now, I’m questioning how the new store will affect other businesses in town. Whether or not there will be overlap. If it will cause problems.
“Do your stores sell bikes?” I ask.
“No.”
