Page 29 of 2204 Hunter Lane
After the first week of non stop ad campaigns, we had an influx of orders. Friends told friends who told friends about our shop, shooting our reach up almost seventy-five percent. In just two weeks, people all over the state drove to our hardware store to get their hands on merchandise unavailable to other shops.
Honestly, I completely underestimated my capabilities. I’d been out of the game for so long, I thought I would never be able to play again. But after securing several clients, networking and expanding P&D’s services all over the state, I managed to garner more sales in three weeks than the shop had in two years.
We were in the process of moving to a bigger location, seeing as we needed more storage and supply space for the handy-man tool kit Dex put together. God, that thing was a hit.
Payton hired a few more people and promoted Cramer to manager and me, well, I was her right hand woman. If she got a coffee, she made sure I got one as well. If I needed a day off, she told me to take two. Before, I was hesitant to call this a friendship, but now I knew. Payton was the mother I truly never had, and me… I was a freakin’ badass.
After discovering that Winter and I lived ten minutes away from each other, we got coffee together almost every morning. She introduced me to a few of her friends and we frequently ventured to different pubs around The Square on weekends.
I hadn’t gone back to Cid’s since the night I had last seen Hunter, and quite frankly, I was glad. From the second I met him, he made up his mind about hating me. And how does that saying go?Why would you want to be friends with someone who doesn’t want to be friends with you?
I didn’t want to be friends with Hunter. In fact, I wanted nothing to do with Hunter. He was a toxic, emotional mess and I saw it. I saw it because I wasit. Well, not anymore. I was a new woman, and I was done with trying to please people whose sole purpose was to drag me down.
I was separating nuts and bolts, bagging them and placing them into an appropriate casing when Cramer approached me carrying a big moving box.
“I can’t believe we’re relocatin’ to Cutter’s Quarry. That space is huge.”
“I know,” I boasted. “I visited the site yesterday and the parking lot is two times bigger than the entire perimeter of this area alone.”
Cramer chuckled almost dropping the package. “We’ve got you to thank for that, Marley. You know we wouldn’t be headin’ off there if it weren’t for you.”
I blushed, looking down at the screws in my hands before returning Cramer’s smile.
“I’m glad I could help.”
“A lot more than you know. Have you seen Payton, lately? She’s been drinkin’ that happy water I swear to you.”
Just as he released the words, Payton emerged from the storage room wearing a flowy white top covered by her red work vest.
“I’ll be thirsty for some angry water if you don’t move that box along, Cramer.Get.”
He scurried past her and made his way outside, leaving me alone with Payton and my nuts and bolts.
“Leave it, deary. I got somethin’ to ask you.” She said, planting herself on a work stool.
“Okay.” I stood up and dusted my jeans, making my way towards her. “What’s up?”
“You doin’ anything for Thanksgivin’?”
Was I doing anything for Thanksgiving? God, I hadn’t even thought about it. With all the craziness at work, I was solely focused on P&D’s sale growth that I hadn’t really settled much. I mean, besides going out with Winter when I needed a breather, my mind was focused on growing this business to its full potential. Plus, there was no chance in hell I was going back to New York to visit my family. They’d throw a pumpkin pie in my face and call it a day.
I sighed at the thought, returning my attention to Payton. “I don’t have anything going on, I mean, not as far as I know.”
Which was true. As close as I was getting to Winter, I still wouldn’t call her or Cramer my best friends. We’d only known each other for a few weeks and they had their separate lives as well. And Payton, well, she had a whole family. And one member in particular who would’ve rather watched me burn on the stake than spend a second in my presence.
“The Lanes got a family tradition of goin’ up to Rivertown Bay on holidays and the least I could do is ask ya to come.”
“The Lanes…” I trailed off. “Which includes you, Dex –”
“ – and Hunter, yeah. Don’t worry hun, I already talked to him ‘bout it.”
“And he said no, I presume?”
She pressed her lips to a downturn frown, shifting in her seat. “Hunter doesn’t pay a damn cent to Dex’s cabin, but I do. I may not be blood but I have just as much a right to that place as him.”
A bladed tension filled the air as Payton exhaled a long breath, shaking her head tenaciously.
“I don’t get that kid, I don’t.”
