“Oh,” Shannon said, frowning. “Honey, I didn’t mean you and David. I was talking about business.”
“It’s okay. I think it applies across the board.” Avery smiled. “I’ll call your bookkeeper and sit down with Delaney to talk about ways to increase production. Guess I need to hire even more people than I thought. Keep your eyes open for me, will you?”
“Sure thing. I may have a couple of leads. I’ll text you.”
She hugged Shannon. “Thanks.” Pulling back, Avery told Shannon’s belly, “Behave, young man,” making Shannon laugh.
Avery said good-bye to Rita and greeted several regular customers on her way out. She was thinking about where to reinvest the extra money burning a hole in her back pocket when she heard her name.
And cringed inside.
She stopped and turned to MaryAnn Holmes waving from her car.
“Ah, shit,” she whispered. And as the other woman hurried toward her, the worst kind of dread pooled in Avery’s stomach.
MaryAnn pulled her aside near the line of newspaper racks outside the store. Avery forced an easy smile as if she didn’t know what this was about. As if she could evade the inevitable by pretending it wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m glad I ran into you.” MaryAnn spoke quietly, her expression too intense for small talk.
“I hope everything is fine with Willow.”
“Yes, yes. Fine. But that’s why I stopped you.” She was already shaking her head, and tears of frustration and futility were already clogging her throat. “What happened at the café this morning—it’s a deep concern.”
“MaryAnn, it was all a mistake,” Avery said, using her best voice of compassion. “A rumor that was nothing but a lie. The police came, they looked around, they found nothing, and they left. End of story.”
Oh, but no. That was not the end of the story—not for MaryAnn. Her eyes flashed with anger. “Just because they didn’t find anything didn’t mean it was a mistake or a lie. And I don’t want Willow anywhere near that. What if she’d been there and the police had found something? What if she’d somehow gotten caught up in the blame?”
“MaryAnn—”
“I’m sorry, Avery. I know how much you need her, and I know how much she was looking forward to working for you, but she’s applying for colleges soon, and with all the cutbacks and how difficult it is to get in now, I can’t take any risks. Willow won’t be working for you.”
No, no, no. Avery felt the ground shift beneath her feet. She closed a hand on the other woman’s arm. “MaryAnn, you’re blowing this way out of proportion. I don’t need Willow to start for a couple of weeks. We can postpone training if that would make you feel more comfortable.”
“What would make me feel comfortable is having her work somewhere where the other employees are not ex-convicts.”
“Trace isn’t going to be there when Willow—”
But MaryAnn turned and walked toward the store’s entrance, leaving Avery standing there with her mouth hanging open and a knife in her heart.
Avery took a breath and waited for the sting of hurt to subside.
Then she took another to control the wave of fear that rose in the wake of pain.
When both emotions rushed back in a moment later and tears blurred her vision, Avery walked past her car and continued down Main Street until she reached Wildcard Brews.
She pushed through the front door and saw Delaney toward the back of the open space, talking to someone on a ladder beside a huge metal tank in the pilot brew room. She glanced toward Avery with concerned curiosity instead of her normal cheerful greeting. Her sister had called earlier to check on her after word of what happened at the café circulated around town.
Then Avery had assured Delaney she was fine.
Now . . .
“Do you have a minute?” Avery asked.
Without hesitation, Delaney started toward her. Avery must have looked as bad as she felt because her sister slid her arm around her and pulled her into the office. After she closed the door, Delaney dragged Avery into a hug.
The unconditional show of support and love gave Avery the safety net she needed to let go, and once the tears started, they kept falling and falling.
Delaney held her tight, stroked her hair, and whispered reassurances with the confidence of a goddamned bullfighter entering the ring, just like she had when their mother left.