Soon, the commuter traffic slowed, and I was able to complete the task list that Aunt Jackie had developed for every shift. Mine just had additional duties, like ordering books and reviewing our P&L statements—which made my eyes cross every time I had to pretend to understand what was happening with the business. As long as Aunt Jackie seemed happy with the numbers, I was happy.
When Toby arrived, I sat slouched on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, and was halfway done with the new YA book Sasha’s teen group was reading this month. I heard the bell over the door ring and tried to sit up straighter until I saw it was him.
“Busy morning?” He went behind the counter and threw his jacket through the back door onto my desk. Then he washed his hands and started fresh coffee. He peered over at me as I’d returned to the story without answering. “Good book?”
“Dragons.” I closed the book and stretched. I went over to the counter. I’d finish tonight. Typically Greg and I didn’t even do dinner together on Tuesdays. He said it was his man cave night. I think he just wanted to watch basketball. “So, what did you hear about the break-in?”
“What break-in?” Toby swung a clean towel over his shoulder. “I was in the city with Elisa for dinner and a movie.”
“What did you see?” I was sure he’d heard about the food truck issue, but I’d play his game, for a minute or two.
“Some chick flick. Seriously, if there isn’t anything getting blown up or a gunfight, I don’t pay much attention. I did get an awesome nap and Elisa didn’t even have a clue.” Toby sank down onto a stool we kept behind the counter. “She seems to be clueless about a lot of things I do lately.”
“Trouble in paradise?” Clearly something was going on. I watched as he halfheartedly adjusted a few cups into larger stacks.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. We hardly see each other lately, and when we do, she’s on her phone texting more than talking to me.”
“I thought you were living together?” That had been the last big announcement, but I’d heard it from Greg, who’d heard it from Esmeralda or Tim. The exact source of gossip is hard to pinpoint at times in South Cove.
“We are, except on nights when I work late, I stay at the station. She says it disrupts Isabell’s schedule.” Toby poured me a cup of coffee and pushed it across the counter slowly. “I think she’s seeing someone else.”
If anyone would know the signs of juggling two or more “friends,” it would be Toby. The boy had been a player of the worst kind before he’d met Elisa. Now, he was a one-woman man, but it seemed like his woman didn’t want to play that game anymore. “I’m sure it’s just a phase. I mean, relationships have their ups and downs. Have you tried to talk to her about it?”
Toby shook his head. “Nope, I’m pretending like everything is okay. And so is she.” He got a water pitcher out from under the counter and filled it on autopilot. When he’d finished, he looked at it like it had just appeared. “Crap, I’m not supposed to provide free water anymore, am I?”
“Only if they ask, according to Aunt Jackie.” I took the pitcher over to its regular spot and took cups out of the counter below. “She won’t be here today, so don’t worry about it. And if she pops in, I set up the water station, not you.”
It felt weird worrying about water when we had an ocean filled with the stuff less than a mile away. Too bad some scientist couldn’t come up with a way to change salt water into fresh. As I gathered my stuff to leave, Toby’s girls started coming in the shop. The man brought in a lot of business for the shop, mostly of the female variety. But as far as I knew, he’d been a total professional since he’d started dating Elisa, even if the women coming in were less than happy about it.
As I passed by the green food truck with yellow crime scene tape all over it, I realized I hadn’t found out anything about the break-in. I sat on the curb and dialed my own gossip channel. Amy Newman worked at City Hall as the city planner. Most days, her duties landed smack-dab in the receptionist category. Besides, I hadn’t heard from her since the double date on Sunday.
Her line went straight to voice mail. I left a quick message for her to call, then looked at the time. Sadie would be done with her baking and delivery by now; maybe she’d like to have lunch. My stomach growled. Of course, I could just go into Diamond Lille’s by myself and eat, but Lille had been a bit cranky lately, especially when she saw me. I dialed Sadie’s number.
Sadie’s purple PT Cruiser with the Pies on the Fly decal pulled into Lille’s parking lot ten minutes later. I’d stayed on my bench, reading the dragon book. She beeped her horn as she passed me, and I stuffed the book back into my tote and crossed the street to meet her. It wasn’t that I was afraid of Lille, not exactly. I was afraid of her banning me from the only restaurant in South Cove, if you didn’t count my coffee shop and now Kacey’s health van.