Page 53 of Something Old

“I’m sorry,” Madeline said, swallowing her embarrassment. “It’s so kind of you, but it’s not in my budget right now. Maybe in a few months or—”

“Budget?” Aisha stared as if Madeline had said a foul word—or ten. “There’s no budget involved. We’ve already got a bathroom planned for our place, and we’re going for a more natural wood and stone kind of thing, not retro, but these pink beauties were too gorgeous to pass up. We got them for free from a teardown.”

Madeline was genuinely sad. “But even the labor—”

“Is free, of course!” Aisha insisted.

It was ludicrous, way too much to be considered a mere “favor,” yet somehow, Aisha convinced Madeline.

Apparently, Jase was looking to do odd jobs in his spare time, so long as he could photograph them to add to his portfolio. “It will be perfect for The Second Chance Shop in every way—might even rival your gorgeous 50s kitchen.”

“Let’s not get too crazy now,” Madeline teased, but Aisha’s enthusiasm was contagious.

Mo took that moment to decide she really did need to use the washroom and scooted up to Aisha and tugged her hand. “I’ve got to go now. For real.”

“See?” Aisha said. “I knew it was a ruse earlier.” She nodded to Mo, assured they’d leave in “just a sec,” then quickly laid out her vision for the bathroom in bullet points.

“It seems like you’ve already spent time thinking about this.”

“I have! So weird, right? The minute Jase and I saw the retro pink, we knew we wanted to do a bathroom for you, but I thought I might have to convince you it was worth the intrusion for a few days.”

“Jase can do the whole job in a few days?”

“Jase can do anything, and he’s going to be my dad,” Mo said proudly, and Aisha nodded. Seeing how smitten they both were with the man in their life, Madeline felt a little misty. Youth and unbridled optimism were lovely, lovely things.

“Well, call me convinced. And thank you.”

Aisha promised to be in touch after she spoke with Jase, then rushed off with a now desperate-looking Mo. Waving goodbye after them, though they didn’t turn around and see her do it, Madeline was practically quivering with excitement—and feeling pretty desperate herself. Desperate to talk to Grant, that is.

It scared her that not sharing news with him immediately felt wrong—but it was also exhilarating. Almost as exhilarating as how the problems that had seemed so daunting just days ago were already being so quickly managed. She wasn’t out of the woods yet, but there was a clear path.

With that last thought, however, her eyes fell on the house Grant had made Boots. She rested her hand on its shingled roof, then bit her lip hard and stared up at the ceiling until this newest threat of tears receded.

Chapter 27

Madeline had just picked up an order of sushi with plans to surprise Grant and was about to call a cab when her phone rang. It was Luke’s uncle Matt.

“Your timing chain went. Engine’s shot,” Matt said without preamble.

At least he didn’t waste her time trying to sugarcoat it or anything. “So, what does that mean?”

“That it won’t work anymore.”

Madeline shook her head and laughed a little. “Yes, I got that much. I mean, like is it new van time, or what?” She closed her eyes, hoping for a break. When Matt didn’t respond right away, she added, “What would you do if it was your van?”

Again, Matt hesitated, but then he said, “Body’s in good shape. You’ve obviously done maintenance, brakes are good, frame’s solid, rubber’s almost new. A new engine might not be worth it, but a good rebuilt will only set you back a couple grand and could give you years of dependable service.”

Even two would be enough, hopefully, Madeline thought. “How long will it take?”

“That’s the rub, all right. Could take two to three weeks to get the engine in. Your best bet would be coming from the States.”

Madeline tapped her mouth with one finger, thinking. It wouldn’t be a big deal to go without a vehicle for a bit, except for her upcoming buying trip. And also, now, on the spur of the moment, she realized she’d made another decision too. It was time. She was ready—or she wasn’t, but it didn’t matter. She had to go through with it. She would rent a van if she had to. She needed to make the buying trip, yes—but she was also going to deal with her boxed-up old life that she was holding in limbo and paying exorbitant storage fees for.

To truly create a new life for herself, or, more accurately, to fully come back to life, she had to deal with all the stuff she was still holding onto. She was doing better in the emotional arena; it was time to tackle the physical remnants. From day one, she would’ve had a better chance of living off her shop’s earnings without such a pointless expense—but now it wasn’t even about easier. It was about not going under. It was about being able to pull off her second chance in any way, shape, or form.

On the other end of the phone, Matt cleared his throat, gently indicating the silence had stretched too long.

“Go for it,” she said.