Page 7
“Is Niall around?” Chuck asked as he set the coffees in front of the register.
She glanced up, face going from bored to wide-eyed in half a heartbeat. “You’re Chuck Mitchum.”
Oh great. They must have a mugshot hanging in the principal’s office. He managed a tired smile. “Last I checked.”
Her mouth twitched. “You drove a truck through the gym.”
“Car.” Chuck winced, shrugged. “That was a long time ago.”
She grinned, sudden and delighted, and held up her hands in praise. “Legend. My brother has the video on his phone. Ohmigod.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Amber. I work here after school and weekends.” Her handshake was all awkward angles and unfinished squish, which made Chuck feel old enough for a walker.
“Excellent to meet you, Amber. Niall here?”
“In the back, doing inventory.” She pointed to a door over her shoulder. “You can go through. He’s been muttering to himself for, like, an hour.”
“Thanks.” Chuck grabbed both coffees and headed for the back. He paused just long enough to knock, then pushed in.
The room was smaller than he expected, cluttered with cardboard boxes and a desk puddled with paperwork. Niall sat hunched over a laptop, glasses sliding down his nose, his dark hair sticking up in wild spikes like something out of a cartoon. He looked tired, like he’d been fighting the computer and losing.
“Special delivery.” Chuck held up the coffee.
Niall’s head jerked up, his eyes wide with surprise, his lips shifting like a smile was trying to sneak out of captivity. “Chuck. Hi. Hello. What are you doing? Back here, I mean.”
“Bringing coffee to a man who looks like he needs it.” Chuck set one cup down in front of Niall. “Black, right?”
“That was a pretty good guess.” The smile almost emerged, but nope.
“You seem like a black coffee kind of guy. No frills.”
Niall clamped his mouth shut and nodded, like he was bracing for a punch. “Thanks.” He took a sip and made a small appreciative grunt that sounded way dirtier than it should have. “God, that’s good. Soggy Beans?”
“Yeah. Best coffee in town, according to my aunt.”
“She’s right.” Niall set the cup down and eyed Chuck with an interest equal parts wary and wondering. “But you didn’t come all the way here to bring me a cup of joe.”
Direct. Chuck liked that. “Nope. I came to pimp my services.”
Niall’s eyebrows rose. “Services?”
“Not like that.” Chuck held up both hands. “Maintenance. I’m a contractor. Or I was, before…. Well, before. I noticed your place needs some proper care.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Niall’s guard was up and bolted. “Still, I can’t afford to hire a contractor right now.”
“I’m not looking for anything long-term. A little work while I figure out my next move. Consider it community service.”
Niall snorted. “Community service is picking up trash on the beach, not renovating a bookstore.”
Chuck shrugged. “I hate beaches. Hot. Sand gets everywhere.”
Niall studied him for a long, uncomfortable beat, face unreadable. “Why would you want to help me? We don’t even know each other.”
“Could be I’m turning over a new leaf. Trying to be a model citizen.”
“Right.” Niall wasn’t buying it for a second. “’Cause it has nothing to do with whatever sent you running back to Candle Bay?”
Chuck’s smile froze. “News travels fast.”
“Small town. Not to mention I have a teenage employee who’s addicted to social media.” Niall leaned back, arms crossed. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but you don’t have time and you’re taking off again. I don’t want to start a reno that might not get finished.”
