Page 34 of Her Summer Hope
Madison felt another horrible pang of guilt. They had just enough food for everyone to have two eggs and a piece of toast. She eyed her plate resting near the stove. She would usually eat last after making sure everything was ready.
“I’m not hungry. You guys can share mine,” she told them.
Ellie was full but the boys divvied up the rest between them. She ignored the rumbling in her stomach and drank more coffee instead. It probably wasn’t super good for Emmie, but she couldn’t function without it.
She pulled the kids over to Helen’s, borrowed the old car once again, and made her way to work.
∞∞∞
Christian was staring at her.
She heard a rumble of thunder overhead and pretended to watch the drizzle of rain along the large window. She fluffed the pillow on the chair and straightened a couple of books on an antique display table.
“Are you feeling okay?” he finally asked.
She spun around, confused. “Yeah?”
“You look tired,” he said.
“Oh, the baby is keeping me up more. I think she’s hitting a growth spurt or something. I’ll be fine.”
“You should rest more,” he said. “I know it can’t be easy for you, working here all day, taking care of the kids in the evening, and then losing sleep at night.”
She smiled at his concern. “I’ll be fine. I started working a second job and I’m just not used to the full-time hours yet. It’ll be okay though, it’s just temporary.”
“A second job?” he asked, sounding concerned. “How can you do that with the kids? What about the baby? What about their lessons?”
“Christian, it’s fine. I said it’s temporary. I just need to earn enough to pay the tax bill and buy a car. After that, I can cut back some.”
He shook his head. “I wish you’d let me help.”
“I’m not taking your money,” she reiterated. “I know how much you're doing for Karen and her family. There’s no way I will accept a penny from you beyond what I earn here.”
He still looked upset.
She set down the rag that she used for dusting and looked at him hopefully. “However, I could use a little extra time today to stop at the store, if you wouldn’t mind letting me leave a little early?”
His face cleared and he checked his watch and nodded. “Sure. It’s been slow today anyway. Go ahead now if you want,” he said. “Be careful driving in this rain.”
She smiled and nodded. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said gruffly, returning to his usual standoffish manner.
She wasn’t sure why he pretended to be so distant, but she hoped they could be more friendly in the future. He was a good man and he deserved to have friends. She didn’t think he saw many people outside of the bookshop. It was a shame because he was intelligent, caring, and hard-working.
He would be a good catch for some lucky woman.
∞∞∞
The rain splattered against the windshield as she drove the short distance to the grocery store.
Ed’s Market was the only place in town, aside from the gas station, to buy groceries. The place had been in his family for generations and had never really been modernized. The freezer cases were old, and the cash registers were older, but she loved the nostalgic atmosphere of the shop.
She pulled into the closest available parking space and got out, running through the downpour and into the cold store.
She stopped to let an elderly woman with a plastic rain cap over her perm get her cart first, then grabbed one for herself.
She checked her phone for the time and rushed through the aisles, consulting her short shopping list. She got eggs, milk, and bread. Apples were on sale, so she bought two bags of them. The smell of the rotisserie chickens made her mouth water.