Page 43 of Nash
"There's a basket on my bike."
"Is there?" I say. "That's weird. Must be a factory upgrade."
"There's a CUSHION on my SEAT."
"It's velvet, Knox. Show some appreciation," Darla says.
He opens the basket. Reads the note. His jaw tightens.
"'Ride safe, queen.'" He looks at Maggie. Maggie sips her coffee.
East has been watching Knox's discovery with the grin of a man who thinks he's safe. Then he turns toward the garage.
The grin dies.
He walks to the bay door. Reads the sign. Touches the ribbon. Picks up the ceremonial scissors. Sets them down. Walks inside. Comes back out.
"DARLA."
Darla waves from the picnic table, her hand resting on her belly.
"East's Bike Boutique?" His voice cracks on the word boutique. "There are LAMINATED REVIEWS on my WALL."
"Are there?" Darla says.
"'Manager was professional, kind, and emotionally available.' Who wrote that?"
"It's anonymous, baby. That's how Yelp works."
"There's a CHALKBOARD. It says FULL PRINCESS PACKAGE."
"That's a great deal, honestly," I say. "Tassels, streamers, emotional support. Very competitive pricing."
East turns to Knox. "Did you know about this?"
Knox is still looking at the velvet cushion. "I'm dealing with my own situation."
East looks back at Darla. "How could you? My shop. My space. The one place that's mine."
Darla tilts her head. "You wrapped my car in a six-foot photo of your face and I had to drive around Willowridge for three weeks with a shirtless bobblehead of you on my dashboard while your mother waved at strangers who honked."
East opens his mouth. Closes it. "The bobblehead wasn't centered," he says weakly.
"The bobblehead was CUSTOM MADE, East."
Knox looks at Nash. "You let this happen."
Nash's jaw shifts. "I observed."
"You OBSERVED."
"Wasn't my bike. Wasn't my shop."
I cover my mouth with both hands. Darla is shaking. Candace has her face buried in her coffee mug. Sloane is grinning at Knox with the calm serenity of a woman who has won and knows it. Frankie is laughing into her coffee at the picnic table. Maggie is shaking her head, but the smile hasn't left her face.
Knox carries the velvet cushion inside without another word. East stands in front of his garage, reads the chalkboard one more time, and walks inside shaking his head. Through the bay door, I can see him pull one of the laminated reviews off the wall, read it again, and fight a smile before he crumples it against his chest.
We lose it. I'm laughing so hard I have to grab the picnic table. Darla is wiping her eyes. Candace is doubled over. Sloane is leaning against Candace's shoulder, her whole body shaking. Frankie has given up on the coffee entirely, her head tipped back, laughing.
