Page 13 of On the Shelf

“On my way.” Niall hung up and looked at Chuck with a wince. “I have to go get Winnie. My daughter. Glitter crisis at after-school.”

“No problem.” Chuck stood and gathered the greasy pizza bones. “We can tackle the roof tomorrow if you’re free.”

“You still want to help? I haven’t scared you off.”

“Not yet. That was the deal, wasn’t it?” Chuck smiled. “Go get your kid. I’ll clean up here.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Niall.” Chuck shook his head. “Go. It’s fine. I can lock up if you show me how to set the alarm.”

Niall hesitated, keys in hand, mind still racing. “Right. Okay. Yes. Super. Thank you.” He showed Chuck the keys for the front door and how to set the prehistoric alarm system, fingers fumbling a little. Then he stood there holding nothing. Walter’s keys. Nobody had carried them but Wally and him. He put them in the hand of a guy the sheriff had once fished out of the bay, on a handshake.

“Well, that old piece of crap needs replacing.” Chuck eyed the alarm panel like it was made of marzipan.

“I don’t think that’s an option right now.”

He snorted. “Antique. You could sell it on eBay for a fortune, I bet.” Chuck winked.

Niall tried to smile. “Look, I’ll be back in a few, but I gotta—”

“No worries, my man.”

Niall grabbed his keys, already heading to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Count on it.” Chuck’s smile was warm, solid, like a hand on your shoulder. “Go rescue your daughter from the glitter.”

Niall nodded, too grateful to say anything else. He left Chuck behind the counter, the smell of pizza, old coffee, and hope trailing after him like a tiny balloon.

As he drove to the Paper Bag Players, his mind kept returning to the moment before the phone rang. Had he imagined it, or had Chuck been about to lean in? Was he so starved for a grown-up date he misinterpreted Chuck’s affability?

Winnie was waiting outside the old church meeting hall, her dark hair and face sparkling with a thick rime of glitter.

“Don’t say anything,” she warned as she climbed into the car. “It wasn’t my fault. Ashwin Blumenfeld spilled the whole container on purpose because he didn’t know his line.”

“I wasn’t going to say a word,” Niall assured her, trying not to laugh. “You look like you wrestled a disco ball.”

“Dad.” She glared. “Did Chuck fix the roof?”

“Not in one day. We’re going to work on it tomorrow.”

“So….” Winnie’s eyes lit up with interest. “You’re, like, friends again?”

“I barely knew him back then, Win. We’re… two strangers who are tackling some overdue repairs is all.”

“Not strangers. You went to school together.” She didn’t sound convinced. “Did he really bring you pizza?”

Niall shot her a glance, surprised. “How did you know that?”

“Sasha’s mom was driving by Tazzarone’s and saw him going in. She texted Sasha while we were at after-school.”

“The Candle Bay gossip network strikes again,” Niall muttered. “Yes, he brought thin crust. It was only dinner while we worked.”

“Like a date?” Blink, blink. Ever since her friends started reading YA novels, everything that involved a pair of single people was a date.

“No, not like a date. Like two adults sharing a meal while discussing roof repairs.”

“Boring,” Winnie declared. “You should have had a date. He’s cute.”