Page 21 of At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities
“I’ve lost count at how many people have visited and end up staying. That number includes me. My wife and I honeymooned here and loved it so much we ended up buying a house.” He laughed at the memory, then the sound fell away, and he looked out toward the water.
Today was a double-red-flag day—absolutely no one was allowed in the water due to the dangerous riptides. Twenty-seven years ago, before the flag system had been implemented, it had been the same kind of day. Without realizing the danger, my mama ventured into the surf to swim with a squadron of manta rays and hadn’t come back yet.
I clenched my fists tightly, my short fingernails digging into my palms to refocus the pain, to control it so I didn’t break down into a puddle of tears.
Ava was perceptive—she’d caught the shift in the mood. She glanced between my father and me, seeking the source of the sadness.
My gaze went to my father’s ring finger to find a glimmer of comfort in the thin gold band my mother had once placed onto his finger. A symbol not only of love but of our family unity, our bond. I blinked. There was no ring.
“Daddy,” I blurted, “where’s your wedding band?”
He glanced at his hand, then at me. Fidgeting, he seemed to be searching for what to say.
“You lost it, didn’t you?” I said, turning toward the house, a headache flaring to life. “Do you think you lost it inside? Or on the beach? Or at one of your work sites?” It was going to take a miracle to find it. My breath caught at the thought that the ring might be gone forever. No. I refused to believe it. We’d find it.
“Now, now, Magpie, don’t go getting all riled up. My ring is with Javier, being resized.” He patted his remarkably diminished double chin. “If you haven’t noticed, I’ve dropped a few pounds. My ring was loose.”
Of course I’d noticed the weight loss. I also suspected, by thelook in his eyes, that he wasn’t telling me the whole truth about the ring. He’d been losing track of his belongings left and right for the last few months, blaming the misplacements on a nonexistent ghost. “It’s lost, isn’t it? Just tell me so I can start looking.”
He laughed. “Calm down or you’ll be on the fast track for another stroke.”
Ava’s head whipped my way, her eyes full of sympathy.
I held up a hand. “It wasn’t a stroke. It wasmini-stroke. A TIA. And I’m fine. It didn’t cause any damage. Dad’s just trying to deflect from the fact that he lost his ring.”
Despite a history of headaches, I’d been as shocked as anyone the day my left side went numb in the coffee shop and my words had come out as gibberish. Rose rushed me to the emergency room, but by the time I got there, I was back to normal.
Normalish.
My blood pressure had been through the roof. I’d been put on medication, had to make changes to my diet, and had been given an exercise plan. I’d also been warned about the dangers if I kept spreading myself too thin.
“It isnotlost,” Dad said. “It’s at Mother of Pearl. Feel free to check with Javier. Have a MoonPie. Have you eaten today? You always get out of sorts when you’re hungry.”
I wasn’t hungry, but the roaring in my head was enough for me to lean back, take a deep breath. I blew out a sigh and made a mental note to stop by to see Javier Blanco at his jewelry shop.
“Let’s get back to the matter at hand, shall we?” Dad tapped the letter. “I’d like to hear a little more about you, Ava.”
She pulled so hard on one of the strings on her sleeve that it broke free. “Me? Let’s see. I’ve lived in Cincinnati my whole life, in the same neighborhood, though not the same house. My parents divorced when I was a teenager, and my dad and my older brother moved to the West Coast, where they still live. My mom eventually remarried and is now living in Florida.”
Dad leaned in, clearly seeking more. “And?”
Her hands stilled as she met his gaze. Something unspokenpassed between them. Her voice wavered slightly as she said, “I was a sheltered child. I was tucked away in a safety zone that eventually became a comfort zone I rarely left, even though I longed to. Fear has held me back. I have to confess that being here now, I’m scared to death. But I’m also excited and ready to see what life has to offer.”
Compassion filled Dad’s eyes, softening them. He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment before saying, “I believe your ghost has sent you to exactly the right place, Ava, but before I make a decision about hiring you, there’s one big wrinkle to iron out.”
“A wrinkle?” she asked.
Out of habit, his hand dipped inside the collar of his shirt and he picked up the pendant he wore on a leather cord that hung around his neck. I was thankful to see he hadn’t lost it. At least not yet.
“Yes,” he said. “You see, tidying up after me isnota full-time job.”
“I beg to differ,” I piped in, rubbing my aching temples. “Going through all your boxes is a full-time job in itself.”
“Hush now. It isn’t.” Dad tucked the pendant away. “The house is cluttered, yes, but all that will be gone in two weeks, after the yard sale is over. Here’s my proposition for Ava: two part-time jobs. One in the mornings at Magpie’s, the other here, helping around the house in the afternoons. The coffee shop is busiest in the mornings, and Magpie’s can use some extra help since an employee recently moved away.”
“Dad, that’s ask—”
He held up a hand, silencing me. “That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”
