“Well, I don’t suppose your little business experiment was the best choice. When Nora was here, she supported the whole town. The two of you are just... the two of you.”
“Need I remind you the consignors are the ones who pulled out?” Cassandra said. “We didn’t ask them to go.”
“Of course Kyle is involved in your decision,” Alice went on, ignoring Cassandra.
I was used to gossip, and I was used to old biddies, but she’d managed to ruffle my feathers. “This is my business. Not Kyle’s. Why would he be involved?”
“How are the two of you going to live?” she repeated.
“Were you interested in buying something today?” Cassandra asked sweetly.
Again, Alice ignored her. “Marriage is a partnership, dearie. What you do is, by default, your husband’s business.”
“Except they aren’t married,” Cassandra said.
“And that’s another thing,” Alice began.
Cassandra took her by the elbow and escorted her to the door. “If you aren’t going to buy, I’m going to have to ask you to make room for the paying customers.” Forget the fact the store was otherwise empty.
Alice looked over her shoulder, waiting for me to respond. I had nothing to add.
“At least she doesn’t know we broke up,” I said when Cassandra returned. “Imagine her horror.”
“We might as well close the doors now if she finds out,” she replied. “The rest of the shop owners are congregating on the sidewalk. Only a matter of time until the next one stops in.”
“Who needs a council meeting?” I joked.
The ‘next one’ turned out to be Rhoda Christenson. “Have you told Starr?” she asked. “My daughter is counting on this job, you know.”
“She’s seasonal help,” I replied. “We’ll be open at least through Labor Day, when Starr goes back to school.”
She made a show of browsing my products. I’d made more than one special order for Rhoda. Was she hoping we’d stay in business? She hazarded a glance at me, and when she found me watching her, she scowled. “Where will you sell your botanicals?”
“Most of my sales are online these days, and you can stop by the house if there’s something special you need,” I replied.
She folded her arms. “I’d heard...” She licked her lips.
“You’d heard?” I prompted.
“Some people say you’ve lost your touch. Nora never did. They say the things you’ve mixed lately aren’t working.”
Another indication our decision to close was the right one. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I suppose you’ll be okay, what with Jude giving Kyle the work in Door County and all. You know we try to support one another in Hillendale.”
Yes, her brother had hired Kyle when he’d lost his job. They’d rallied for Kyle, and still they’d stopped shopping at the boutique.
When I didn’t respond, she pursed her lips and dropped her arms. “I wish you the best.”
“Same to you,” I replied.
With a parting nod, Rhoda marched out.
“Lost your touch?” Cassandra asked. “That’s the first I’ve heard.”
“How did you not hear?” And then I remembered. “Oh. I guess you weren’t in the sandwich shop yesterday when everyone decided to complain.”
Sally Miller paraded in next. “We have a contract.”
I eyed her uncertainly, waiting for what came next. “Yes, we do.”
“Are you intending to honor that?”
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I?”
She relaxed. “I suppose it’s only bath products. What about my breakfast spices?”
“I make most of those items at home. That won’t change.”
“You’ll need a special business license to sell out of your house,” a second voice said from the doorway—Otis, from the five-and-dime.
Cassandra folded her arms. “Not for internet sales.”
“Just telling you what folks are saying,” Otis replied. “So’s you can be prepared at the council meeting.” He turned and left the shop, with Sally Miller close behind.
“It isn’t enough they’re putting us out of business, now they want to keep me from earning a living from home,” I muttered.
Cassandra sighed. “You weren’t kidding when you said things were going to get worse.” She glanced out the window. “Uh-oh,” she said.
“Now what?”
“Looks like Kyle’s on his way in, but he’s being stopped every couple of steps.”
I closed my laptop and stroked Ash, preparing for the coming confrontation. “I could always slip out the back door.”
Cassandra laughed. “Delaying the inevitable?”
“Why not? We’ve been doing that for the past four months.”
Kyle managed to extricate himself from the last gossip with a forced smile and pushed into the store. He stopped, one foot inside. “What the hell?”
“Nice to see you, too,” Cassandra said. “I think I’ll step outside.”
“Coward,” I teased.
“Not my fight.” The minute she left the shop, the lady from the bakery rushed toward her on the sidewalk.
“Something you forgot to tell me?” Kyle asked. “You’re closing the boutique?”
“You’ve been a bit distant. I didn’t want to burden you,” I said with more than a little sarcasm.
His features softened and he took a step toward me. “Brynn...”
I held up my hands. “This doesn’t concern you, Kyle.”
He stopped. Regrouped. “I’m guessing by the phone calls I’ve been getting you haven’t told them about us, then.”
“None of their business.”
“This is going to make me look bad.”
“How so?”
“Like I can’t take care of you.”
I snorted. “Nor should you.”
“They’re going to think that’s why you’re leaving me.”
I fisted my hands, trying to control my irritation. “Didn’t we agree to make this my fault? What more do you want from me?”
“That isn’t how this looks. I’ve failed you, and now your business is failing.”
“The business failed. Past tense. If it’s anybody’s fault, it’s theirs.” I waved a hand toward the windows. “They all know we depend on each other to support local business. How is that your fault?”
“Brynn...” He reached for my hand.
I pulled away, shaking my head.
“After we broke up last time...”
“You mean after you cheated on me?” I said, my voice low and controlled.
“I thought we’d put that behind us.”
“You’re the one who brought it up. I’ve already suggested you tell them I’m seeing someone else. That the weeks we’re spending apart took their toll and I moved on. That makes me the bad guy, right?”
“They’ll never believe you,” he
