TAKE A CHANCE (Chance Colorado Series) (6 page)

Now there was a gargantuan task if Allie had ever heard of one. Papa Flynn had been collecting his treasures for over sixty years, and for as far back as she could remember, that old building had been stuffed to the gills with all manner of junk.

“I wish I’d been here to see that endeavor. It must have taken quite the effort to open your coffee shop.”

“I wish you’d been here to help.” Desi grinned and sat back in her chair. “In spite of what my sister says, the Hand is hardly what anyone could call just a coffee shop. We do coffee, all right. Some of the best you’ll find in the state, as a matter of fact. But Dulcie bakes her wonderful breads and sweets and I have a space to craft and sell my jewelry. Both of us are living our dreams in that old building. We were hoping you’d consider joining us.”

Join them? What on earth could she possibly do in a bakery-slash-jewelry store? It was all Allie could manage not to laugh out loud at the suggestion. If it weren’t for frozen food and microwaves, she would have starved to death a long time ago. And as for creativity, sticking flowers in a vase without breaking their stems was a major accomplishment for her.

“That’s really sweet of you to offer. But I can’t cook worth a darn and there’s not a creative bone in my body, so I don’t see me being much of an employee for you.”

“There’s nothing sweet about it,” Desi said. “We already have a cook. And a jeweler. We’re looking for something else entirely. Another leg for our business stool, so to speak. That’s why we asked what you really
want
to do.”

A silence hovered over the table while two identical pairs of eyes bored into Allie.

A stool leg? Allie was at a loss as to what her cousins wanted from her. “I guess I could be a waitress, if that’s what you need, but I wouldn’t call it my dream job.”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Dulcie huffed, pushing up from the table to pace around the kitchen. “Books, you doofus-butt. You’ve always loved your freakin’ books. Didn’t you just say you’d been working in a bookstore for the past six years?”

Allie nodded, still confused by what her cousins were suggesting. “Of course I love books. But where would books fit into your shop?”

“In the back, actually,” Desi said, grinning. “It would take some hard work, but we’ve been talking about it for a while. We just don’t have the expertise. Or the time.”

“The building’s big, Allie. Surely you remember that.” Dulcie sat back down, her eyes shining with excitement. “We hauled all Papa Flynn’s junk upstairs and cleared out the whole lower level for the Hand of Chance. Even with the kitchen and seating and the jewelry side, there’s still a lot of empty space. From day one we’ve thought it would be perfect to have a new-and-used bookstore in the back to encourage people to come in and linger. Maybe even set aside part of it to lend out books, since we don’t have a library in Chance. What do you say? You think you could run your own bookstore? Are you up for it?”

Her own bookstore would be a dream come true. Especially if it involved being able to get books in the hands of people who wouldn’t otherwise be reading. But the twins didn’t realize what a massive undertaking they were proposing. Or maybe what they didn’t realize was that she was penniless.

“Yes, of course, what you’re describing would be awesome. Totally awesome. And I’d love to be a part of something like that. I’m really honored that you’d consider me for it.” Allie clasped her hands together on the table. “But there’s no way I can start a business of my own. Let’s not even get into how many bookstores are failing now. The initial costs for something like that would be enormous. I’d need shelves and seats and, geez, tons of books. The thing is, I can’t afford to buy any of that stuff. I’m basically broke.”

“You wouldn’t need to.” Dulcie glanced at her sister, waiting for a nod from Desi before continuing. “At least not in the beginning. As far as furniture goes, you could find everything you need upstairs in Papa Flynn’s stuff if you’re willing to use antiques. I know we hauled some old bookcases up there. You’ll just have to dig your way through everything to find what you’d like to use.”

Maybe the twins were right. Maybe she could… but no. Reason reared its ugly head and dragged her back to reality.

“I don’t see how I could possibly make something like that work. I’d need to order books to sell. Or, at the very least, buy used ones somewhere. The way things are right now, I’d be lucky to afford one book for my own reading.”

“You don’t have to make it work by yourself.
We
make this work together. Mama Odie and Papa Flynn helped us to start out. The building still belongs to them, but as one of their grandkids, you’re as welcome to use it as we are. The Hand has done really well for us. We could lend you the money to order some books.” Desi grinned and sipped from her glass of tea. “You could pay us back after you get things up and running and you’re making a profit. Having people sitting around, reading books, they’re bound to want a coffee. And once they smell the food, we make even more money. It’s a win-win-win partnership.”

“As far as setting up a lending library, that should be easy enough,” Dulcie said. “I bet you could get people around town to donate books they have stuck away in bookcases or closets. I know there are some boxes of old books in Papa Flynn’s stuff.” Dulcie reached across the table and laid her hand over Allie’s. “Won’t you at least come over and look around the shop before you say no? See for yourself the potential of what we’re suggesting. It would be so cool to have the three of us be together again, like old times.”

Working with her cousins was a definite selling point. Even with a two-year age difference between them, they’d been her best friends and confidantes all through their childhood.

“Okay. I’ll think about it.” After all the trouble her cousins had gone to in dreaming up this plan for her, to do otherwise would be rude. “I have to drop Matt off at the café around six, so maybe, if things work out, I’ll try to stop by after that.”

“Good.” Dulcie stood up, a grin covering her face. “We need to get going. Because of the dedication, we shut everything down for the morning, but we have to get over there and get opened now. We’ll look forward to seeing you sometime after six.”

“I just know you’ll be on board once you see the place. It has a vibe all its own.” Desi threw her arms around Allie for a hug, but pulled back, her brow wrinkled, her eyes fixed on the doorway to the room beyond. “Who’s that?”

Allie turned, seeing no one until Chester’s loud yowl drew her gaze downward.

“Oh. That’s my cat, Chester.” She leaned over and stretched out a hand only to have the cat completely ignore her as he hurried past her to rub against Desi’s leg. “Maybe it’s more accurate to say that he’s the cat who lives with me rather than calling him
my cat
.”

Desi squatted down and Chester climbed onto her knees, rubbing his head against her and purring loudly.

“Hey, Henry,” she murmured, her focus entirely on the animal.

“Chester,” Allie corrected. “That’s so weird. I’ve never seen him take to anyone like that. Certainly not to me. Half the time, I’m not even sure he likes me.”

“He’s a perfect match, isn’t he?” Dulcie asked, smiling down at her sister, who now sat on the floor, the cat happily ensconced in her lap.

“I can’t believe it,” Desi said happily, snuggling the big cat. “It feels just like him. If I didn’t know better…”

“Desi had a cat who was a dead ringer for that one. His name was Henry. He disappeared a couple of years ago and she’s mourned him ever since,” Dulcie explained.

“I’ve missed him,” Desi corrected. “Not mourned. Missed. He was my best buddy and a regular bundle of love, just like this big guy.”

The cat’s purr sounded like a motor.

Allie had never seen Chester act the way he behaved with Desi. And she would never have described the cat as a bundle of love. All in all, her choice was clear.

“He really seems happy with you, Desi. Is there any chance you’d be willing to take him?”

Her cousin’s head popped up from where she was nuzzling the black-and-white ball of fur. “You can’t be serious. Are you?”

Allie nodded. “Totally serious. He’s never been that happy with me. Not even when I first found him as a starving kitten. And he definitely doesn’t like it here with Grainger. They hate each other with a passion. Maybe he was meant to be with you. If you’ll wait just a minute, I’ll go get all his food and stuff to send with you.”

“You know what this is, don’t you?” Desi stood, the cat cuddled to her shoulder. “It’s the hand of chance at work here. It’s like fate has brought Henry back to me. You can’t imagine how happy you’ve made me, Allie. This is like the best day ever. Best. Day. Ever.”

After gathering the cat’s things, Allie watched as her cousins drove away, Chester—no,
Henry
now, still happier than she’d ever seen him.

The whole visit had been so out-of-the-blue weird. Maybe fate had meant that cat to end up with Desi. And maybe fate intended her to end up with her cousins, too.

In spite of her doubts, she wasn’t ruling anything out yet. Not until she’d had a look at the coffee shop, just like she’d said she would.

After all, if there was even the tiniest chance she could end up as happy as Henry and Desi had looked when they left, she had no choice but to go for it.

CHAPTER FIVE

“Are you sure you’re okay with me just dropping you off like this? I can stay and wait, if you want. I don’t mind. I have a book in the car.”

Allie waited for her brother’s reply, her stomach churning with a mixture of emotions. She wanted to wait for him. Wanted an excuse to be here when Logan showed up. Wanted them to ask her to join them for the evening.

Of course, seeing Logan carried with it the risk of her becoming a tongue-tied fool again, just as she had been this morning at the dedication when he’d spoken to her. All things considered, staying here was not a wise thing for her to do. At least not until she managed to sort through all these ridiculous unresolved feelings she seemed to be carrying around.

Matt smiled as he got out of the car, leaning down to look in the window after he shut the door. “When do you not have a book with you?”

“Never, if I can help it.” Allie returned the smile. “So? You want me to wait?”

As if anticipating his positive answer, she turned off the engine and removed the key, flinching at the high whining noise the car had begun to make in the last few days. Money or no money, she was going to have to take her old baby in for a checkup one day soon.

“Don’t be a goof, Allie. We’re back in Chance now, remember? It’s only a mile or so back to the house. Even like this”—Matt lifted his cane and shook it at her—“I could walk home easy enough if I had to.”

“But you won’t, right? You’ll call me when you’re finished so I can come get you. Right?”

“Right,” Matt agreed. “I’ll call. Now quit mother-henning me and go home.”

“Okay,” she agreed, but her resolve wavered again when she saw Matt standing there all by himself, leaning on that damn cane, staring off into the distance, looking so… alone. “Maybe I should at least wait here with you until he shows up? Just in case.”

Only to make sure Matt wasn’t stranded. Definitely not as an excuse to see Logan again.

“Just in case what? You think I’m in danger of getting stood up by my best friend?”

“No,” she denied.

Probably not. Then again, whether or not Matt wanted to admit it, it had been a long time since he and Logan had been best friends.

“You’re a piss-poor liar, little sister. Always have been.” He shook his head and began his slow walk toward the entrance of the café. “See there? He’s pulling in now. You can quit your worrying. All that protective sisterly angst is for nothing.”

He had nailed that bit about her feeling angst. Only it wasn’t angst of the sisterly kind that was playing tug-of-war with her emotions.

“More like angst of the stupid kind,” she muttered, putting the key back in the ignition.

Disappointment warred with practicality as she watched the two men greet one another, both of their faces breaking into grins. For a moment there, they looked like little boys again.

It really was for the best this way.

With a sigh of resignation, she turned the key and pressed down on the gas pedal.

Nothing happened.

No whine, no sputter, no clicking. Nothing.

“Come on, baby girl,” she encouraged. “We can do this. Don’t you die on me yet.”

She just needed the car to hold on until she could get a job and a couple of paychecks under her belt.

Allie wiped her sweaty palm on her knee and reached for the ignition again. For a second time, she turned the key.

And for a second time, only silence greeted her effort.

“Oh, for piss’ sake,” she breathed, her grandmother’s favorite curse popping out as she rested her forehead against the steering wheel.

Okay. She could deal with this. It was nothing more than a minor glitch in the big picture. Nothing she couldn’t find a way around. She could walk to Mama Odie’s and borrow her grandparents’ pickup to come get Matt when he called. No big deal. She’d figure out some way to get the car towed later.