Annie's Rainbow - Fern Michaels [14]
“I did say that. I happen to love you girls more. I missed you. Got twice as much as the store was worth, too. I’m moving here to keep my eye on you two. Seems like I arrived at just the right moment.”
“We were going to call you tonight, Elmo. Everyone liked your mother’s sandwiches. We sold out.”
“Knew you would. Let’s sit down here and palaver. My daddy used to say that. Never had the occasion to use that word until now. The way I see it is we’re faced with a crisis. I’m good in a crisis. Real good. I worked behind the counter at the store for years. Filled prescriptions, sold toothpaste, cleaned the place at the end of the day. I think I can serve coffee and sandwiches while you go for your mama. You look into that place your brother mentioned. If she don’t care for it, she can move in with me when I get my place. I’m just itching to spend that money I got from the sale of the store. Is this all getting through to you, Annie?”
“Yes. Elmo, Mom doesn’t know any of us. She lives in her own little world. She wanders off and can’t remember her name or where she belongs. She needs constant care. This is all so wonderful of you, but I can’t let you do it.”
“Don’t have much else to do now, do I?”
“Well . . . are you sure, Elmo?”
“Child, I am sure. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. I missed you two girls so much I couldn’t wait to make my plane reservation. I’m here. That says it all. I’m sleeping on your couch tonight until I can find my own place.”
Annie blew her nose again. “You’re right, Elmo, that says it all.”
“This is a classy little store. Not the best neighborhood, but maybe the rest of the shopkeepers will update a little. Good crowd today, eh?”
“Jane sold eighty-five hand-painted postcards and two eight-by-tens. She sat right there and painted them for the customers. They loved it. How are things back in Boston? Did they ever find the money those guys took off with?”
“No. They must have been in my store six or seven times. Insurance people, cops, detectives, lawyers, and even a private detective. Did they ever call you? When I told them you were talking to me and buying aspirin they asked for your address and phone number. Jane’s, too. Don’t know why. Told them all we heard was a backfire that turned out to be a gunshot. The trail is stone cold. They’re never going to find that money. The third guy is probably sunning himself on some South Sea island. Newspapers are saying the boy in jail is going to get twenty years. Pity.”
“Yes it is. You were right, Elmo, when you said open near a campus, and you won’t go wrong.”
“Maybe we need to think about expanding. This is a big state.”
“Elmo, I just opened. Today could be a fluke. Business will taper off in the summer when the students leave.”
“Summer school, tourists, regulars. Might see a slight dip, but it’s only two and a half months out of the year. My store was always down in summer but it evened out in the fall. You take the good with the bad and work with it. You don’t stock heavy during that time. We’ll work it out. You girls did real well. What’d it cost you?”
“Rent’s three hundred. It cost us seventy-five to get the floor in shape. It’s heart of pine. If we keep up with it, we should be able to save it, heavy traffic and all. Jane rented a sewing machine and made the awning and the curtains. She did the murals and painted the tables and chairs. That all came to a hundred. Ten bucks to rent the sewing machine. We stripped and varnished the counter ourselves. That was another twenty dollars. We’re leasing a refrigerator. We can’t cook here, so we’re just going to serve sandwiches and maybe brownies one day a week. It’s all we can handle. We do need to buy wholesale, though.”
“You certainly do. Do you think we could go out to dinner, ladies? I haven’t eaten all day, and my mouth is watering for some of those fat Southern shrimp I hear so much about. It will be my treat. We can talk about your mother and business over a nice glass of wine.”
“We accept, don’t we, Jane?