Page 44 of November

“Yeah, you don’t like her at all,” Lainey teased. “And that’s the bathroom door opening, so I’ll head back up front.”

CHAPTER 12

“Hey, India,” Lainey said from behind the counter.

“Oh, hey. Is she here?”

“She’s in the back.” Lainey nodded that way. “Is that for me?”

“It is.” India placed an iced coffee on the counter. “Andthisis for her.” She smiled and held up the caramel latte. “They didn’t have the peanut butter cookies. Sorry.”

“No worries. This is great. Thanks. How much do I owe you?”

“Oh, we get the regular coffees for free and a discount on the other stuff, so nothing,” she said. “I’ll just go find her.”

India pointed toward the back of the shop and started walking, but then she heard something.

“No deal. I might lose this, but I’m not sacrificing my integrity. The reality is, this is still my land. I’m not selling it. And as long as that’s the case, the shop is still protected,” she heard Maisie say.

“You know the city can take the land, right? All I have to do is suggest we put a new freeway on-ramp right through this property. The city just gives you the property value, and your little store gets bulldozed.”

“Shit,” she whispered to herself when she recognized her brother’s voice. She quickly turned back around, placed Maisie’s coffee on the counter, and said, “Um… I’m going to go to the bathroom. Sounds like she’s talking to someone. I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Yeah, that lame Colter guy is here,” Lainey told her and took a drink of her iced coffee.

“Right. Bathroom. Be right back.”

India veered to the left and headed to the bathroom.

“You wouldn’t put an on-ramp here,” Maisie said.

“No, but I could put something else. We’ve been looking for another place for a police station.” Colter replied.

“Is that a threat?” Maisie asked.

India nearly stopped and turned to go tell her brother to get the hell out.

“No, it’s just a fact. And I’ve got to get back to my office. Call me if you change your mind. I’ll leave the door open, so to speak, for a few days. Then, it closes for good, and you can kiss your landmark plaque goodbye,” Colter said.

He must have left after that because India didn’t hear anything else. She disappeared into the bathroom, not needing to actually use it, and waited for what she hoped was an appropriate amount of time. She tried to estimate how long it would take for someone to get from the back of the store to the front, waited ten extra seconds just in case, and then flushed the toilet and washed her hands so as not to raise any suspicion. After that, she opened the door, popped her head out, and even though she couldn’t see the door, she looked around before taking a step out of the room and making her way back up the center aisle.

“Hey,” Maisie said when she saw her.

“Hi. Sorry, I meant to use the bathroom at the office but grabbed the coffee instead.” She nodded to the counter. “That’s yours.”

“You brought me coffee?” Maisie asked with a smile.

“I did.”

“Don’t get jealous. She broughtmecoffee, too,” Lainey said.

“Shut up.” Maisie laughed and picked up the cup.

No one said anything for a minute, which India thought odd, but that was probably because she’d just narrowly avoided her asshole of a brother, whom she didn’t want to run into while on her way to ask Maisie out again. When the bell above the door jangled, they all looked up, and India worried that Colter had returned, but it was only an old woman walking in.

“Browser,” Lainey muttered under her breath.

“That’s what we call the people we know won’t buy,” Maisie explained in a whisper. “Can I help you?” she asked the woman.