The Firefly Jar by Laurie Beach

Author:Laurie Beach
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781958686492
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2023-01-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

By Sunday morning, Charlotte was spent, her mind exhausted from reliving Saturday night in an endless loop. For something that started off so well, how did it end so badly? In the middle of her tenth mouthful of Ben and Jerry’s Cheesecake Brownie ice cream, she heard the unmistakable roar of an old pickup passing by on the street outside her loft. It was the third time she had heard the sound of his truck outside her window. He’d already left her an apology message on her phone and made it clear that the ball was now in her court.

Good riddance, she told herself, but felt no relief. He was a complication she didn’t need. She would continue to tell herself that until it sank in.

Once again, she was starting over. The only people important in her life now were Birdie and Scruggs. Maybe Krista, but Charlotte was too annoyed to count her. It was high time Charlotte knew the truth about Randy and Will, and she was counting on Krista to tell her.

Monday morning, Scruggs came in first. Charlotte gave Waffles a kiss before opening the back door to the patio. When she turned around, Krista had arrived.

“Krista? Could I talk to you for a minute?”

She put her purse behind the counter and looked at Charlotte strangely. “Sure. What’s up?”

Scruggs stopped in the middle of tying his apron and raised his eyebrows at them both.

“Oh, stop it, Scruggs.” Charlotte waved him off. “Get back to work.”

Krista followed her to a table in the far end of the room where Charlotte offered her a seat and sat down across from her. “Krista,” she began. “I’m coming to you as a friend, not as your employer, okay?”

“Oh-kaaay,” Krista said, looking pale. “What’d I do?”

“You didn’t do anything. This is about your cousin.”

“Oh, Randy.” Krista sat back in her chair, crossing her arms.

“That boy’s like a tick without a dog,” Scruggs commented from behind the front counter.

“Mind your own business, Scruggs,” Krista yelled across the store. Waffles barked from the back patio.

“I want you to know that I trust you. I know you have a close family, and I respect and admire that. Actually, I’m jealous of that.” Charlotte smiled with effort. “I don’t want to get too personal, and you need to know that none of this will affect your job here. It’s just that I’m finding myself in the middle of something.”

“What?”

“Randy threatened me at the Loggerhead Festival. Scared the hell out of me, to be honest.”

Krista’s mouth fell open as she let out a deep sigh. She pointed to Charlotte’s bandaged knees peeking out beneath her sundress. “Did he do that?”

“Not really. That was an accident.” Charlotte’s wounds still ached. “Krista, tell me what’s going on with Randy and Will. Randy’s bringing me into it now. Whatever it is.” She hoped she was coming across as sincere and nonthreatening. “Please. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

“I’ll tell you,” she said. “But I don’t think you’re gonna want to hear it.

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