especially when money was involved. But she didn’t want to lose Aunt Jo’s legacy before she even claimed it. So if a battle was brewing, she was more than willing to do her part.
She was still sitting in the office a few minutes later when Blake walked in carrying a bag from the deli. He took one look at her face and came to an abrupt halt. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed and propped her chin in her hand. “We have a problem.”
Slowly, Blake set the bag down on the desk, eyeing her warily. “Does this have anything to do with more changes in the shop?”
“Possibly. But not of my making.”
By the time she explained the situation, Blake was frowning, too. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her. “I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Neither do I. I told George we could have a meeting here Thursday, when the shop closes, to discuss our next step. He’s going to let the other merchants on the block know. You’ve been here longer than I have. Do you think they’ll be willing to close ranks and go to battle over this?”
Blake shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never exchanged more than a few words with any of them.”
A.J. looked at him in surprise. She’d made it a point within the first couple of weeks to visit each shop and introduce herself. Blake had been here three years and he still didn’t know his neighbors?
A flush crept up Blake’s neck. When he spoke, there was a defensive tone to his voice. “I don’t have time to socialize when I’m at work.”
“I didn’t say anything,” A.J. pointed out. “Well, I guess we’ll find out how they feel at the meeting. In the meantime, I need to do some research on this whole TIF thing. We better have all our facts in order before we take on a fight like this.”
“My next-door neighbor works at city hall. I can try to get some information from him, too,” Blake volunteered—with obvious reluctance.
“That would be good.” A.J. sat back in her chair and shook her head. “You know, when I came here I thought my biggest challenge would be learning the book business. I didn’t expect to have to fight city hall for my legacy.”
“Neither did I. And I have a feeling this could get pretty messy.”
A.J. studied Blake. He didn’t look any too thrilled with that idea. “I take it you prefer to stay out of messy fights?”
He shrugged stiffly. “I prefer to stay out of fights of any kind. It’s a lot easier when people can settle their differences quietly.”
“True. But that doesn’t always happen. And some things are worth fighting for.” When he didn’t respond, she stood and moved toward the door, but paused on the threshold to turn toward him. “So do you plan to come to the meeting on Thursday?”
Although his expression told her that he’d prefer to be almost anywhere else, he slowly nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be there. I’m no more eager to lose this shop than you are. But this isn’t my kind of thing.”
“I gathered that. Thank you for making the effort. Maybe we’ll come up with a way to settle this problem quietly, like you prefer.”
“Maybe.” But he had a gut feeling that wasn’t going to happen.
And he suspected A.J. did, too.
As the group began to gather on Thursday night, Blake stayed in the background, feeling out of place and awkward—unlike A.J., who was mingling effortlessly with the diverse group, he noted. In the short time she’d been at the shop, she was already on a first-name basis with all of her fellow merchants and seemed to know their life histories. A few minutes before, he’d overheard her asking Rose how her grandson was doing in graduate school. And now she was talking to Joe about his wife’s recent surgery. She had a knack for making friends and putting people at ease, something Blake had never mastered. Probably because he’d never been in one place long enough when he was growing up to learn those social skills, he thought.
They’d supplemented the seating area
She was still sitting in the office a few minutes later when Blake walked in carrying a bag from the deli. He took one look at her face and came to an abrupt halt. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed and propped her chin in her hand. “We have a problem.”
Slowly, Blake set the bag down on the desk, eyeing her warily. “Does this have anything to do with more changes in the shop?”
“Possibly. But not of my making.”
By the time she explained the situation, Blake was frowning, too. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her. “I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Neither do I. I told George we could have a meeting here Thursday, when the shop closes, to discuss our next step. He’s going to let the other merchants on the block know. You’ve been here longer than I have. Do you think they’ll be willing to close ranks and go to battle over this?”
Blake shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never exchanged more than a few words with any of them.”
A.J. looked at him in surprise. She’d made it a point within the first couple of weeks to visit each shop and introduce herself. Blake had been here three years and he still didn’t know his neighbors?
A flush crept up Blake’s neck. When he spoke, there was a defensive tone to his voice. “I don’t have time to socialize when I’m at work.”
“I didn’t say anything,” A.J. pointed out. “Well, I guess we’ll find out how they feel at the meeting. In the meantime, I need to do some research on this whole TIF thing. We better have all our facts in order before we take on a fight like this.”
“My next-door neighbor works at city hall. I can try to get some information from him, too,” Blake volunteered—with obvious reluctance.
“That would be good.” A.J. sat back in her chair and shook her head. “You know, when I came here I thought my biggest challenge would be learning the book business. I didn’t expect to have to fight city hall for my legacy.”
“Neither did I. And I have a feeling this could get pretty messy.”
A.J. studied Blake. He didn’t look any too thrilled with that idea. “I take it you prefer to stay out of messy fights?”
He shrugged stiffly. “I prefer to stay out of fights of any kind. It’s a lot easier when people can settle their differences quietly.”
“True. But that doesn’t always happen. And some things are worth fighting for.” When he didn’t respond, she stood and moved toward the door, but paused on the threshold to turn toward him. “So do you plan to come to the meeting on Thursday?”
Although his expression told her that he’d prefer to be almost anywhere else, he slowly nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be there. I’m no more eager to lose this shop than you are. But this isn’t my kind of thing.”
“I gathered that. Thank you for making the effort. Maybe we’ll come up with a way to settle this problem quietly, like you prefer.”
“Maybe.” But he had a gut feeling that wasn’t going to happen.
And he suspected A.J. did, too.
As the group began to gather on Thursday night, Blake stayed in the background, feeling out of place and awkward—unlike A.J., who was mingling effortlessly with the diverse group, he noted. In the short time she’d been at the shop, she was already on a first-name basis with all of her fellow merchants and seemed to know their life histories. A few minutes before, he’d overheard her asking Rose how her grandson was doing in graduate school. And now she was talking to Joe about his wife’s recent surgery. She had a knack for making friends and putting people at ease, something Blake had never mastered. Probably because he’d never been in one place long enough when he was growing up to learn those social skills, he thought.
They’d supplemented the seating area
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