Shady Bay Read Online Free PDF Page B

Celeste.
    “Haven’t seen her in a while, but she knows who I am.”
    I smiled. “Sure. What’s your name?”
    “June Adkins.”
    “I love your name.”
    “Thanks. You’re new?”
    “Yep.”
    “New to Celeste’s or new to Myrtle?”
    “Both.”
    “Cool. Maybe I’ll see you around. If you ever want to get out and do something, you can call me. Where’s your cell?”
    “Oh, I don’t have a cell phone. Sorry.”
    “That’s cool. Do you have a pen and paper?”
    I laughed. “That I do have.” I handed her a Post-it and Sharpie and she scrawled her name and number on it. “Thanks. I don’t know anyone but Celeste and Jaxon, so it would be great to have a friend.”
    “I don’t scare you away with all this?” She motioned up and down her body.
    “No. I think you’re beautiful!”
    She laughed, handed me correct change and gathered her bag of goodies. I promised to call her this weekend.
     

     
    That evening before Celeste usually closed the main shop and opened for readings only, Jaxon sauntered in the door carrying a dark gray canvas bag full of tools. He looked at me expectantly. “What did you ladies need?”
    “Oh, I…Celeste, what did we need?”
    Celeste stepped up beside me and put her arm around me. I was part of a team now. “Mercy, show Jax that leaky sink in the back bathroom.”
    “What leaky ─”
    “Oh, you know the one. Now, run along.” She shooed us away as the front door dinged and another little old lady walked in. The two hugged and then disappeared behind the curtain.
    “Well, Jaxon, do you know where the bathroom is?”
    He quirked a brow. “Do you?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Of course I do.”
    “Prove it.”
    I huffed. “Fine. Follow me, Handy.”
    He mumbled something about showing me handy from behind me.
    “I do have ears, Jaxon.”
    “I know that, sweetheart. I meant for you to hear it.”
    I stood in the doorway while Jax dropped to his knees and examined the ‘leaky sink.’ He used wrenches and tightened everything he could find.
    “You gonna watch me all evening, sweetheart?”
    “I’m not your sweetheart. And yes, I think I’ll watch.”
    He leaned over to look beneath the pedestal again. The light gray t-shirt he was wearing rode up. The boy was cut. I mean, wow. He was wow.
    “Like what you see, Mercy?”
    And…he caught me staring. “What, your wrench?”
    He chuckled. “Yeah. My wrench.”
    When he’d tightened everything possible, he put his wrenches away and stood up. “Want me to walk you home?”
    “It’s just across the street.”
    He shrugged and grinned. “So.”
    “Let me get my stuff.”
    I gathered my things quietly, careful not to disturb Celeste and her psychic energy connection, or whatever she had going on. I just didn’t wanna mess up her mojo. Jaxon held the door open for me as I slipped my cross-body bag over my head and stepped outside.
    “Thanks.”
    His brows drew together. “You seem genuine about that thank you.”
    “I am. I appreciated you holding the door open. Doesn’t happen much at all anymore. Not to me and not to most girls, I think.”
    “Well, that’s just bullshit. My mama would tan my hide if I wasn’t polite to a woman, any woman.”
    “Even ugly ones?”
    He laughed as we made our way across the now-empty street. “Even ugly ones.”
    “Well, good. She raised you right.”
    We paused in front of the wooden staircase that led to my place. “Thanks for fixing the sink for her.” I nodded back toward the shop.
    “I’d do anything for her. She’s something else.” He smiled and even though the sun was setting, it was like noon-time all over again. He just brightened everything around him with that smile.
    “She is. I know I haven’t known her or you very long, but it feels like I finally fit in somewhere.”
    I looked up to find his eyes looking into mine. It was like they were searching for something. “You definitely fit in, Mercy.”
    I smiled. “Yeah.”
    “I’m glad Celeste found