Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“No. With renovations for that side behind schedule, we’re going to have to do the grand opening for the bookstore first. We did find a few willing people to work the part-time clerk hours we’re offering. But a full-time manager is proving I am every bit as picky as my exes complained about.”
“You? Discerning? Never.” I laughed. I’d been thinking about his dilemma since his earlier texts, going through my lengthy list of people I knew from the farm, school, and college. “Listen. I might have an idea for a manager for you. One of the most responsible people I know. Solid. He’s…between gigs. I could ask him to put in an application.”
“Sure.” Harrison sounded interested but cautious. Which was natural. And this wasn’t a perfect fit, but I’d heard through mutual friends that someone I knew from school was in a bad situation and could use a fresh start.
“I think Tanner might impress you.” I hoped, at least. Audrey would like him if nothing else. She seemed to have a soft spot for all sorts of wounded creatures. “One catch, though…”
“Oh?” Harrison’s voice went up like the rolling hills outside the truck as we neared the outskirts of Vergennes. It was a historic town on Otter Creek, and I’d always loved the distinctive waterfalls that were viewable from downtown.
“I’m not sure how much Tanner knows about wine,” I admitted as we passed a hand-lettered sign for first-of-the-season strawberries. “Beer, yes. And he’d know all the local ciders, like Shipley’s. But I’d trust him to manage servers and bar staff, no problem, even if pricey vino might be a stretch.”
“I’m desperate enough to think about it. Tell him to apply. If nothing else, Mom can help with the wine ordering. She loves the idea of the wine bar as a gathering place for the community, but I didn’t want to burden her with the long hours of managing it. And if anything were to happen to me, I want her to have a dependable staff.”
Harrison sounded so resigned and down that I wished we weren’t driving so I could touch him, maybe squeeze his arm. And then knock some sense into him.
“Harrison…”
“Oh, I must be in trouble now. You used my actual name.”
“You can’t plan your life around doomsday scenarios. It’s like…” I struggled with how to describe my issue with Harrison’s attitude. An English major I was not. “The weather is constantly on my mind. But if I lived each day like a storm was coming, I’d never get anything done. And I’m not saying that being prepared is a bad thing. But living in fear isn’t healthy.”
“You don’t understand—”
“Actually, I do.” I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “My mom lost most of her sight about ten years ago. Acute angle-closure glaucoma. It came on suddenly. One day she was fine. The next day, irreversible damage to her field of vision that rapidly worsened.”
“I’m sorry,” Harrison said softly as he shrank back into the seat.
“Yeah. She’s done amazing, but like any other condition, it has its ups and downs. It’s been a long road for her. And unlike my dad’s death, which truly was a freak accident, glaucoma has a genetic component. It would be really easy for me to spend the next twenty years counting down to whether or not I’ll end up with a vision impairment myself.”
“I…I’d probably be in the worrying camp.” Harrison sighed like he’d disappointed himself. “I admire you, staying optimistic.”
“It’s not admirable.” I tried to keep my voice level. “It’s self-defense. I spent a couple of years reading everything I could on glaucoma, researching various supplements, visiting several eye doctors trying to get a prediction, and I didn’t like who I was becoming. So, when I say you need to live, it’s because I’ve been there.”
I didn’t admit to many people how obsessed I’d become with my eye health, especially after my dad died, and it felt like I was all the farm had. Rachel had been too young, and the older two had been busy starting families and not as into the farm’s daily business. I’d been like Harrison, counting down to what I saw as inevitable.
“What changed for you?”
“Nothing that dramatic. But it was early one morning, sunrise coming up, that season’s chicks flapping around, light catching the farm stand barn just so. And it hit me that I hadn’t really seen anything in months. I’d been so deep in my head that I was missing my chance to see clearly in the present. I couldn’t keep living in the murky future.”
“Oh.” Harrison exhaled hard as I made a careful turn onto another road. “I appreciate you sharing. A lot. And I am trying. I know the people around me deserve more than me in a funk all the time.”