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thunder boomed, loud enough to shake the windows. From across
the store, Alex saw Katie flinch, her face a mask of surprise and
terror, and he found himself wondering whether it was the same
way her husband had once seen her.
The door of the store opened and a man rushed in, trailing water
on the old wood flooring. He shook rivulets of rain from his
sleeves and nodded at Alex before finally moving toward the grill.
Katie turned back to the shelf that held crackers. He didn’t have a
big selection, just Saltines and Ritz, the only two that sold
regularly, and she reached for the Ritz.
She selected her usual items as well and carried her basket to the
register. When he finished ringing up and bagging her items, Alex
tapped the bag he’d put on the counter earlier.
“Don’t forget the vegetables.”
She glanced at the total on the register. “Are you sure you rang
them up?”
“Of course.”
“Because the total isn’t any more than it usually is.”
“I gave you the introductory price.”
She frowned, wondering whether to believe him, then finally
reached into the bag. She pulled out a tomato and brought it to
her nose.
“It smells good.”
“I had some last night. They’re great with a touch of salt, and the
cucumbers don’t need anything.”
She nodded but her gaze was focused on the door. The wind was
driving rain against it in furious waves. The door creaked open,