“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ona asked after Alice explained why Rich was her only hope. Alice stared at her phone. She’d brought up Rich in her contacts. All she had to do was press “call.”
“What choice do I have?”
“How can your ex-fiancé fix this?” Ona said. “Even if he could solve the problem, sweetie, why would he? You left him at the altar.”
She spoke gently, but also truthfully. Her words did not sting Alice. After all, she’d asked herself the same questions. Yet she knew Rich. She knew what he’d do.
With a sigh, she said, “If I ask him to, he’ll buy the bookstore.”
“And what will he get in return?”
Alice looked away.
“Alice, listen. You ran away for a reason.”
Alice said nothing. She was thinking of her hideaway behind the red door, her Wonderland, and the bookstore that held her happy childhood memories, the last remnant of her mom. It would all vanish if she didn’t do something. But exhaustion rode over her in waves. She couldn’t muster the strength to explain.
Ona must have taken her silence as promising, because she squeezed Alice’s hand and said, “You should sleep on it. Come back to the inn with me, get some rest, and then we can grab breakfast and talk it over tomorrow.”
Alice shook her head. “It’ll be too late by then.”
“Nonsense. Between now and the morning, all that will happen is that we’ll get some sleep and a fresh perspective on things. Maybe we’ll find a solution we haven’t thought of.”
Alice shrugged.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Ona said.
She tugged Alice’s hand and guided her, like a child, out of the booth, and then led her out of the diner.
Down the street, a firetruck stood by the bookstore. So did Chief Jimbo’s police cruiser. Barriers kept people at a distance, and the chief of police was busy directing traffic. He’d sent word to the diner that he’d want to talk to Alice later to learn what happened, but that he had “other fish to fry first.”
From afar, Alice could see the big, gaping hole in the back of the bookstore, where not only the wall, but also the roof had caved in.
She didn’t comment. Nor did Ona.
They reached the Pemberley Inn, and Alice began climbing the steps to her room.
“Do you want some company?” Ona asked.
Alice shook her head. “I’m going to have a shower and go straight to bed.”
“Good idea. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Ona gave her an encouraging smile.
Alice climbed the steps, her feet as heavy as bricks.
Colonel Brandon stared at her with those empty eyes, and she stared back.
“You’d come to my rescue, wouldn’t you, Colonel Brandon?” She considered him for a moment. “Of course you would.”
She went inside her room, closed the door, and sat on the bed.
Deep breath. Exhale.
She hit the call button.