I grinned. “Purple elephants.”
Addie pushed open her door and hopped out of my truck. I hurried to follow, sliding my keys and phone into my pocket. I kept my head on a swivel, looking for any familiar faces or people I needed to keep an eye on. Addie pulled open the door to the store, an ancient bell giving a half-hearted jingle as she did. I stepped through the opening before she could. She just rolled her eyes at me.
“I doubt there’s a monster inside ready to attack.”
“You never know. Dragons can be anywhere.”
Addie shook her head, but humor laced those hazel depths of hers.
“Well, look at what the cat dragged in. How the hell are you, Beckett?”
Sue had owned The Trading Post for as long as I could remember, and her gravelly voice and take-no-shit attitude had remained unchanged in all those years. She looked mostly the same, too. A few more lines creased her face, and there was more gray woven throughout her long braid—but I would’ve recognized her anywhere.
“It’s good to see you, Sue. You’re looking even more beautiful than I remember.”
She snorted. “Sweet-talker, just like that brother of yours.”
“Some things run in the family.”
Sue caught sight of Addie behind me, and her eyes widened a fraction. “Hey there, Adaline.”
I felt the flinch more than I saw it, but Addie forced a smile. “Please, call me Addie.”
“All right, then, Addie it is. What can I do for you two?” She eyed us both. “Doesn’t look like you’re headed camping.”
“We’re not.” I moved to the counter that served as the register, help desk, and order fulfillment station all in one. Three men ate lunch at one of the corner tables. Their gazes flitted back and forth between Addie and me. I laced my fingers through hers, tugging her closer to my side, and then returned my focus to Sue.
“I wanted to talk to you about getting a stall at your weekend market.”
Sue chuckled. “You start a farm I don’t know about?”
“No farm. I want to do a free clinic.”
She straightened, glancing at the men in the corner and then back to me. “That even legal?”
“Got an organization that will handle the permits and licenses.”
“Why?”
Leave it to Sue to cut through all the bullshit and get to the heart of the matter. I leaned a hip against the counter. “People in this county need medical care and aren’t getting it. That care is too far away or too expensive—”
“Or they don’t want it,” Sue cut in.
“That, too. I’d like a chance to give it to them at no cost.”
“You expect me to give you a stall for free? You might be running a charity, but I’m not.”
I shot her my best charming smile. “Do I look stupid to you?”
“I’m not sure you want me to answer that question.”
Addie choked on a laugh.
I just shook my head. “I’ll pay whatever the going rate is for the stall.”
“You wanna pay for a stall that’s gonna get no use; you go right ahead. I’ll go get the contract.”
“Thanks, Sue.”