angry. I work as hard as a man can work. My head barely hits the pillows before the sun brings another day of endless work. I don’t bother most days to stop for much of a meal because I don’t have the time or the know-how to make one. I exist on so little sleep, I can barely tend to one customer while another walks out the door without paying.’’
He paused and drew in a long breath. ‘‘What little hold I had on my temper is gone. I suppose my mother was right. My temper has been my undoing. Nevertheless, I cannot and will not make light of the matter. What happened here today with Widow Garrett and Widow Leonard was unconscionable. I should have known better than to leap to conclusions. I do know better. It’s just that I . . . I’m so frustrated and so angry. . . .’’
His distress unleashed compassion that rushed from her heart and washed away her surprise at his willingness to take full responsibility for the misunderstanding, as well as her previous impression of him. ‘‘You’ve forgotten that sometimes people simply make mistakes,’’ she suggested. ‘‘You’ve been so consumed with making a living for yourself that you forgot that it’s the way you live that matters most, not how much or how little you make. You’ve forgotten the most important rule a shopkeeper must follow.’’
He looked up. ‘‘Which is?’’
‘‘To remember to treat your customers with the respect and dignity they deserve. Most customers are good, honest, hardworking folks. That’s not to say there aren’t others whose goal is to cheat you out of collecting your due—there are—just as there are ways a wise shopkeeper can devise to keep his losses to a minimum.’’
Concerned she might have let the conversation drift too far away from the purpose of her visit, she locked her gaze with his. ‘‘How are you planning to set things right? You are planning to do that, aren’t you, Mr. Atkins?’’
His eyes widened. ‘‘Of course. I had planned to see the sheriff to withdraw my complaint as soon as I closed up for the day. I would have gone earlier, but I had no one to mind the store. I’m not sure if it’s possible, and I wouldn’t blame them for being cross with me, but I’d like to do something, anything, to make amends to both Widow Garrett and Widow Leonard.’’
‘‘To see to it that word spreads so you won’t lose more customers to the threat of your temper?’’
‘‘No,’’ he argued. ‘‘To do what’s right. No matter what I do, I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of those poor women sitting in a jail cell out of my mind.’’
She caught a grin before it spread beyond the corners of her mouth. ‘‘Actually, at this moment I believe they’re having dinner with Sheriff North and his family at his home. Regardless, I’m not certain it’s for me to say what you should do. You might want to ask them directly,’’ she suggested.
He nodded. ‘‘Of course, but—’’
‘‘I don’t believe it would take you that much time. I’d be happy to tend to your customers while you’re gone. Is the cashbox still on the middle shelf behind the counter?’’ she asked. She removed her bonnet, hung it on a peg, and donned a work apron without waiting for him to reply.
He handed her a key he retrieved from his pocket. ‘‘The account book is there, too.’’
She slipped the key into her apron pocket. ‘‘If there’s time, I might make a few changes in the store that you might find helpful.’’
He nodded again. ‘‘Anything. Change anything at all. And I’d still be grateful if you could suggest something I might take with me to give Widow Garrett and Widow Leonard.’’
She took a step, stopped, and retrieved the key, which she handed back to him. When he furrowed his brow, she shrugged her shoulders. ‘‘Assuming you’re serious about taking something with you to help make amends, I think you might want to get some coins from the cashbox before you
He paused and drew in a long breath. ‘‘What little hold I had on my temper is gone. I suppose my mother was right. My temper has been my undoing. Nevertheless, I cannot and will not make light of the matter. What happened here today with Widow Garrett and Widow Leonard was unconscionable. I should have known better than to leap to conclusions. I do know better. It’s just that I . . . I’m so frustrated and so angry. . . .’’
His distress unleashed compassion that rushed from her heart and washed away her surprise at his willingness to take full responsibility for the misunderstanding, as well as her previous impression of him. ‘‘You’ve forgotten that sometimes people simply make mistakes,’’ she suggested. ‘‘You’ve been so consumed with making a living for yourself that you forgot that it’s the way you live that matters most, not how much or how little you make. You’ve forgotten the most important rule a shopkeeper must follow.’’
He looked up. ‘‘Which is?’’
‘‘To remember to treat your customers with the respect and dignity they deserve. Most customers are good, honest, hardworking folks. That’s not to say there aren’t others whose goal is to cheat you out of collecting your due—there are—just as there are ways a wise shopkeeper can devise to keep his losses to a minimum.’’
Concerned she might have let the conversation drift too far away from the purpose of her visit, she locked her gaze with his. ‘‘How are you planning to set things right? You are planning to do that, aren’t you, Mr. Atkins?’’
His eyes widened. ‘‘Of course. I had planned to see the sheriff to withdraw my complaint as soon as I closed up for the day. I would have gone earlier, but I had no one to mind the store. I’m not sure if it’s possible, and I wouldn’t blame them for being cross with me, but I’d like to do something, anything, to make amends to both Widow Garrett and Widow Leonard.’’
‘‘To see to it that word spreads so you won’t lose more customers to the threat of your temper?’’
‘‘No,’’ he argued. ‘‘To do what’s right. No matter what I do, I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of those poor women sitting in a jail cell out of my mind.’’
She caught a grin before it spread beyond the corners of her mouth. ‘‘Actually, at this moment I believe they’re having dinner with Sheriff North and his family at his home. Regardless, I’m not certain it’s for me to say what you should do. You might want to ask them directly,’’ she suggested.
He nodded. ‘‘Of course, but—’’
‘‘I don’t believe it would take you that much time. I’d be happy to tend to your customers while you’re gone. Is the cashbox still on the middle shelf behind the counter?’’ she asked. She removed her bonnet, hung it on a peg, and donned a work apron without waiting for him to reply.
He handed her a key he retrieved from his pocket. ‘‘The account book is there, too.’’
She slipped the key into her apron pocket. ‘‘If there’s time, I might make a few changes in the store that you might find helpful.’’
He nodded again. ‘‘Anything. Change anything at all. And I’d still be grateful if you could suggest something I might take with me to give Widow Garrett and Widow Leonard.’’
She took a step, stopped, and retrieved the key, which she handed back to him. When he furrowed his brow, she shrugged her shoulders. ‘‘Assuming you’re serious about taking something with you to help make amends, I think you might want to get some coins from the cashbox before you
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