His words were croaked like a frog, but he managed not to break down in front of them.

Kincaid shifted to stand next to him as if she could sense he was on shaky emotional ground. “Ash’s right. We could never repay you. This is only a drop in a very large bucket, but we’re so thrilled you like it.”

Charlie wandered away to explore as Grace read more shelf-talkers, but Ash could tell when the man landed in the back of the store. A gruff sound came from that direction, and he called out for his wife. “Gracie, come ’ere.”

Kincaid gave Ash a look, slightly wary, and they followed Grace to the back. Charlie was standing with his arms crossed, staring at the black-and-white framed snapshot on the back wall. The second Grace saw her son’s photo, tears filled her eyes. She looked to Kincaid and Ash with surprise.

Kincaid wet her lips, looking nervous. “We wanted to honor the person who was supposed to be running this store.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Grace said, leaning into Charlie.

In the true crime section, Kincaid had put together a small wall display with a photo of Graham, his smile wide, and a note about the tragedy. Beneath the photo, there were canisters of wooden bookmarks with the words Love Never Ends engraved onto them by Hardware Store Jim that people could purchase, all proceeds going to the charity Grace and Charlie would start in Graham’s name with the bookstore money.

Grace picked up one of the bookmarks, running her fingers over the thin wood. “Y’all didn’t have to do this. You know whoever buys this store will probably get rid of this.”

Kincaid nodded. “Yeah, well, until then, this store is Graham’s. He has a part in this.” She reached out and grabbed Ash’s hand. “Plus, the place didn’t feel complete without Graham here, too. It was always the three of us hanging out here.”

A double-edged pang of sadness moved through Ash.

Kincaid released his hand, and Grace and Charlie hugged them both. Afterward, Charlie dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief he kept in his back pocket. “This place is going to sell,” he said with confidence. “I can feel my son’s spirit here, and I can feel the love you two put into this. Someone will see how magical this place is.”

Kincaid nodded. “I have no doubt. My friend Ferris already has it up on the website, and it will go on the market tomorrow. He’ll fight to get top dollar and to find someone who wants to keep it a bookstore. I have full confidence in him.”

Grace frowned. “I’m so sorry about your job, sweetie. I can’t believe they just cut staff like that. I wanted you to be the one who got to sell this place.”

Kincaid shifted and pushed her hair behind her ears, looking uncomfortable. “It’s okay. I’ve been managing. Selling the lake house has helped a lot. I’m getting everything moved into the farmhouse this week. As soon as we get the furniture in, I’ll be able to sleep there.”