Page 127 of The Romance Library

‘When he handed in his key, he gave me an envelope and insisted I didn’t open it until he left.’

‘What was inside?’

‘Five bloody grand! I’m not one for crying, but I tell you what, when I saw that, I shed a tear.’

‘That’s… that’s really sweet.’ My heart fluttered.

‘Tell me about it! I called him straight away to say thanks but that it was too much. He said it was for the hospitality, but I explained that Edwin was covering the cost of your stay during the pitch. But he’d insisted. Said it might come in handy if I wanted to fix the ceiling and the creaky bed!’ She smirked.

‘Oh!’ Thinking about it, we’d probably done a lot of damage to both.

‘But I reckon it’s because I’d mentioned in passing one day that things were a little tight, so he wanted to help. Such a gent. Men like him don’t come along often, so don’t let him slip through your fingers.’ She smiled and I nodded, knowing Glenda was right. ‘Anyway, better go. The kitchen won’t clean itself!’

‘Bye,’ I said, clutching the newsletter to my chest, somehow hoping it would soothe the pain in my heart.

Once I’d showered, I climbed into bed and started reading. As I made my way through the pages, I tried to imagine Theo’s voice and how it would sound if he was reading to me.

My thoughts also turned to the photo in the newsletter. And with the picture of his face and velvety tones in my mind, it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.

‘O. M. G!’ My best friend’s jaw dropped as she stepped into Mrs Davis’s basement. ‘I know you said she had a lot of books, but this is insane! I thought she’d just have the books that blew up on TikTok, but she’s also got some of my fave indie authors too, like Lyndsey Gallagher, Jen Morris, Clare Lydon and Evie Alexander. What a legend!’

Sarah had come down for the weekend to help me check off and package up all the books so that as soon as the work was finished at Seaview High, they could be moved into the library.

Mrs Davis had kept a handwritten list of every book she had, but it was going to take an eternity to go through everything—that was why we’d decided to stay in one of the rooms here, which felt a bit weird, but it was the best option if I wanted to get this done. I was so grateful to have Sarah’s help for two whole days.

‘I know, right? There’s loads of classics too. At first I was worried about having too many old books because people always want the hot, shiny new novels to read, but actually, I think there’s room for both. There’ll be a lot of romance readers who want to dive into an author’s backlist, and it could also help attract a different target audience.’

Romance wasn’t just for readers in their twenties and thirties. I was sure there were plenty of readers in their forties, fifties, sixties or even eighties just like Mrs Davis who’d love to read romances from past decades. It was important that we had something to offer every romance reader’s tastes.

‘Listen to you with your marketing speak!’ Sarah laughed, tossing her dark hair back. Knowing that we had a lot of work to do, she’d come dressed in her favourite comfy blue jeans, a purple T-shirt and a pair of trainers.

‘It’s crazy! I never thought I’d be talking about target audiences and market demand, but this whole experience has taught me a lot.’

‘I can tell. I love the way your confidence has grown.’

‘Thanks.’ My heart fluttered.

‘So how’s all the other stuff going with the library prep? Are you going to get someone else to help you? There’s no way you can manage everything on your own.’ Sarah pulled out a book with a pink cover that I didn’t recognise and started flicking through it.

‘I’ve drafted some text for a librarian ad, so I just need to find the best and cheapest ways to advertise it. I was thinking I’d try social media but haven’t had time to set up any accounts yet.’

‘Social media’s a great idea! All the Bookstagrammers and BookTokers will spread the word. I can help if you like?’

‘That’d be amazing. There’s just so much to do and I have to be super careful with the budget. I really need to start advertising soon, though, because ideally I’d like someone with experience, since I know nothing about running a library. And if they’re already working, they’ll need to give at least a month’s notice.’

‘True. What else do you have to do?’

‘Apart from all the stuff with the sale and renovations, advertising for staff, then the interviews, sorting through all these books and handling all the marketing so people actually know that the library exists?’

‘Whoa. That’s a lot.’

‘Tell me about it! And I reckon I need to have some sort of grand opening or launch party. I heard that’s a good way to get free advertising. Or is it PR? I’m still trying to learn all about the marketing stuff.’

‘I think it’s called PR, but they’re all related. A launch party’s a great idea. I bet the locals in your adorable town would help too.’

Before we came to Mrs Davis’s house, Sarah met me in Sunshine Bay and I gave her a little tour. She absolutely loved it.

I was still staying at the B&B. It was close to Seaview High and it felt like the nearest thing I’d had to a home in ages.

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