Page 62 of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

“Bye, ho,” Jessica whispered, and I clicked off, laughing.

“Edina! How are you?” I asked, pleased to see her. Today she wore a cheerful scarf in rainbow colors and her eyes were bright as she crossed the shop to me.

“I just nipped out to get the messagesand wanted to pop by before you opened. Is anyone else here?” Edina looked around the shop.

“Nope, just me.” And a cheeky ghost.

“Oh that’s grand. Right, so Samuel…”

“Yes?” I looked at her eagerly.

“Oh, he’s a dream, Rosie. Just a dream.”

I squealed and rounded the table to give her a hug. Pulling back, I held her arms and beamed at her.

“I’m so happy for you. I was hoping you two would hit it off.”

“We really did. Just I don’t even know.” Edina stepped back to pace. “We’ve had dinner three nights in a row now. We just can’t stop talking. It’s incredible. I wasn’t expecting to really make a match, and well, so it is then.”

“This is great, really, really great. I’m so happy for you both.”

“Do I owe you anything else?” Edina looked at me, her lips thinning.

“I don’t think so?” Did she?

“Och, I wasn’t sure if there was, I don’t know, a closing bonus or something. Or a bonus if you made a match.”

That would be smart. I waved the idea away. I wasn’t in this for money. Well, I was barely in it at all. I was still learning the ropes and toying with magick, so it was best that we just left things the way Moira had run them in that department.

The door opened and an alien poked its head in.

“Um.” Edina looked from me to the door.

“Just another day at Highland Hearts,” I said, grinning as the inflatable alien blow-up doll waggled its head back and forth.

“Must be another client looking for love.” Edina grinned and gave me a quick hug before pausing at the door as Alexander ducked inside holding the alien doll.

“You do you, darling.” Edina patted Alexander’s arm, giving a pointed look to the doll before she continued to the street.

Alexander blanched and turned to the street. “No. It’s not likethat.”

I buckled over, laughing.

“I mean, it could be like that. No judgment, right?” I gasped, wiping my eyes.

“I brought this in for the window.” Alexander put the green blow-up alien on the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t let Meredith steal it.” I laughed even harder when Alexander winced.

“Also not an image I want. Listen, what if we just moved on entirely from any alien sex discussions?”

“Did someone say alien smut?” Meredith sang, poking her head in the door, and I collapsed again, holding my hand at my side.

“No. Nobody said that,” Alexander rushed to explain.

“Ohhh, is that a blow-up doll?” Meredith’s grin spread even wider, and I howled, crossing my legs because I was quite certain I was goingto pee my pants at any moment here. “Alexander, I had no idea you were a bad boy.”

“I can’t.” Alexander turned and banged his forehead against a bookshelf.

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