Page 63 of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

“I’m dead. I’m dying.” I fanned my face, trying to control my giggles.

“Where’d you get this cutie?” Meredith tapped the blow-up doll.

“You’ll have to ask Alexander for his source for blow-up dolls.”

“It’s not a source.” Alexander whirled on me. “You make me sound like I’m a dealer.”

“Lot of money in sex toys,” Meredith commented, unpacking the box of decorations she’d brought with her.

“It’s not. I can’t.” Alexander threw up his hands. “I’ve exceeded my tolerance for social interactions today and it’s not even ten in the morning. Good day, ladies.”

With that, he stormed out of the shop while I howled in laughter. Esther came in just then, with Shannon and Cherise on her heels.

“Someone’s a bit tetchy today,” Esther commented, nodding out the door while she unwound the scarf around her neck.

“I think his social battery is drained.”

“Maybe he’s just worn out from his blow-up doll.” Meredith held up the alien and the Book Bitches crowed with delight.

“Is that his toy?” Cherise looked at me like I would know the answer to Alexander’s bedroom contents. I mean, I might, someday, but we hadn’t leveled our friendshipup quite that far yet. Alexander had been busy with final exams for his students, and I couldn’t quite bring myself to call him and ask him to come by. Yet.

“He brought it in for the window, but Meredith derailed the conversation and managed to make it sexual.”

“Me? I wasn’t the one talking about sex when I walked in the door.” Meredith fluffed her hair like she was meant to be minding her own business.

“You two were discussing sex?” Esther scoffed. “What’s there to talk about? You either want to have it or you don’t. Kids these days. Waste too much time talking.”

“Can we focus on the window design please? You all read too many romance novels.” Pulling out the diagram for the window, I pursed my lips. “We need to land on a song for the music.”

“I think I know,” Esther said.

The speaker flipped on, and David Bowie’sLife on Marsbegan to play.

“Damn it, Moira. That was my big reveal.” Esther snapped her fingers in the air and dropped her tote bag on the table in disgust. “She always loved being the center of attention.”

“That’s a perfect song,” I said.

And it was. If there was one advantage—and I used that term lightly—to my mother being absent throughout my life, it was music. Perhaps I used it to drown out my sadness, or maybe it became my friend when I felt so alone otherwise. But it had given me such a good memory for songs, and for song titles. What was weirdthough was how Moira seemed to know that. I wasn’t an encyclopedia of song names by any stretch, but she’d somehow picked easily identifiable songs that I recognized from the introductions.How is it possible that we’re so in sync, even though we never met?

“Well, let’s get to it, ladies,” Cherise said. Meredith had disappeared into my kitchen to make tea, something that I was more used to now, and my phone pinged with a text.

Nice to meet you the other night. Fancy a drink tonight? I leave this weekend.

I paused, my finger hovering over the keyboard, as I thought about it. Did I want to have a drink with a handsome, unattached man? Jessica would be screaming at me to accept. But the thing was, I just wasn’t sure what the point was. I didn’t want to be careless with Alexander’s request for exclusivity, and I also wasn’t looking for love.

Nice to meet you too. I’m sorry, I’m slammed this week. Safe travels back.

Putting my phone down, certain I’d made the right decision, I looked up as the bells jingled at the door.

“Ah, Daniel. Good to see you.”

I’d invited him here today because I’d been playing with my magnifying glass, which I’d since learned is also called a quizzing glass. Because I’d had a niggling suspicion that sometimes, maybe it was okay if two people’s favorite book was the same. I had to spend some time thinking about what the connection would be, but whenit had come to me late last night, I rushed into the shop and wrote their names together along with the word.

Banter.

It had risen off the page in all its shimmering glory. Now, I just had to figure out how to put my plan into action without making my mark suspicious. Because she was a contrary old goat, I knew as soon as she sniffed out my intentions, she’d march the other way just to be difficult.

Daniel looked particularly dapper today with a suitcoat worn over a soft green sweater and tweed pants. A smart newsboy cap was tucked on his head, and frankly, I was surprised one of these women hadn’t gone after him yet. He wasveryhandsome.

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