Page 12 of Years in the Making

“He doesn’t have that one yet?”

She flips the book to the cover, her eyes narrowing through her glasses in concentration. “I’m 90% sure that he doesn’t. But that’s what gift receipts are for.” She smiles up at me and winks, and I can’t help but release a puff of a laugh.

“Did you just wink at me?”

She immediately looks embarrassed but laughs too. “Yeah, I don’t know where that came from. Everyone needs a creepy friend. Do you have one of those yet, Steven?”

“I think I do now. And nope.” I say, taking the book fromher to look through it myself. It’s not what I’d look at and describe as easy reading. It has large and beautifully photographed images of birds, but the text is dense, like a textbook. “Doesn’t your dad know all of this stuff yet?” I ask, handing it back to her.

She shrugs. “Possibly, but these are mainly South American birds. He’s more of a North American raptor guy.” I must look confused because she clarifies further. “As in birds of prey. So eagles, hawks, falcons, birds that you wouldn’t want to be a small creature around.”

I don’t have the heart to tell her that I don’t have a whole lot of interest in being around birds as a 6’2” creature so I just nod in understanding.

“Did that book not interest you?” she asks when she sees that my hands are empty.

“Sort of.” I shrug. “I’m just trying to be good with my money. If they don’t have the book for my sister, I’ll consider it.” I send a silent prayer into the universe that they do have the book for my sister.

“I wish I had your self-control in a bookstore.” She laughs and leads me back to the historical fiction section, right to where Kate Culliver’s books are.

There are only two, but one is the book I’m after. “That’s her second.” Nellie points to the lone book left on the shelf. “It’s not exactly a series, but the characters from that book”—she points at the book I’m holding—“do make an appearance.”

“Is it the type of book I’ll want to start immediately?”

“I wasn’t ready to leave the world when I was done.” She gives me a sly smile.She has a boyfriend, I mentally chant.

“It feels a little like you’re trying to bring me over to the dark side, LG.”

“Who? Me?” She looks genuinely affronted. “I would never do that…” Her eyes narrow. “Matthew?”

I shake my head. “Nope. And your face says differently,” I grumble as I reach for the second book. Before I can grab it though, she takes my hand and pulls it back. Goosebumps erupt across the surface of my body, and my eyes immediately go to where she’s got my fingers in hers. A guy could get used to holding her hand. I’m sure her boyfriend is. Lucky bastard.

“Actually,” she says, letting go of my hand, “I loaned out my copy to someone and never got it back. Do you mind if I get it for myself?” Do I mind? Hell no. I shake my head and watch as she grabs it and slips it next to the bird book.

I have the book I was looking for and she’s got what she was looking for, but I am not ready to head home. “I was thinking I’d see if they had the other author you recommended, um…” I’m blanking on the name, but I had looked the books up and they did sound good, so at least I won’t have to fake knowing what they’re about. “Maria…”

“Maira.” She laughs at my terrible memory for names. “Maira Sahni. Her books will be in the YA section. Follow me, sir.” I’ve been called sir once before, and it did nothing to me. “Sir” out of Nellie’s mouth has my entire body on high alert. Lord help me.

“Wait, YA?” I ask trailing behind.

“Young adult.”

“Oh, are we considered young adults?”

“How old are you? Twenty…”

“Two.”

“Well, technically no. We would be NA, new adult.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Ugh.” I can see the blush spreading across her cheeks, like watercolor added to a drop of water. It’s beautiful. “Usually NA has more mature themes.”

“Such as?” I can put two and two together, but friends tease each other, right?

“Swearing, more gruesome deaths, um… sexual content.”

“Maira’s books are YA? So they lack swearing, gruesome deaths, and”—I lower my voice to a whisper and lean closer to her—“sexual content?”

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