Page 37 of When the Angel Falls First

“There will be time for us to talk, Josie dear. In the meantime, just know that this love is unlike anything else you will ever experience.”

The screen went black.

Another polite knock on the door and I rushed off my chair, eager for the distraction.

The small bell above the door heralded the customer’s entrance after I unlocked it. A middle-aged woman stepped inside, her eyes wide with delight as she glanced around. She was a new customer, taking it all in.

“Morning,” I greeted her, forcing a smile despite the turmoil inside.

“Good morning,” she replied with a wide smile. “I wonderif you could help me. I’m looking for a family saga to read on my vacation. Something that will keep me hooked,” she said, squeezing her hands in anticipation.

“I’ve got a whole section of family sagas.” I led her to the far corner where those hefty books were shelved. “What sort of dynamics are you interested in?” I asked, turning back to her.

“Oh, I love a meddling grandmother character. The matriarch of the family who has her fingers in every pie.” The woman laughed.

A chuckle escaped my lips. “Well, I certainly know about that character type. The kind that phones you up out of the blue and gets straight into the middle of a mess,” I said, my mind flitting back to Nana.

The woman hooted, a hearty sound that echoed around the shop. “Exactly!”

“Any other character types you’re fond of?” I asked, pulling out a few books I thought she might like.

“Hmm… How about some sibling rivalry?” she suggested.

“Oh, that’s a common one,” I agreed, a wry smile pulling at my lips. “The kind where one sibling has followed family tradition, but the other has become a black sheep.”

“Yes!”

“But then there’s this undercurrent of love and respect beneath it all. Even if one of them returns after seven years with a mysterious secret,” I added. Fred and I had a complex relationship, but yesterday felt like something new was happening between us.

The woman nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes! That’s exactly it!”

“Anything else?” I asked, eager to see where this conversation would lead.

“Perhaps a childhood sweetheart who comes back to town,reigniting old feelings and stirring up drama?” she proposed, an impish grin on her face.

My heart skipped a beat. “I know that one, too,” I said, swallowing hard. “The kind that shows up unannounced, his return sending shockwaves through the protagonist’s life. They share a kiss that’s a mix of old memories and new feelings. And suddenly, all those old wounds are reopened, the past coming back to haunt the present,” I added, my voice a soft murmur.

“And always a happily ever after.” She sighed.

“Always.” I let out a tight sigh. Happily ever after, my ass. More like make do with the best I could get. EvenNanahad gone through the turmoil of a love that didn’t last forever with one of these celestial cads. Just who did they think they were, anyway?

Angel-shaped Don Juan dickwads.

She cocked her head. “Or else the love interest could die. That always does well in a family saga.”

Yikes. “No!” That would be going a littletoofar.

“Oh, okay.” The woman’s eyes were wide with interest. “Then he lives and causes incredible chaos in an already complicated family. That’s the kind of drama I live for.”

“Let me cull the options for you.” I was getting fearful of what she might come up with next.

I helped her narrow her selection to an excellent series that could keep her going all summer.

“I know you’re going to love these,” I said as I rang her up on the register.

She placed a fifty-dollar bill on the counter but then reached out and took my hand. The contact surprised me. Her grasp was unusually hot, hotter than any skin I’d ever touched, as though if I wasn’t careful, I’d get burned. It was as if she…

And then I knew.

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