Page 3 of Bookstore Bliss

KRISTEN

I grab my coffee from Bethany with a quick thanks and wave goodbye. I want to leave the bakery and return to the bookstore as fast as I can. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to remain composed and politely leave Seth and Riley but wanting to run and hide.

Seth has a kid. I can’t believe it.

And not a baby, but like at least a five- or six-year-old. Which means he’s probably married. I didn’t see a ring, but I also wasn’t focused on his hands. Just his face, and biceps, and everything else that I may have imagined seeing naked.

Can’t think straight.

The guy I loved for years now has a kid with someone else. I knew it’d happen. We didn’t end on amicable terms. A tiny, little part of me still hoped that maybe one day down the road things would click and we’d reconnect. Just a fairytale thing that’s got me through all my previous breakups. That maybe nothing was working out because I was meant to be with Seth in the end. How it’d ever happen, I didn’t think about it too hard. Just ate ice cream and day dreamed about things finally working out for me when it came to love for once.

This morning’s run-in makes me even more certain that I’m going to try to sell this store as soon as possible and get back to California.

I lock the door behind me. I need the solitude of an empty store to help me figure out what to do. I invited Seth and Riley over tomorrow. I look around the store that is in no way ready to be seen by people without me feeling deeply embarrassed. I chug some of my coffee and grab boxes. Time to get to work to make this somewhat presentable for Seth and Riley’s visit.

My grandmother and I would get a donut every Sunday in the summer. It’s not quite summertime, but a sugary treat is needed this morning. Outside of my sweets craving and nostalgia, I want to ask my friends about Seth and the years we’ve been apart.

Unfortunately, Bethany wasn’t in the bakery and Violet was swamped. I couldn’t grill them on Seth before he arrives today. I’d love to be more prepared than the social media deep dive that kept me up way past a normal sleeping time.

Perhaps the time change is good for one thing.

I take my caffeine and donuts back to the store. Once I’m finished, I continue to make a stack of the dinosaur books in the children’s area. I’m not sure what reading level Riley is at, but I figure if I pull everything maybe I can have enough time to chat with Seth while she goes through all of them.

While in the middle of dusting some of the shelves the door dings loudly.

“Hello,” Seth says as a smaller voice echoes his greeting. I turn the corner and see the duo. Except for her eyes, Riley is practically a mini version of Seth. Today she’s dressed in abright green shirt and pink shorts, her pigtails braided with blue bobbles on the ends.

“Thanks for coming,” I set the cleaning stuff down before I crouch down to be on eye level with Riley. “I made a huge stack of dinosaur books in the kid’s area. Shall we go take a look?”

I extend my hand and let her decide.

“Yes!” she exclaims loudly and then takes my hand. I lead her to the area and she sits in the middle of all the little stacks. Her eyes widen as she starts to flip through them. It’s adorable.

“Do you need help with anything?” Seth inquires as we both watch Riley start making her own piles of books.

“If you don’t mind,” I turn to face him and place my hand on his arm, “I would love to take advantage of your apparent muscle strength.” My face feels warmer with each word. I’m not as coy as I intended.

“Need some heavy lifting?” He chuckles, the laugh lines by his eyes crinkling. For a brief moment I feel like we’re transported back to a summer day in high school.

I know I need to respond to Seth. To ask him to carry some of the heavy boxes from upstairs down here to the first floor. But all I can think about are his lips on mine. I feel my pulse quicken as I swallow, my mouth suddenly very dry.

Keep it together.

It’s just memories, nothing more.

Finally, I get the words out to ask him if he’d mind carrying some things for me.

Riley comes bounding over to show us a picture book. He asks if I’ll keep her entertained. I nod and ask Riley some questions about her favorite dinos. She has a lot to say, it’s cute. I watch Seth as he walks away, his athletic shorts are snug and showcase his well-defined ass. I have no idea what Riley is saying, her words are lost as I’m all but drooling as Seth walks away.

I did spy his hands, no ring in sight.

I have a million questions and the only thing I know for certain so far is that Riley likes the way Brachiosaurus dinosaurs look like giraffes.

Seth

I take a deep breath as I stand on the second-floor landing. I look around, the boxes Kristen asked me to grab are easy to find. I spot the couch in pullout bed mode. Wonder if this is where Kristen is staying? That’s one question answered and leans more towards her stay being temporary. Who wants to sleep on a pullout bed longer than they must?

I’m glad Kristen asked me to do something. She’s wearing a navy sundress that accentuates her chest and waistline. It looks soft and flowy, like something you want to reach out and touch to confirm. However, my hands are firmly in my pockets.

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