Page 69 of The Now in Forever
He knows everyone, it seems. He must notice the look on my face, because he lowers his voice and says, “Helped her buy a new place after her divorce.”
Stopping at the center table, he picks up a book with a gray and silver cover. “Any recommendations?” he asks me with a hint of mischief in his warm brown eyes.
“What do you like to read?”
“I’m open. What do you write?”
I swallow hard. “I haven’t published anything.”
He looks at me with warm eyes. “Not yet.”
There’s a long beat where it feels like he really sees me. Then he smiles. “What do you like to read?”
“Mysteries.”
We wander to that section.
“Any favorite authors?”
“I love Tana French.”
Kyle runs his finger along the spines of the books and stops on one. When he pulls it out, the cover is as familiar as looking in the mirror. Stark white with black tree limbs. The title is written in bold black:In the Woods.
I take it from his hands. “This one is great. It’s the first in the series, so if you haven’t read any, it’s a good place to start.” I reachpast him and pull another book off the shelf. “This one is my favorite, though.”
I hand him a copy ofThe Likeness.
“Sold.” Kyle takes the other from my hand, tucking both under his arm. “We should look for your journals.”
We wander over to the leather-bound notebooks. I pick a black one for Anh, a rose petal pink one for Robin, and a sky blue one for me. I also grab some beautiful matte finish Japanese pens, one for each of us in as close to the journal colors as I can get. Anh’s was easy, but Robin’s is more of a hot pink than pastel, and I get a brown one to go with my blue journal.
We walk to the counter; Kyle puts his books on the down and motions for me to do the same.
I shake my head. “Oh no. I can get it.”
“Please, it’s my treat.”
I hesitate. I don’t want to send the wrong message. Hanging out is one thing. Accepting gifts is another. I realize he’s already handed over his card. He buys two Beach Reads bookstore tote bags too, and Nancy splits up our purchases for us while they chat about her condo.
She hands me the tote with the journals and Kyle the other one. We thank her and walk out together.
“I’ll pay you back.”
He waves me away.“Buy me a beer sometime.”
I bite my lip, wondering if I should ask, and then decide to go for it. What harm could there be in asking? “Hey, do you know what the story is with the bookstore in Fortune Falls?”
“That blue house down the road from The Vern?”
I nod.
“The owner passed away…gosh, must be about ten years ago now. I think the family debated for a long time what to do. None of them live here or anywhere close. They’re all out on the East Coast. But they put it up for sale a couple of years ago.”
“Ahh.”
Kyle’s eyes spark. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. Do you know how much it’s listed for?”
