Page 32 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
“Thanks, Amber.” Haylie smiled at Grace and said, “Scotty mentioned seeing you and Reed at the fair. Are you two going out? He’s a great guy.”
“We are.” It felt wonderful to admit that so freely.
“Does that mean you’re moving back?” Haylie asked.
“No,” Grace said quickly. “My life is in New York now.” Herannoyinglife, as of this morning. A director she adored and had hoped to work with for the next production had spent the morning trying to push her into taking a huge risk on an unknown playwright. He swore the production would do well, but Grace had been down iffy roads before, and they usually led to more headaches than they were worth. She wasn’t sold on the idea and had left things up in the air.
“Long-distance relationships can work if you want them to, but I think it’d be tough after a while,” Haylie said. “I have to get back to the center before they think I ran off for good. Good luck with the class.”
After Haylie left, Amber said, “So it’s true? You and Reed are an item?”
“Yes. It’s true.” She trusted Amber, and she was bursting at the seams to share her happiness, so she said, “Please don’t tell anyone, but we dated in high school. I need to tell Dad at some point. Apparently Mom knew the whole time, but for some reason I’m really nervous about telling Dad I lied to him.”
“Because you’re not a liar.” Amber smiled and said, “But you kind ofare! Oh my gosh, Gracie. You and Reed had a secret fling?”
“Not a fling, no. He was my first love, and I swear, not much has changed. Does that make me sound ridiculous?”
Amber sighed. “No. It makes you sound happy.” She hugged Grace. “I wondered why you hadn’t found a real boyfriend in New York after all this time. I mean, you’re gorgeous, smart, and successful. You could have any man you wanted. Sophie once told me you were just too picky. But that wasn’t it, was it? You were waiting for Reed.”
“I wish I could say that romantic notion was true, but I wasn’twaiting,” she admitted. “Or at least I didn’t know I was. But the second we kissed, it was fireworks all over again.”
“I want that!” Amber said with wide eyes. “I want fireworks. Justoncein my life I want a kiss that makes me see stars.”
“You’ll get one, Amber. And if my life is any indication, it’ll happen when you least expect it.”
“I hope so.” She took Grace by the arm and led her toward the back of the store. “Come on. Let me show you your options.”
While the front of the store boasted floor-to-ceiling shelves, with several rows of bookcases in between and a few displays, the back of the store was more casual. The children’s section took up the right rear corner, with a cylindrical bookshelf made out of stacked wooden crates. The top of the shelving unit was home to a multitude of potted plants and ivy, giving it a treelike appearance. Over the years, Amber had added fake vines and flowers, which made it feel eclectic and alive. There were dozens of small carpet mats that children could move around and sit on to read.
A nook of comfortable couches and mismatched armchairs took up the center of the rear of the store, surrounded by more bookshelves and displays.
“There are three places where you can teach. I have several lap desks in the storage closet, so if you want to teach in the reading nook, you can. But I also set up this table.” Amber walked around the couch and motioned toward a long wooden table with several chairs. “This offers a little separation from the rest of the store, and a place for everyone to sit. But if you want more privacy, you can use my office. I set up a table in there, too.”
Her office was separated from the rest of the store by a wall with bookshelves on the bottom and glass on the top, giving Amber a view of the shop from inside.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble. Why don’t we start in the office, just to make sure everyone is comfortable. I’ll have a better idea of what will work after the first class. I hear Nana’s coming.”
“Oh,yes.” Amber tucked her hair behind her ear and said, “Don’t make the same mistake I did. I called herNina, because that’s the name she used when she signed up, and she gave me a ten-minute diatribe about how ‘kids’ my age are only allowed to call herNana. She signed up with her friend Hellie. You know how wild those two can get. I heard them talking about what they wanted to write about.” Amber smiled and raised her brows. “It’s either going to be wicked fun, or you’ll have more trouble with them than the high schoolers who are coming.”
“After the morning I had arguing with a director…” Grace rolled her eyes. “I can use a little fun to remind me why I got into this business in the first place.”
They headed into her office, and Amber said, “I have no idea how you can keep so many balls in the air with each production. I have a hard time with my one little shop, and you’ve got to oversee financing, casting, choosing the script, sets, and who only knows what else over and over again, like an endless sea of decisions and headaches.”
“Oh, please. You do just as much as I do.” She set her messenger bag on the table. “I hope you’re not disappointed with the size of the class. I know you hoped this would bring more attention to the bookstore.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m thrilled that you agreed to do it, and with so many people reading ebooks, I think any attention I can bring to the store is good. Besides if five people have fun in the class, they’ll talk about it, and you know how gossip spreads. Maybe we can make it an annual thing. You never know; it could be the next best thing in Oak Falls.”
Her enthusiasm made Grace glad she hadn’t let her down and gone back to New York. The bells chimed over the door to the shop, and Grace said, “I really hope it helps. I’m going to set up. Go ahead and do your thing, and, Amber, thank you. I’m glad we’re doing this together.”
Amber hugged her. “Me too!”
As Grace prepared for the class, setting documentation in front of each seat and mentally going over her plans, she grew more excited by the minute. She found herself thinking about her eleventh-grade English teacher, Ms. Devonshire. Grace had always enjoyed theater. She had taken part in drama club throughout elementary, middle, and high school. She had dabbled in writing, but she hadn’t taken it seriously until Ms. Devonshire had challenged her to do an extra creative writing assignment and write a play for the elementary schoolers. Grace hadn’t realized it until years later, but it was Ms. Devonshire’s nudge in that direction that had fueled her love of creative writing. Ms. Devonshire had since retired and moved south, but Grace never failed to send her a holiday card. It was amazing what the attention of one person could do for another. She was excited to pay it forward and help others find their creativity.
“Gracie!” Nana said as she came through the door, carrying a large fabric bag that said GOTLIFE?in big red letters. Hellie was right behind her. Nana looked like a sweet and proper grandmother, dressed in a stylish pair of linen pants and a smart top. Her short, layered hair was mostly white, with a few strands of blond mixed in. She hugged Grace too tight and stood back, visually appraising Grace from head to toe.
“You are even more gorgeous than you were at Sophie’s wedding. I hear you and Reed Cross are an item.” Nana waggled her brows. “If you’re smart, which I know you are, you’ll give that hunk of a man anything he wants. He is too fine to pass up.”
“Mm-hm,” Hellie agreed, tossing her wild silver locks over one shoulder. Her long colorful dress, caramel-colored skin, and hazel eyes gave her an exotic look. She and Nana had grown up in Oak Falls, and they knew all the town’s secrets.
