Page 125 of His Heart

Brooke

The bookstore was quiet.The rows of neat shelves arranged in precise order seemed to absorb sound. It was a hushed silence, like a field covered in fresh snow. Inviting, and peaceful. It smelled like books—paper, leather, and ink. A hint of coffee, and a breath of lavender.

After the success of our first several readings and events, Joe had added more seating so we could accommodate larger crowds. A handful of people sat at the tables, books laid out in front of them. Some had coffee or tea. Star-shaped light fixtures dangled above the coffee counter, and framed prints of classic book covers decorated the walls. Strings of white lights hung around the perimeter, adding a touch of sparkle and magic.

A muffled sound came from the back, like cardboard sliding across the floor. Probably Joe.

I found him moving boxes of books from a recent shipment.

“Hey,” I said. “Quiet afternoon?”

“It’s probably the calm before the storm,” he said. “Although it was busy this morning.”

That made me smile. Business had picked up considerably. Joe was still distracted—often reading while he was supposed to be doing something else—but the changes we’d made to the store had worked beautifully. People came in for more than books. They came for the ambience. It had become a popular hangout for college students, particularly the more literary-minded. Study groups met here, as did book clubs. There was even a knitting club who came once a month.

People packed in for events. Author readings and book signings were popular. But open mic nights were the big hit. Joe had invested in a small sound system, and people loved taking the stage. And it wasn’t just students. The store drew in people from all over the community. Last week, we’d had readings from a college freshman with a blond ponytail, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, a young guy as big as Sebastian wearing a football t-shirt, and an eighty-nine-year-old African-American man with a raspy voice and a knack for storytelling.

“Do you need any help back here?” I asked. “Or should I go get things set up for tonight?”

“I’m fine,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Just making a little room.”

I went out front and took care of a few things. Waited on customers. Olivia came in and waved to me with a broad smile. Her pale pink shirt looked perfect with her blond hair, and I’d have to tell her later that her jeans made her ass look fabulous. She’d been lit up like the sun ever since Charlie had proposed. They were planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean next year. She’d already asked me to be her maid of honor, and I had absolutely no complaints about a tropical vacation to watch two of my best friends get married.

Olivia wasn’t working tonight, but she checked in with the barista. She’d done an incredible job with the store. Not just reopening the coffee counter, but helping redecorate, and working with me and Joe on promotions. She’d put together a whole new website and was handling all the store’s social media.

Joe treated us both like granddaughters, and Olivia had already told him he had to fly down to her wedding—he didn’t have a choice. He acted like he wasn’t thrilled—he hated to fly—but we knew he was touched that she wanted him there.

I was going to miss him when Sebastian and I moved next year. But we’d come back to visit. And who knew what the future held. Maybe we’d wind up back in Iowa someday. Right now, I was excited at the prospect of going somewhere new. It felt like an adventure. But I knew that ultimately, I wanted us to settle down. Find a place where we could put down roots and be a part of a community. Create a safe and stable home.

Evening fell and the sun went down. I got the last of the things ready for open mic night as more people wandered in and the tables began to fill. Sebastian and Charlie arrived. They were both so big, they dwarfed everyone around them. It was even more noticeable when they were together. They went over to Olivia’s table and I left the front counter to join them.

Sebastian slipped his arm around me and squeezed. We waited for Charlie and Olivia to finish their mildly-inappropriate greeting.

“Hang on,” Charlie said. He put his hand on Olivia’s arm to stop her from sitting. “We have a surprise for you.”

“For both of you,” Sebastian said.

Before we could ask any questions, they pointed to the front door.

Brian and Mary Harper walked in, their eyes searching. Olivia squealed, then clapped her hand over her mouth. She ran over to her parents and threw herself at them, awkwardly trying to hug them both at the same time.

Sebastian and I waited by the table while Olivia introduced them to Charlie; I didn’t want to intrude on their moment. I teared up a little watching Brian shake Charlie’s hand and Mary wrap him in a tender embrace. Olivia held out her hand so they could admire her engagement ring.

The beauty of the moment filled my heart. All of them, so happy. So full of life and love.

Mary met my eyes from across the store. Strands of silver were like sparkles in her blond hair, and her blue eyes—so much like Liam’s—crinkled at the corners with her smile.

She came over and took my face in her hands. “I’m so proud of you, my sweet girl,” she said, and kissed me on the forehead.

I stepped into her embrace and she held me tight. It was so good to see her again. Brian hugged me too, then shook hands with Sebastian. Mary was having none of this polite hand-shaking. She held her arms open for Sebastian. He leaned down and gave her a gentle hug, his big arms engulfing her.

“Wow.” Sebastian cleared his throat as he stepped back. “I think there’s something in my eye.”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Olivia said. “How could you keep this from me?”

“We wanted it to be a surprise,” Mary said.

Olivia turned to Charlie and smacked him on the arm. “How could you keep it from me?”

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