Page 6 of The Bookstore on Marco Island

“Me too,” Nicky admitted, slowing down as they neared the town. “I start to relax and get a warm feeling.” She glanced at the blue sea. “Suddenly, you know everything’s going to be all right.”

“Because you’re home!” Hannah turned toward her, and Nicky saw she felt the same way. “I’ve always felt that no matter where I move in the world, that’s the new place I live, but Marco Island—this is my home.”

“We were born here and are part of the island’s heart,” Nicky repeated something their grandmother always said.

“Nicky!” Hannah squealed, giving Nicky such a fright that she nearly swerved off the road. “Stop the car!”

“What?” Nicky’s eyes widened, and she glanced around, wondering if she had ridden over something. Her heart was pounding and making a roaring noise in her ears. “What happened?”

She pulled over as soon as possible and stopped the car, feeling shaken.

“Nothing happened!” Hannah said excitedly, opening the car door and jumping out. “Come and look at this.”

“Look at what?” Nicky said, confused and still shaken.

But Hannah was already out of the car and rushing toward the small block of shops at the end of Tigertail Avenue, the road where Scott House and Scott Hotel were.

“Nicky!” Hannah shouted, and Nicky could see her beckoning to her as she glanced in the mirror.

Taking a breath to calm her nerves, Nicky looked at Belvedere.

“Do you need to stretch your legs?” she asked him and got a small woof in response.

Nicky quickly put his leash on his harness and let him out of the car as she walked over to Hannah, who was practically bouncing with excitement.

“What has got you jumping up and down like a kid with too much sugar in their system?” Nicky asked.

“Look!” Hannah grabbed Nicky by the shoulders and spun her around to look at the corner shop.

“Yes, it’s Sully’s Corner Book Store.” Nicky pointed with her hand. “I’ve seen the store a million times. I used to go in there every day when I was younger.”

“Look closer!” Hannah instructed.

Nicky rolled her eyes, and that’s when she saw it. In fact, she didn’t know how she’d missed it. Her heart stopped for a few seconds before jolting in excitement, and her eyes widened.

“It’s for sale!” Nicky breathed, hardly believing her eyes and looking at her sister, dumbstruck. “It’s for sale.”

“Yes, it is!” Hannah nodded. “Now, if that’s not kismet, I don’t know what it is.”

Woof, woof! Belvedere agreed with Hannah.

CHAPTER 3

MikeSullivanstoodinthe quaint little bookstore, Sully’s Corner, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of books. It had been his uncle Angus’s sanctuary for as long as he could remember, and now, with Angus gone, it fell upon Mike to decide its fate.

Mike drew in a deep breath of the salty ocean as the soft breeze from the nearby Tigertail Beach rustled the pages of the old books while he and his childhood friend, Harry Beckett, took stock of the bookstore.

As they went through the books, Mike had to push the nagging feeling of indecision from his mind and the sense that he was letting his uncle down aside. His eyes scanned the heavy oak shelves, which still shone from the love and care Angus gave them at least four times a year.

Every season brings about change, Mike, my boy. You need to clean away the buildup from the last season so you can embrace the new one free of dust. That goes for everything in life, including this old shop.

Mike gave a soft snort as he pictured his uncle standing with his mug of steaming coffee and the double wooden glass doors wide open as he welcomed in the morning. Angus was a tall man with broad shoulders who stood up straight and proud until the day he died.

Mike shook his head as the confusion over Angus’s sudden death once again swirled inside of him. The doctors weren’t sure about the cause of his death but suspected a heart attack. How do you suspect someone died of a heart attack? Mike pushed the thought aside as it baffled, angered, and saddened him.

Mike was twenty-two when his parents died in a car crash. He’d spent a lot of summers on Marco Island with his uncle, and after Mike’s parents died, Angus had been there for him. Just like he’d been there for Mike when Mike’s younger sister, Trinity, and her husband, Brian, had died five years ago. Mike had been left as the guardian and caretaker of his nine-year-old niece, Jade.

Mike rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know how he’d have coped with being a single parent if it hadn’t been for Uncle Angus. Mike let his eyes drift around the store that held a lifetime of memories—memories he wasn’t sure he was ready to let go of just yet but knew he had to. Keeping the store was not a practical move.

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