“You don’t mind?” The store wasn’t technically open, but Lizzy was curious to see what was hidden in its depths. “I don’t want to keep you from what you were doing in the back.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Shannon waved away Lizzy’s concerns. “I want to finish my tea anyway.”
“Thank you so much. I won’t be long.” She had less than ten minutes until Jack showed up. He was never late.
“Take as long as you need.”
The bookshelves were neatly labeled into sections and were tightly packed with books. Nonfiction, literary fiction, fantasy, mystery/suspense… romance. Lizzy squealed, bouncing on her heels.
“Find something you like back there?” There was a smile in Shannon’s voice.
“You have a romance section,” she gushed. “Some bookstores don’t carry romance at all.”
“I can’t imagine not having a romance section in my bookstore.” Shannon joined her near the back. “Romance novels mean so much to so many people.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Lizzy ran her fingertips over the spines of the lovely books. She saw many of her recent favorites as well as some from her wish list. Despite her vow not to buy any more books—she could almost feel the accusing glare of her TBR stack back home—she predicted an overly enthusiastic book haul in her near future. “I think I would’ve run away from Los Angeles a lot sooner if it hadn’t been for these books.”
“It sounds like you really needed the escape.” The bookstore owner gave her a speculative glance. “Is there something in particular you want to run away from? Or is it the city itself?”
Lizzy sucked in a sharp breath, her hand stilling over the books.Is it the city itself?The moment she’d arrived in Weldon, a tight, tangled knot in her chest had loosened and unraveled. She could breathe freely for the first time in what felt like years. The anxiety. The loneliness. Had it been Los Angeles all along?
It had always been her goal to become a partner in a top law firm in a major city. When she was still a child, dancing in circles and naming clouds, her parents had grabbed her firmlyby the shoulders and planted her in that direction. The green flowering field of her childhood was replaced by a narrow concrete road. She had walked that road unquestioningly until now.
Her parents. She hadn’t told them about her leave from work yet. The familiar weight of anxiety hovered over her, but she pushed it aside before it could take root. She didn’t want to worry about disappointing her parents for now.
“I’m sorry if I’m prying—” Shannon began when Lizzy didn’t answer right away.
“Oh, no. Not at all,” Lizzy interrupted, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. “I never thought of it that way, but it could be Los Angeles itself. It’s such a big, sprawling city. When you drive around, you’re surrounded by countless cars, but everyone is isolated from one another in their own cocoon. And when you walk down the busy streets, a crowd of people mills around you, but they’re just strangers passing by. You never really stop being alone.”
“Wow. That’s almost poetic,” the bookstore owner said appreciatively, then sobered. “But it does sound very lonely.”
Lizzy nodded. “It is. I think after a while, it sort of drains you.”
“And I guess that’s when romance novels came to the rescue.”
“Definitely. Theysavedme.” Her mind flitted back to the bookshelves in her condo, overflowing with romance novels. It all made so much sense. The deep human connection inherent in all romance novels was the antithesis to the life she was living. How was this the first time she’d made this connection? “And who doesn’t love happily ever afters?”
“The cold, bitter people with shriveled raisins for hearts who disparage romance for beingformulaic.That’s who.”
“Yeah. They suck.” Lizzy’s response was immediate and heartfelt.
Shannon burst out laughing. “There’s no bond stronger than the one forged over bashing romance haters.”
“That’s very true. I hope we can be friends,” Lizzy said earnestly, before she caught herself.
Was she coming on too strong, too fast? Lawyers were notorious for being socially awkward. Other than recharging and spending time with Jack, she hadn’t thought much about what she wanted out of her three-week vacation. Making new friends certainly hadn’t been a part of her plan, but she really liked Shannon and hoped she didn’t mess it up.
“Aww, that’s so sweet. Are you a hugger? Because I’m a huge hugger,” Shannon said, opening her arms wide. “And I’m coming in for one right now.”
“I love hugs.” Lizzy squeezed her new friend tightly, relieved she didn’t scare her off. And she did love hugs, but she didn’t seem to get enough of them.
“I should get back to work, but please stay and browse all you want.”
“Actually…” Her cell phone chimed in her purse at that exact moment. “My friend is here to pick me up for breakfast. Will it be all right if I come to visit again?”
“I’d be hurt if you didn’t.” Shannon walked her to the door. “The store isn’t nearly as busy as I’d like, so I could use the company.”
Lizzy’s brows drew together in a frown. “Do you have a competitor in town?”
