“No, darling, that’s called having fun.”
“I own a bookstore,” I pointed out. “You know me. My idea of fun is putting things in alphabetical order and a cup of tea at three.”
Bea rolled her eyes so hard I thought she might sprain an optic nerve. “Putting things in alphabetical order doesn’t make you laugh until your cheeks turn pink.”
“I laughed till my cheeks turned pink?”
“Mm-hmmmm. Until the moment he tickled you, then up went the wall like a drawbridge in a medieval siege.”
“He didn’t tickle me. He startled me.”
Bea smirked. “Cherub, startled is when you see a mouse. This was you enjoying yourself until you suddenly remembered you weren’t supposed to.”
“I didn’t ‘suddenly remember’ anything,” I said, stacking a row of new hardcovers with unnecessary precision. “I simply prefer not to be prodded like a circus bear held captive in a cage.”
“Oh, you were held captive all right. I saw the look in your eyes, you were hanging on his every word.”
I gave a defensive shrug. “He’s… vaguely interesting.”
“Vaguely?” She started drumming her fingers together like a villain.
“Okay, more than vaguely. He was… mildly interesting.”
“Mildly? Darling, he’s not a Mexican salsa.”
“Okay, okay. So, he was engaging… and witty… and…”
“You can say it, sugar-pie. There’s nobody here but me and the ghosts of a thousand dead authors.”
“Okay, yes. I enjoyed his company. He was… fun. Are you happy now?”
“Darling, I’m always happy, even when I’m being nasty.Especiallywhen I’m being nasty. The question is… areyouready to be happy? Are you ready to put yourself out there, to take on a little adventure? You could use some excitement in your life, my book-loving Brooks. Are you ready to go find it?”
I inhaled deeply.
Felt the courage rise inside me.
Then said, “No. I don’t think I am.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous! Of course you are. Brooks Beresford, it’s time to pull up your socks and put on your big-boy bow tie. This is your big chance. The universe is dangling a big, juicy, undoubtedly well-hung carrot in front of your face. It’s up to you to reach out and grab it!”
“Okay! Okay! You’re right. Maybe I should. Maybe I will.”
“Honey, there’s no ‘maybe’ about it. If you don’t go after that boy now, you may never get a second shot. It’s not every day a tall, smart, sexy hunk walks in that door.”
At that moment, the bell above the door chimed.
Bea and I both turned—
To see rickety-legged Old Walt standing there with another medical mystery in his hands. “Boy oh boy, this one really went into detail! That reminds me, did I ever tell you about my botched catheter insertion?”
I looked Bea square in the eye. “I really do need to get out more.”
As Bea shuffled Old Walt off down the street, her arm in his as he divulged a history of stomach-turning surgeries, I flipped theOpen sign on the door to Closed and hurried along the sidewalk to Benji and Bastian’s BnB.
I needed to apologize to Cody for fleeing the bar the night before.
Not only that… Iwantedto see him.
