Then with a chime of the bell he was gone.
The next morning, I unlocked the Nook at nine, turned the sign to Open, and set out the day’s recommendation on the chalkboard under the awning.
STAFF PICK: The Pathfinders —Taboo alert!
Two best friends and cousins fall in love at a secluded cabin by a lake. Expect a tale with sweet main characters, a swoony local legend, and a steamy forbidden romance that’ll fog up your glasses and get you banned from Aunt Gertrude’s mahjong night. Fun fact: intimate relations between firstcousins is legal in eighteen US states, so stop clutching your pearls and enjoy!
Mrs. Barlow was first through the door, sweeping in and tapping the counter with a manicured finger.
“I need a book of love spells. Proper ones. With candles and chanting.”
I pointed her to the Romance section.
She scowled. “Paperbacks with shirtless men on the cover are not spells.”
“Depends who you ask,” I said.
I short while after that, Mr. Pritchard strode in. “I want a war novel. But not too violent. And not too short, I want to immerse myself in it. And preferably with a happy ending.”
“So… you want a peace novel?” I asked.
He blinked, considered it. “Yes, exactly. But it needs to be a war novel. I want a novel that’s about war… and peace.”
I think I have just the thing, handing him a copy ofWar and Peace.
His face lit up. “Brilliant. It’s about time someone wrote a book on the subject.”
Minutes later, Mrs. Langley arrived in a cloud of perfume, waving a limp romance paperback like a surrender flag.
“I need something steamier,” she demanded. “Darling, I want scandal. My book club demands it.”
“Did you see today’s recommendation? Spicy taboo romance.”
“What, pray tell, is a taboo romance?”
“Cousins. Sometimes stepsiblings. Sometimes twins and even triplets.”
She gasped, fanning herself dramatically. “Say no more, just give me the book… give me all the books! Now!” She left withan armful of taboo romances, enough to satiate the needs of any respectable book club.
By five minutes to twelve, order had restored itself. That was when Cody appeared.
He leaned in the doorway with a wicker basket and a grin. “Ready, handsome? Prepare to be pampered with my gourmet picnic hamper, which comes complete with sporks, napkins, two blankets to insulate us from the ground, and the all-important bug spray.”
I adjusted the receipts on the counter. “What’s in the basket?”
“Classified. But I promise you’ll approve.”
“I think I’ll be the judge of that.”
“I can’t wait. I’ve started living for your judgements… so stern and harsh. I love it.” He winked with a grin and jerked his to the bright day outside. “Now come on, a sunshiny picnic awaits.”
CODY
I turnedup at the Nook with basket in hand. To be honest I was expecting a lot more kickback from Brooks about the picnic. I thought for sure he’d have changed his mind or would come up with a hundred excuses why picnicking should be considered an extreme sport. But he was surprisingly accepting of his fate.
He locked the door behind us, smoothed his bow tie, and eyed the sky in case the weather might provide a valid excuse to pass.
It didn’t.
