“She wouldn’t do that!”
“It’s your funeral,” Lanie mutters darkly.
Luckily, it’s a moot point, because the back door swings open a moment later and Auntie Gray beams approvingly at us. “Good girls. You may unbuckle your seatbelts now.”
We all scramble to unbuckle and climb out of the car. Once we’re gathered on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore, Auntie Gray pins us with a stern glare. “I know you’re all excited about a trip into town, but no wandering off. If you leave the store we’re in without me, I will take you to the closest bathroom and paddle your bare bottom with my brush. Am I making myself perfectly clear, little girls?”
There are people around, not standing super close, but certainly close enough to hear her if they paid attention. Embarrassment floods my entire body, and it’s all I can do to answer “Yes, Auntie” with the other girls, even though I feel like I might actually die right there in the middle of the street.
As Auntie Gray said, we start with the bookstore, which also looks exactly like it was plucked from a movie set. Rows upon rows of books, both new and old, line the floor-to-ceiling shelves surrounding us. There are smaller shelves carefully placed in the middle of the store, as well as tables stacked high with current bestsellers.
Beside me, Josie heaves a quiet, happy sigh. “I swear I could live here.”
“Josie!” A happy squeal rings out in the store and a moment later a blur of movement tackles her.
The blur, I realize belatedly, is a woman. A rather adorable woman with an explosion of red hair and a smattering of freckles scattered across her grinning face.
“Hi, Poppy,” Josie says with a laugh, returning the woman’s hug.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited you’re here!” Poppy glances at me, then does a double take, curiosity lighting her eyes. “Who’s this? Another Thorne bride?”
Suddenly feeling very, very exposed, I move closer to Josie, who wraps her arm around my shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “Yes, in fact. This is Tabby. She and Un—and Colt met in Vegas and fell madly in love.”
Hands pressed to her heart, Poppy sighs dreamily. “Oh, that’s so romantic. I swear the Thorne brothers have some kind of reverse-curse on them where they all fall in love at first sight. Now if only we could work that magic on Grayson so she and the sheriff would finally?—”
“So me and the sheriff would what, Persephone?”
Cheeks flaming red, Poppy turns toward Auntie Gray. “Hey, Gray. Didn’t see you there.”
Auntie Gray raises a brow. “Clearly. You know, Poppy, if you want me to be friendlier with the sheriff, I could always start by telling her about this conversation. You know how much shelovesgossip.”
“Gray, no!” Poppy whines, sounding so much like a Little girl in trouble with her Daddy that my eyebrows wing up toward my hairline. “If you do that she’ll come over here and lecture me and you know her lectures go onforever.”
“Then I suggest you keep my name out of your mouth, little girl.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
A smug smile curves Auntie Gray’s lips. “Good. Now, I believe you and Josie have some details to work out about the signing in a few weeks?”
“We do. Come on, Josie, I have some things back in the office I need you to approve.”
“Go on,” Auntie Gray says when Josie looks over at her. “We’ll be waiting out here when you’re done.”
Tugging on Josie’s arm, Poppy leads her away and Auntie Gray turns her attention on me. “You might as well findsomething to read and settle in for a bit. Once Poppy gets going it takes her a while to run out of steam.”
“Oh.” Glancing out the large picture window to my right, I stare longingly at the colorful store across the street. “Couldn’t we go do some shopping while we wait for Josie?”
“No, we stick together, remember? But if you get too bored there are some puzzles and games in that corner there. Poppy likes to have a space where people can just hang out even if they aren’t buying anything.”
If I’d wanted to play games, I could have just stayed home.
But I don’t say that, as much as I want to. Instead, I nod, and begin to wander the store. Lanie is carefully scanning a shelf of romance books and Auntie Gray makes her way over to check on her.
It doesn’t take long for the boredom to set in, which is odd. I love books, and under any other circumstances I would have no problem spending an hour or more in Poppy’s adorable little store, browsing titles and carefully selecting just the right book to bring home with me.
Today, however, all I can think about is the candy store. And the more I wander, the more restless I become. It doesn’t seem fair that we have to be stuck here just because Josie has work to do. Why can’t the rest of us go shopping and come back for her when she finishes with Poppy?
The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get. It reallyisn’tfair that our supposed “girls’ day” is centered entirely around Josie. Don’t Lanie and I matter? Shouldn’t we get a vote in what we get to do?
