“H-hi,” I said with a wave.
“You look like you like books,” the woman said. “Funny story, we have some of those. At least three.”
“Good grief, that was a bad one.” Another woman with short hair came around the corner. “Ignore her. She always tries to welcome someone in with a joke, and she’s running out.”
“I’m tired! I need another cup of coffee!”
“You had two. That’s enough.”
“I’m old! I could be dying! And you’re keeping me from my coffee? What kind of wife are you?”
Thathadto be Marjorie. Now I saw what Theo was talking about.
“Don’t talk like Hugh.” Henrietta rolled her eyes. “It’s beneath you.”
“I’m taller than him. Of course he’s beneath me.”
“Oh my God.” Henrietta turned to me. “What can I help you with?”
“I was just popping in to check everything out.”
“Need a card? We offer them no matter the address. And we have e-books too.”
My eyes widened at her words. They offeredeveryonea card? As an author, I wanted everyone to have access to books. These days, it seemed to get harder and harder to find libraries since funding was cut and regulations were popping up everywhere.
“Anyone can read here?”
“Yup.” Marjorie grinned. “We’re privately funded, kid. Some rich guy loves us.”
I’d heard of that. The show didn’t talk much about it, but many resources online said that something called the STM grant funded the library and other various things for the town. I hadn’t looked into it much further than that.
It was nice that something good was happening in the world.
“For now,” Henrietta added. “We want to share everything we can.”
“That’s amazing,” I said. “But I’m living here, actually. I just moved?—”
“No way.” Marjorie’s hand fell to the desk. “You’re the woman who moved in above the coffee shop?”
I gulped. “You’ve heard of me?”
“Heard of you? No! That’s the problem. Everyone knows someone got that unit, but the only thing we’ve heard is that you’re cute! You are, by the way.”
My cheeks heated. “Uh, thanks?”
“Marjorie,” Henrietta said with a sigh. “Tone it down a little.”
“Never.”
“I-it’s okay. I don’t mind,” I said. “I’m a little ... nervous when trying new places. I can power through. I’ve even met a few people.”
“Wren, Kelsey, Grace, and Dean, right? They’re the only people who said they’ve talked to you.”
Theo hadn’t said anything, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t want people to know about our chat in the alleyway a few days before. “Right.”
“I promise we don’t all stalk who moves in,” Henrietta said. “But we’ve gotten used to big things happening when someone comes to town. First, we got our strawberry patch back, then the library?—”
“And then our town good girl got knocked up,” Marjorie added. “Which wasbig news.”
