Page 81 of The Bookshop By the Loch

“Yes. No. I mean, I think so.” I cradled the white ceramic mug in my hands. “God knows how it’ll go. My mum feels for him, but he’s hurt her so much.”

“Maybe they just need to be honest with each other.” Tobias drew himself up as he spoke. A concoction of emotions rampaged across his handsome face.

“They’ve wasted so many years,” I sighed.

Tobias gazed at me as he took another considered sip of his coffee. “That’s true.” A thoughtful expression settled on his features. Then I watched as Tobias moved towards me and reached for the mug in my hands. He took it from me and set them down together on the bookshop counter. I realised his generous lips were suddenly inches from mine.

I felt hypnotised.

Tobias looked like he wanted to kiss me. He raised his thumb and caressed my cheek. I couldn’t help it. A moan escaped from the base of my throat.

“Lexie. I need to talk to you…”

The shop doorbell rattled out.

Tobias and I jumped apart.

A woman’s voice rang out. “Tobias?”

I turned around.

Trevor had entered the shop, and next to him lingered a woman with blow-dried pale gold hair.

Tobias’s expression hardened. “Mum. What are you doing here?” He motioned to Trevor. “Ah. I see you’ve brought backup with you? Making sure you both stick to the same story?”

The woman gripped tighter to her squashy petrol-blue bag. “We need to talk to you, Tobias. Both of us.”

His eyes flashed. “There isn’t anything else to say.”

“But there is,” implored Trevor, taking a tentative step forward. He pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. He glanced at Tobias’s mum next to him. “We can’t carry on like this.”

“You need to understand what happened,” said Tobias’s mum.

Tobias’s expression turned to stone.

Trevor sighed. “You need to know the truth.”

“What truth?” snapped Tobias. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Caroline Black looked in my direction, an embarrassed flush colouring her fine features. “Could we talk in private please, darling?”

Tobias shook his head. “No. Forget it. Whatever you have to say to me, you say it in front of Lexie.” He faltered and gazed across at me. “She’s a friend.”

Ah. There it was. That dreaded phrase again.

Tobias’s mum struggled to push out a smile at me. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”

She sucked in a mouthful of air, while I darted down to the shop door and swivelled the sign to say we were closed. At least none of Tobias’s staff were due in yet and neither was Chloe or Daryl.

“I think you put two and two together and came up with five,” she said to her son. “And I didn’t have the guts to tell you otherwise.”

Tobias pulled a dismissive face. “With what?”

“Those letters between me and your aunt Naomi.”

She shot her brother-in-law an awkward glance. “Naomi and I were best friends, as well as sisters.” She tried to gather herself. “And because Naomi and I were so close, that’s why she offered to help your father and me.”

Tobias’s eyebrows fenced. “Help with what? What are you going on about? You’re talking in riddles, Mum.”