Page 60 of Trick or Stalk

“So what?”

“Do you love it?”

I glance around at the shelves, the old wooden floors, and the rolling ladders. Penny is stretched beside Walter while a little girl shows both dogs a picture book.

The answer comes easily. “Yeah, I do. I really do.”

Gracie smiles. “I knew you would.”

“I’ll never admit it to Stella.”

“Why?”

“She thinks she has witchy intuition.”

Gracie's eyes widen. “Oh, I like that.”

“Forget I said anything.”

“Too late.”

By lunchtime, my feet hurt. My coffee is gone. And I’ve learned that alphabetizing books sounds much easier than it actually is when customers spend their days putting them wherever they damn well please.

I carry an armful toward the back.

Margaret calls to me from the counter. “Can you grab a box of bags from storage while you're back there?”

“Sure.”

I head down the narrow hallway, Penny’s nails tapping behind me as she follows.

The storage-room door is closed.

I grab the handle and pull.

Nothing.

“Seriously?”

I pull harder.

Still nothing.

Penny watches.

“What the hell, Penny?”

Her tail wags.

“It won’t open.”

I brace one boot against the floor and tug. The door suddenly jerks open. I stumble backward, my shoulder hitting the opposite wall. “Ow.”

Penny barks.

“I'm fine.”

She looks skeptical.