Page 50 of Safe With You

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Mila held both books against her chest. “One dinosaur and one dragon.”

I looked at her hopeful face, then at Luna’s not-at-all-innocent expression.

“Fine.”

Mila grinned. “I knew you’d say yes.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I did.”

She headed toward the register before I could argue.

Luna stood and brushed her hands over the front of her jeans.

“She’s persuasive.”

“She’s dangerous.”

“I heard that,” Mila called.

“I meant for you to.”

Luna laughed, and the sound was quieter than it had been in the photograph but just as easy.

We followed Mila toward the counter.

While Luna rang up the books, I noticed a stack of event flyers beside the register. The open mic had already been replaced by announcements for a children’s story hour and a local author signing.

“You don’t slow down much, do you?” I asked.

She glanced at the flyers. “Not if Naomi has anything to say about it.”

“Is that the friend from Tuesday?”

“The one and only.”

A voice floated from the café.

“I heard that.”

Luna closed her eyes briefly.

Naomi appeared behind the espresso machine with a towel draped over one shoulder. Her gaze moved from Luna to me, then to Mila, before settling back on Luna.

She smiled.

Luna shook her head and turned back to the register.

I handed her my card.

She slipped both books into a small paper bag, then added two bookmarks.

“One for each,” she told Mila.