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“He was using them to, ah, pleasure himself, so you may want to check the pages before you put them back on the shelves.”
Her lip curled up slightly, then she threw her head back and laughed merrily.
“Where do you want them?” I asked, hoping there was nothing nasty on the outside of the books.
“Back here,” she said, and I followed her t
hrough a door in the back of the shop to where she had boxes and boxes of more stock stashed. “I can’t thank you enough. I couldn’t believe it when you took off after him. You’re my hero.”
I blushed, pleased, then held out my hands and introduced myself.
“I’m Lila, a local PI. It’s kind of my job to do that kind of stuff.”
“Cool, I really appreciate it. I’m Cynthia, proprietor of this store.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cynthia. This is a really cool place you have here.”
“Well, Lila, as Coffee and Books resident hero, you get free coffee for life. My treat.”
“Really, that’s so sweet,” I replied.
Then she said, “I’ll even throw in a cupcake,” and I knew we’d be friends for life.
“And now, let’s have a big hand for Beatrice and Shannon Cooper!”
The room erupted in cheers as Bea and Shannon entered the reception hall. Bea was radiant in a white tuxedo with a pale pink vest, and Shannon was exquisite in her A-line wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline.
They were both smiling as if happiness was about to burst out of their fingertips.
I hugged Elin and Elena close to me as we watched their procession. Elin was tucked in to my left, Elena to my right. They looked downright adorable in their new suit and party dress, and they were excited to be at their first wedding reception. Especially since it was Bea and Shannon’s.
“Shannon looks so beautiful,” Elena said wistfully. “I want a wedding dress just like that when I grow up.”
“She sure does,” I agreed, unable to keep my eyes off my friends as they swung onto the dance floor and began the routine they’d been practicing diligently with a dance instructor.
Shannon had pressured Bea into doing it, but I knew Bea didn’t mind. They looked perfectly graceful as they spun around the floor.
“Now, Bea and Shannon would like to invite you all to join them on the dance floor.”
“May I have this dance?”
I looked up, surprised that Cade was asking. He’d agreed pretty readily to come with me to the reception, but I hadn’t thought he’d actually dance.
When Elena giggled happily and took Cade’s outstretched hand, I realized he hadn’t been asking me, he’d been asking Lena, and my heart swelled.
I watched them walk hand in hand on to the dance floor, mentally taking a snapshot of the moment to store in my memory bank, then I nudged Elin and asked, “What do ya say?”
Elin looked at the dance floor, then back at me, momentarily unsure, before grinning and saying, “Let’s do this.”
I laughed as Elin spun me, bending low so I could make it under his arm.
We hip bumped, spun in circles, and even did the hands on each other’s hips slow dance. When the song changed, we switched partners, so Elin was with Elena and I was with Cade, who gathered me in his arms and held me close.
As we swayed to the music, his heart keeping the beat beneath my cheek, I murmured, “Thanks for coming with me.”
“I’m your man,” Cade responded, his voice a rumble in his chest. “That makes me your plus one.”
I leaned back to smile up at him.
