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“He was,” Nikki confirmed. “The biggest kind of jerk. But maybe he’s changed.” She lifted a shoulder and peered at her. “He is interested in you, right?”
Maddie hadn’t really had the chance to tell Nikki much about Sawyer. Nikki was one of the few people who hadn’t lived in Ballicliff her whole life so didn’t witness the wedding that never was. But she knew well enough that he had broken her heart. So why was her friend defending her?
“He says he’s interested, yes,” she said tightly.
“You should give him a chance.”
“Really?”
“Hell yeah. Even if you just sleep with him and get him out of your system, it would be great for you.”
It was easy for Nikki to say that. Her friend went through men as quickly as Maddie went through chocolate. She didn’t think Nikki had ever had her heart broken or her world turned upside down by a man.
“Besides, you’re not getting any younger,” Nikki said with a teasing grin.
Maddie flung a paper bookmark she’d discovered in one of the books her way. “You’re only two years younger than me.”
“Well, you are nearly a millionaire now. I’m pretty sure that makes you a catch even if you are ancient.” Nikki stuck out her tongue.
“Hardly. That money isn’t even enough to enable me to retire to somewhere hot and find myself a sexy toy boy.”
Her friend sighed and rested her chin on a hand. “Tell me about it. I never thought I’d complain about winning hundreds of thousands of pounds but by the time you’ve bought a house, there’s hardly any left.”
“Is that what you’re going to do with your share then?”
Nikki shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m going to take a holiday soon, if you don’t mind. Maybe somewhere warm and sunny will help me decide.”
Maddie debated her friend. She didn’t want to seem like the usual boring, sensible Maddie but she wished Nikki would talk to someone to get some advice. As much as she loved her, Nikki’s spontaneous side often got her in trouble. She could see her wasting this money and a part-time job in a bookshop that barely made a profit wouldn’t support her forever. She had been living off some money from a divorce settlement. Though that was all Maddie knew. Nikki never talked about her ex-husband.
“What are the others doing with it, do you know?”
She shook her head. Maddie hadn’t spoken to her four other friends for over a week now. With the exception of Nikki, they’d grown up together and often met in the pub on weekends, so one drunken night they’d decided to go in on buying a bunch of group lottery tickets together on a regular basis. They’d never really expected to win, though. Since Sawyer had breezed into town, she hadn’t had the chance to catch up with them.
“I guess I’ll invest some. My financial advisor suggested a few investments that would be good. And I’ll pay off the mortgage on this place.”
Nikki made a show of yawning. “Maybe I’ll buy myself some new boobs.”
Maddie glanced at the boobs in question. “You do not need new boobs!”
She straightened and thrust out her chest, inspecting what Maddie considered great breasts. “Are you sure? Don’t you think they could do with being a little bigger?”
“No way.” Maddie tried not to roll her eyes at her friend. How was it she always ended up hanging out with people who were the complete opposite to her? Did she just attract them or something? She adored Nikki but she made her feel so staid and dull.
Sawyer didn’t though. Around him she felt sexy and exciting.
Maddie flipped the sign on the door to open. The first few customers were already waiting, forcing her straight into work. Saturdays were always their busiest day and was what kept her business on the straight and narrow. Hopefully a few book dealers would stop by on the look-out for their next great buy. She had a few first editions she’d been keeping aside for some of the regulars.
By lunchtime, a tiny throb of a headache had begun to inch into her head. She paused to take some painkillers with a bottle of water and caught Nikki watching her.
“Why don’t you go back to bed? The busiest time is over. Most of the tourists will be on the beach now.”
Maddie shook her head. “No, I’m hoping Frank will come in to look at the D.H. Lawrence first edition I’ve got. I emailed him about it last week.”
“Well, at least go and get a coffee and something to eat. If he arrives while you’re gone, I’m sure he can wait.”
The thought of frothy coffee and a nice shot of caffeine weakened her resolve to put in a full day’s work. She tidied up the stack of books she’d been rearranging and nodded. “Good idea. Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m being good today. Brought a salad with me and everything.”
