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‘That’s going back quite a few years. Any shop in particular?’
Callum eyed her. ‘Yes, actually. The bookshop in Cobblers Yard – The Bookshop of Memories. I’m also interested in any local news stories from around about that time.’
She pointed her pen at Callum. ‘Hey, you’re that guy.’
Callum frowned. That damn show followed him wherever he went, even to the little local library in a seaside town in deepest Suffolk. He sighed. ‘Yes, I’m the guy from the TV show.’
He noted her bemused expression. ‘What TV show?’
‘Oh, er … nothing.’
‘Aren’t you helping someone called Thea do up the bookshop in Cobblers Yard? I told my grandmother. She’s a writer. She’s so excited that someone is finally reopening that shop.’
‘What?’ Callum stared at her. His head was spinning. ‘Wait – how did you know about the bookshop?’ Callum had heard that news travels fast in small towns, but this was ridiculous.
‘Why, The Gossip Girls, of course.’
‘The Gossip Girls?’
‘Mabel and Marjorie. They run the little charity shop across the yard from the bookshop. Everyone, and I meaneveryone, in town knows them. You must have met them.’
Callum inwardly groaned. Of all the people, they had to be the town gossips.
‘They’re lovely. It’s such a coincidence, but Mabel was in here just yesterday collecting a library book. Mabel said the young man helping Thea is gorgeous.’
Callum thought for a moment Lexi might start flirting with him, like the young waitress in the café, but he noticed an engagement ring on her finger.
‘Do you know Thea too?’ Callum asked.
‘I’m afraid not. But I’d love to meet her. Will you introduce me? It’s all so exciting. In fact, I’ve got some free time next week. I could pop in and help out. I love bookshops.’
Callum looked at her.It was the weekend, and the week had flown by in a blur as they triedto get to grips with sorting out the bookshop. Working in such close proximity, try as he might, he had failed miserably at keeping his distance from Thea.
He’d been there every day, as he’d promised, but the bookbinding lessons had dwindled as he’d spent more and more time among the crowded bookshelves, helping Thea try to bring some semblance of order to the shop.
It was a losing battle. Although Thea brought some experience of cataloguing through her work as an archivist, neither of them had any experience of this business. He looked at Lexi. Here was a librarian who might actually be able to bring some order to the chaos that was his father’s,theirfather’s, non-existent system.
They needed a professional. A professionalwhat, he hadn’t been sure – not until he’d set eyes on Lexi.
‘Great!’ Callum said in answer to her question. ‘I think it would be an excellent idea for you to come and help out in the bookshop.’
‘You do?’
‘Oh, yes.’ He hadn’t run the idea by Thea, obviously, but it hadn’t occurred to him that he should. It was his bookshop, after all. She just didn’t know it yet. Even so, he thought she’d be very pleased to have an extra pair of hands.
Callum also had an ulterior motive, besides Lexi helping to sort out the bookshop. So far, Toby had been there. But from Monday, when Toby returned to school, it would just be him and Thea alone together in the bookshop. And the trouble was that they’d been getting on rather too well.
They were growing close, he couldn’t deny that; for him, in a sisterly way, he constantly reminded himself. But things were starting to get awkward. On Friday, she’d asked if he was free at the weekend. She’d said that as they were both there in Aldeburgh on their own, single, and didn’t know anybody else besides family, in her case, and Mabel and Marjorie, she’d wondered: why not get together for a day out?
She made it sound all innocent. However, for Callum, it was one thing working in the shop with her, but meeting up at the weekend just felt too much like a date. She’d said that wasn’t her intention, but he suspected it was.
Her brother-in-law had been due to return home from work in London. He’d be spending time with his kids, which meant that Thea would have some free time.
Callum really hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings by saying no, but thankfully fate had stepped in. Fortunately for Callum, Thea’s brother-in-law had been delayed returning home for some reason. It meant they couldn’t get together for a day out, just the two of them. Callum’s Saturday was free.
He couldn’t exactly meet up with Thea at the bookshop that day either; she would have had to bring along her niece and nephew, which meant telling her niece that she’d been working in the bookshop with Toby and a famous Hollywood star all week; something she was trying to keep a secret from her.
Toby had told him that they were doing up the bookshop for his mum when she came out of hospital. Apparently, money was tight and she needed a job. They wanted it to be a big surprise, but the trouble with Toby’s sister was that she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Toby had told him all this when Thea had visited her sister in hospital.
