walking in. I stand and extend my hand to his and say, “Good morning, Carl.”
“Bobby, how are you?” he asks, shaking my hand.
“I’m good, thank you.”
Leah walks over with a big smile. “Carl, it’s been forever.”
He smiles and bends down to hug her. “Leah, you look wonderful.”
“Thank you, are you staying? Do you want a coffee or something?”
“No, no, I’m fine. I just came by to get Josephine. There’s an auction this morning we want to go to. We best be gettin’ if we want to make it on time.”
Jo stands up, removes her apron, and folds it carefully before taking it into the back room. She returns, carrying a white sweater.
“Are you ready, Josephine?” he asks.
“I am.”
He smiles and leans down to kiss her. “We’ll see you kids later,” he says, taking her by the hand and walking towards the door.
“It’s good seeing you both.” Leah and I walk them to the door and I say, “Be careful and have fun.”
“Thank you, we will. I’ll see you in the morning, Leah.”
We stand there and watch them drive off. Bethany pulls into the parking lot and a few other cars follow behind her. “Looks like your morning rush is here.”
“I know, it’s crazy, right?”
“A bookstore, bakery, and coffee shop. I never imagined it would be such a big deal.”
Leah laughs and says, “Me, either.”
“I better go. No heavy lifting and I’ll be here at 6:00 to help you close up.”
“Okay, I love you, Robert.”
I place my hand on her flat belly. “I love you both, too.”
Leah
I watch as Robert greets Bethany at the door and holds the door open for the patrons coming in behind her. When the last girl walks in, Robert nods to her and leaves. Standing at the large picture window overlooking the sidewalk and parking lot, I watch as she turns around to get another look at him. I smile as she watches him and his cluelessness about his incredible good looks. He waves goodbye to me before getting into his black Hummer and driving off.
“Wow, he’s hot,” the woman says as she walks further into the shop. “Does he belong to you?” she asks.
I laugh and nod, “He does.”
“Good Lord, all that yumminess rolled up into one. I’d keep a leash on him if he were mine. Where’s your erotica section?” she asks.
“In the far back.”
I straighten up the pillows on the couches and remove Jo’s and Robert’s coffee cups. Bethany is already wiping down the coffee station when I get to the counter. “How was your night?” I ask.
“Good, I spent a quiet evening with Dante, who is pretty hot.” She smiles and nods to the display table holding Brooke’s romance books.
“Aww, I heard about him.”
“Yeah, and the girl is right when she says that he’s pretty hot, too,” she says and I know she is referring to the girl in the back talking about Robert.
“Yumminess rolled into one?” I ask.
“And then some,” she laughs.
We work steadily when Brooke walks in with a tote full of books. “Hey, I hope this is a good time?”
“Yes, it’s perfect timing.”
“I can’t believe my books sold so quickly.”
“You’re a hot commodity.”
She sighs, “It’s because of Dante; he’s quite the gentleman.”
I say, “I heard. I’m taking him home with me tonight.” We both laugh at the thought of me taking another man home with me.
“Good, let me know what you think about the books,” Brooke says.
“I will.”
“Don’t blow smoke up my… well, you know. I want only honest opinions. I can take constructive criticism. Start by telling me I’m brilliant and then honestly tell me the strong and the weak points of my books.”
“Absolutely, I wouldn’t dream of blowing smoke.” We both laugh and I don’t need to finish the sentence. “But seriously, I wanted to talk to you about doing a book signing.”
“Where? Here?”
“Yeah, I was thinking maybe on a Saturday. We could set up a table for you over there, so the line flows along the wall and
“Bobby, how are you?” he asks, shaking my hand.
“I’m good, thank you.”
Leah walks over with a big smile. “Carl, it’s been forever.”
He smiles and bends down to hug her. “Leah, you look wonderful.”
“Thank you, are you staying? Do you want a coffee or something?”
“No, no, I’m fine. I just came by to get Josephine. There’s an auction this morning we want to go to. We best be gettin’ if we want to make it on time.”
Jo stands up, removes her apron, and folds it carefully before taking it into the back room. She returns, carrying a white sweater.
“Are you ready, Josephine?” he asks.
“I am.”
He smiles and leans down to kiss her. “We’ll see you kids later,” he says, taking her by the hand and walking towards the door.
“It’s good seeing you both.” Leah and I walk them to the door and I say, “Be careful and have fun.”
“Thank you, we will. I’ll see you in the morning, Leah.”
We stand there and watch them drive off. Bethany pulls into the parking lot and a few other cars follow behind her. “Looks like your morning rush is here.”
“I know, it’s crazy, right?”
“A bookstore, bakery, and coffee shop. I never imagined it would be such a big deal.”
Leah laughs and says, “Me, either.”
“I better go. No heavy lifting and I’ll be here at 6:00 to help you close up.”
“Okay, I love you, Robert.”
I place my hand on her flat belly. “I love you both, too.”
Leah
I watch as Robert greets Bethany at the door and holds the door open for the patrons coming in behind her. When the last girl walks in, Robert nods to her and leaves. Standing at the large picture window overlooking the sidewalk and parking lot, I watch as she turns around to get another look at him. I smile as she watches him and his cluelessness about his incredible good looks. He waves goodbye to me before getting into his black Hummer and driving off.
“Wow, he’s hot,” the woman says as she walks further into the shop. “Does he belong to you?” she asks.
I laugh and nod, “He does.”
“Good Lord, all that yumminess rolled up into one. I’d keep a leash on him if he were mine. Where’s your erotica section?” she asks.
“In the far back.”
I straighten up the pillows on the couches and remove Jo’s and Robert’s coffee cups. Bethany is already wiping down the coffee station when I get to the counter. “How was your night?” I ask.
“Good, I spent a quiet evening with Dante, who is pretty hot.” She smiles and nods to the display table holding Brooke’s romance books.
“Aww, I heard about him.”
“Yeah, and the girl is right when she says that he’s pretty hot, too,” she says and I know she is referring to the girl in the back talking about Robert.
“Yumminess rolled into one?” I ask.
“And then some,” she laughs.
We work steadily when Brooke walks in with a tote full of books. “Hey, I hope this is a good time?”
“Yes, it’s perfect timing.”
“I can’t believe my books sold so quickly.”
“You’re a hot commodity.”
She sighs, “It’s because of Dante; he’s quite the gentleman.”
I say, “I heard. I’m taking him home with me tonight.” We both laugh at the thought of me taking another man home with me.
“Good, let me know what you think about the books,” Brooke says.
“I will.”
“Don’t blow smoke up my… well, you know. I want only honest opinions. I can take constructive criticism. Start by telling me I’m brilliant and then honestly tell me the strong and the weak points of my books.”
“Absolutely, I wouldn’t dream of blowing smoke.” We both laugh and I don’t need to finish the sentence. “But seriously, I wanted to talk to you about doing a book signing.”
“Where? Here?”
“Yeah, I was thinking maybe on a Saturday. We could set up a table for you over there, so the line flows along the wall and
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