“You seemed at home with the madhouse in there.” I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite. “I think you were even enjoying your discussion with the Randell boy. What were you talking about?”

  Greg set his sandwich down after taking a bite. “Star Wars. The kid knows it backward and forward. Even stuff I didn’t know, because he’s read the companion books. It’s crazy how much trivia he has about the movies.”

  “Everyone has a passion. Maybe he’s going to go into space when he grows up.” I opened my chips. “I assume you read crime novels when you were a kid.”

  He shook his head. “I was more interested in music.”

  “Seriously? I didn’t know that.” I studied him. I couldn’t see him as a band kid. “What instrument?”

  “I sang choir for six years. I even got a scholarship to college because of it. Then I took a criminal justice class, and I was hooked. I wanted to serve and protect. I knew that was my calling. The music, it was just the means to get me into college. My mom was pretty disappointed. She sang backup for years before she settled down and married my father. I think she thought I was going to earn the star status she never obtained.”

  “This explains so much about your mom.” I pulled a slice of ham from my sandwich and ate it. “Why didn’t you mention this before?”

  “It didn’t come up before now. What was your reading passion as a kid?”

  I thought about it as I ate another bite of my sandwich. “Everything. I loved reading and learning. I found some old textbooks about animal husbandry—basically raising cows? I read those along with Gone with the Wind and the book about the guy who went to Africa. If I ran out of ‘good’ books I’d picked up from the library, I read what was around. Including my mom’s copy of Flowers in the Attic. I had to sneak that out of her room. But then later I realized she didn’t really notice anyway.”

  “You don’t talk about your mom much.” Greg didn’t meet my gaze; he focused on the sandwich. “For all I know, you came down from space when you were a teenager and started your life with your aunt.”

  “I know. Someday we’ll have that conversation, but today I’ve got to get back to the readathon.” I saw a couple walking up the alley, talking. “And I think we’re about to have company at the table.”

  He finished his sandwich and tucked the wrappings into a bag. Then he opened his chips before turning to look down the alley. His hand froze on the way to his mouth with the first chip. “That’s Harper and Colton, the lawyer. This should be interesting, if they don’t run the other way when they see me sitting here.”

  As they came closer, I saw it on Harper’s face when she realized who was sitting at the table they were aiming for. Colton held a bag from Diamond Lille’s. She stopped walking, and he turned back to ask her what was wrong.

  “Come and sit down,” I called as I waved them over to the table. “We’re almost done and out of here. We can share for a few minutes. It’s too pretty of a day to eat inside.”

  Harper looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there at that exact minute. Colton whispered something, and she nodded. Then she pasted a smile on her face and marched to the table. “That’s so kind of you.”

  “Not a problem. We’re just taking a break from the readathon inside. Did you hear about it? I don’t know if the spring festival idea works for your shop. You probably don’t get a lot of walk-in traffic, do you?” I chatted about the business rather than the elephant in the alley, her dead sister.

  “Not much, but I have had several people stop by today to look at my designs, and I had one consignment. So I guess the marketing plan worked for me too. A readathon was a great idea.” She glanced at the bookstore. “I’m not much for a lot of kids around though. I never was. My sister, she was the party girl. She loved being around people, even when we were kids. I was her shadow.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” I should have known that we wouldn’t stay away from the subject for long.

  She looked surprised for a minute, but before she could speak, Colton answered, “Harper appreciates your condolences.”

  “Yes, yes, you are so kind.” She smiled as Colton set a takeout container in front of her. “Sometimes I forget that she’s even gone.”

  “I can’t imagine.” I tried to change the subject again. “Oh, I hear you joined the Bakerstown gym. My aunt and her husband along with one of my baristas work out there. I guess it’s the place to be.”

  “Unless you have a home gym.” Greg reminded me of his ultimate plan.

  “Yeah, but I hear it has a pool. How are you liking it?”

  She met Colton’s gaze, and a long moment passed between them. Then she nodded and turned to me. “I’m just getting settled in. I’ll have to let you know. Are you thinking about joining?”

  We talked for a little while longer about South Cove and the issues of living in a tourist town, like having to go somewhere else for groceries, then I stood and gathered my leftovers. “Sorry to have to leave. I’ve got kids waiting to check in books.”

  “And I need to get back to the station. I’m sure there’s been some sort of emergency since I’ve been gone.” Greg took my arm and nodded to Colton and Harper. “Enjoy your lunch.”

  When we got back into the shop, I threw away the trash and boxed up the leftover sandwiches for another snack or meal. “Is it me, or did Harper not know what I was talking about with the gym?”

  “Or her sister being dead. I wonder if they have her on some meds that are dulling her responses?”

  “Maybe.” I started to say something else, but then Evie popped her head into the office.

  “Good, you’re here. We have an issue.”

  “I’ll be right out.” I kissed Greg and brushed crumbs off his uniform shirt. “Back to work. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “I’ll be here.” He followed me out to the front, where two children were yelling at each other over a book. He managed to swallow a chuckle as I moved in to negotiate with a couple of five-year-olds whose parents seemed to be MIA. He called out as he escaped out the front door, “Have a great day.”

  “Whatever.” I took the book they were struggling over and held it out of their reach. “What’s going on?”

  By the time Greg came back to the shop, the kids and parents had been fed and settled down for the sleepover part of the adventure. Some were curled up in our bookstore seating area for an evening of storytelling with Deek. Others had their sleeping bags in corners where they’d piled a bunch of pillows to lean against walls to keep reading. I’d already checked in hundreds of books. One teen had almost ten books on her list, but she’d been smart and chosen the ones with fewer pages to start. Now she was in a series that Deek had suggested, and she looked like she’d finish the first three books before morning. If she stayed awake.

  He glanced around as he brought in Emma. “Rodney isn’t here, is he?”

  “The health inspector from Bakerstown? No. I haven’t seen him since our annual. Why? Do you think he’d have a problem with Emma?” I leaned down to give her a hug. “I’m sorry I missed our run, girl. Maybe tomorrow if I wake up in time.”

  “We walked up from the house, so don’t let her guilt you. She’s getting some exercise.” He noticed a bunch of kids in sleeping bags over near the kids’ section, where there was usually a reading table and tiny chairs. “I think you might want to keep the fire marshal out of here too. You have to have close to three hundred, counting parents.”

  “The count ebbs and flows. We’ll lose a lot of these after story time ends. They’re just letting their kids pretend like they’re out for the evening.” I pointed over to where Sadie and Pastor Bill were playing Chutes and Ladders with a group. “Those parents just left to grab dinner at Lille’s. I’m thinking we’re babysitting a lot of kids right now for a bit of quiet time for their parents. But it’s all good. Most of them are still reading, and we’ve had an amazing day of sales. Now to just get through the night.”

  “Are you hungry, or have you eaten too many cookies?” He held up a bag from Diamond Lille’s.

  “I’ve had my share of cookies, but I’d love some dinner and a break. Let me get Evie up to the counter. Aunt Jackie and Harrold just left for the evening.” I nodded to the office. “Meet you out back at the table? Or do you want to eat inside?”

  “The table will work fine. Who knows, maybe Alicia’s killer will come sit down and confess while we’re there.” He kissed me on the cheek and moved around the counter and out through the office door.

  Chapter 19

  A little girl stood, watching him go. She grinned as I walked over to her. “Your puppy is pretty. Mommy says I can have a dog as soon as I get into fourth grade. I’ll be responsible then.”

  “That’s Emma. She’s a golden retriever.”

  The girl nodded. “I know. I have a book of dog breeds, but Mommy says we’ll probably get a mutt from the pound. I want a Maltese. They’re pretty, but they’re expensive.”

  “I’ve never seen a Maltese.” I was impressed. This girl knew her dog breeds.

  “They’re little and always white. At least I’ve only seen white ones.” She frowned and glanced at the books. “Maybe you have another book on dogs, and I can show you. I bought my book here last summer.”

  “That would be great, but I need to grab some dinner. My boyfriend and Emma are waiting for me.” I motioned for Evie to join us. “Evie’s taking over for me at the counter while I go eat. Maybe she can help you find the book.”

  “I wanted to show you.” The girl sighed deeply. “But I can find the book and show you when you get back.”

  “Perfect.”

  Evie stepped in and took the little girl’s hand. “Let’s go see if we can find the book. Jill, I’ll watch the register while you’re out.”

  “Thanks.” I hurried away and out the back door before anyone else could sideline me. I really appreciated my slow morning shifts right now. I saw Greg sitting at the table with another man. As I came closer, I realized it was Doc Ames. “I don’t see you forever, and now I’ve seen you twice in the same week. Don’t tell me you’re discussing work. I’m starving and just can’t go back into the shop with those kids. At least not until I’ve eaten something.”

  “Oh, no, I don’t mean to impose on your dinner. I’m just waiting for Carrie to get off. I like to pick her up on Friday nights; then we can go sit by the beach and watch the sunset. If she gets off in time.” He checked his watch. “Which, since she hasn’t texted me, I don’t think is happening today.”

  “Festival weekends everyone’s super busy. I’m afraid Lille’s probably keeping her late.” I sat next to Greg, who was unpacking the bag. “Do you want to share our dinner?”

  “No, I’ll wait and dine with Carrie. I’ve got a pot roast in the crockpot waiting for us to get home.” He nodded. “Go ahead and eat. I’m sure you’ll need to get back to the bookstore soon. I walked by a few minutes ago, and it looked like you had everyone in South Cove who had a kid or was a kid in there.”

  “The readathon has been a big success.” I opened my takeout box and grinned. Greg had brought me fish and chips and even grabbed the malt vinegar packets and salt. He totally knew me. “But honestly, I’ll be glad for tomorrow when it’s over. This level of participation is a little overwhelming for me.”

  “Maybe next year you should have it at the rec center. That way you don’t have to squeeze everyone into your store.” Greg opened his takeout. He had Tiny’s pot roast, which was one of his favorites. “Hey, Doc, I’ve been meaning to ask you about this, and don’t take it the wrong way, but do you lock your office door?”

  Doc chuckled. “I’ve been meaning to apologize to you as well. I slipped up and left the autopsy report for Alicia on my counter in the kitchen. I know, I’m just not used to having people over. Well, Tiny was helping Carrie move in one day, and he saw it and peeked inside. Carrie didn’t know until she heard him say something to Lille, and well, she came to me about it. I’m your leak.”

  “I wasn’t blaming you, but at least now I know where Lille got the information she told Harrold. And I know she was just trying to be supportive of him. She really cares for Harrold. I’m sure when she heard that the killing might be random, it bothered her.” He glanced at me. “I know keeping things from the people we love is sometimes hard to do.”

  Doc Ames chuckled. “Especially when they’re bright and curious like the women we choose to share our lives with.”

  “Hey, now how did this become about me?” I set down the fish I’d been eating with my fingers. “Carrie and Tiny were the leakers, not me.”

  “True.” Greg didn’t look up. “This time.”

  Doc’s phone buzzed, and he checked the message. “And I’m saved by the bell. I hope I didn’t start a fight here, but Carrie’s ready to go, so I’m out of here. Still got time for a bit of the sunset.”

  “You’re a romantic,” Greg called after him.

  He paused and looked back at us. “It helps at my age. And I think it’s something else that I have in common with the two of you. Have a good night.”

  I watched as he made his way through the buildings and back out onto Main Street. “I love seeing him happy. And the fact it’s with Carrie is just icing on the cake.”

  “They’re good together. I thought maybe my leak was coming from Doc’s place, but I didn’t want to accuse Carrie and start a fight. The fact he already knew about what I was going to say helped.” He held up a fork filled with mashed potatoes. “I swear, Tiny makes the best mashed potatoes in California. Maybe in the US.”

  That’s what I loved about being with Greg. He had his priorities straight.

  After dinner, Sadie and I sat at the counter and talked. The kids that were staying had mostly settled in for a round of ghost stories and microwave smores and hot chocolate. Pastor Bill and Deek were leading the charge there. Evie had gone upstairs to spend some time with Homer. And the families with small kids had packed it in with a promise to be here bright and early for coffee.

  “So, you and Pastor Bill. How’s that going?”

  Sadie blushed and glanced over at her boyfriend and the local minister. “We’re taking it slow, but he told his deacons about us last month. And last Sunday, he told the congregation. Of course, most of them already knew. I guess we weren’t so sneaky.”

  “How does Nick feel about it?” Sadie’s only son, Nick, had been my summer help for years until he’d graduated college and went off to intern at a high-end financial company. I wasn’t even sure of what he did, but he would be graduating with his MBA next year and working full-time in London. He was a good kid and a better young man. Any mother would be proud of him.

  “He likes Bill. He said it was my life and I needed to be happy, no matter what he thought. But he likes Bill. He’s coming home for a week before he goes off to London for the summer. I’m sure he’ll stop in and see you.” Sadie beamed when she talked about Nick. “Anyway, you’re the one whose life is about to change. Have you set a date yet?”

  “A date?” I knew I should know what she was talking about, but my brain felt dead.

  She tapped my ring finger. “For the wedding?”

  “Oh, yeah. Not yet. We’re going away for a few days if he ever finds time, and we’ll set it then.” I rubbed my neck. “But it can’t be soon, because I need to sleep for a week after this.”

  “You can go in the back and lay down if you want? Or go home for a few hours. We’ve got this.” Sadie looked concerned.

  I shook my head. “No fifteen-year-old is going to stay up longer than I do. I’m in it for the long haul. So what else should we talk about?”

  Sadie pressed her fingers on her lips. I think she was trying not to laugh in my face. Then her eyes widened. “I saw Harper in Bakerstown the other day. She was coming out of that gym that has all the body builders. I was sitting outside the coffee shop waiting for Bill, and she just walked by me. I tried to say hello and catch her gaze, but she looked right through me. Maybe I need to be coming to more of your meetings. Especially when I’m not recognized by someone who I’d just met at the last meeting.”

  “She can be a little hard to get to know.” I’d mentioned the gym to Harper too, but got a wishy-washy answer. I wanted to give Harper the benefit of the doubt, but she’d been off with me as well. Maybe she just wasn’t fitting in well in South Cove. We were a special breed.

  “I talked to her about doing my dress.” She blushed and looked over at Pastor Bill. “I mean, if Bill asks me to marry him. I don’t want the big white thing, but I want something special, you know? She seemed to get it when we talked at your party. Then she just walked by me like she’d never met me before. Although, she does have a lot on her mind.”

  I thought about Deek saying he’d seen Harper in the gym, and she hadn’t said anything to him either. But no, he’d said the woman had told him she’d been confused with Harper a lot lately. Maybe that was who Sadie had seen. I wondered if I should stop by and talk to Harper about how small South Cove was. It wouldn’t do to have Harper seen as antisocial.

  “I see that look in your eye. Don’t be thinking you need to talk to her on my account. I don’t get my feelings hurt. I just think she needs to understand we’re a small, tight group here. She needed to at least smile and wave, even if she was late for whatever.” Sadie stood and poured herself another coffee. “I swear, if I hear that you browbeat her for not talking to me, I’m going to be upset.”

  Sadie’s upset was anyone else’s slightly bad mood. She just didn’t have it in her to be over the top with her negative emotions. Which was why she’d make an amazing wife for Pastor Bill. “Sometimes, you’re too nice.”