Page 9 of Cookie

“Oh my god,” I whispered to Charlie who waved over my shoulder like this was just something that happened every freaking day.

“That’s just Mack, he’s a big reader, isn’t that right, Mack?” he said a little louder so the man could hear him.

“Yes, sir, and there’s a few books I need to order. How much longer are you two going to be at it?” he asked, like he was waiting for us to finish eating.

“We’re done,” Charlie said and unlocked the door. “I need to get back to work anyway.” He kissed my cheek and squeezed past Mack who walked in like he owned the place and hurried over to the mystery section.

“I hear there’s a new owner for the store. Would you mind too much if I suggested a few mysteries? Millie didn’t keep a very good variety.” He adjusted his glasses while looking at the books that were there.

“Not at all, let me get a notebook,” I said and glanced toward the auto shop before going to join him.

Nine

Charlie

Work was busy when I returned from lunch, but not busy enough to stop me from constantly watching for the door to the bookstore and waiting for it to open. A few people had come and gone, but Mack was there for nearly two hours. On one level, I was a little jealous that he could spend so much time with Ryan, but I wondered if Ryan would have any patience left once Mack had talked himself out.

I’d just finished an oil change when I glanced over to see Mack leaving. He spotted me and waved before hurrying off in the other direction.

“What are you looking at?” my older brother Clarence asked as he looked over my shoulder.

“Nothing,” I said, and hoped he would let it go. Clarence was like a dog on a bone, and he loved nothing more than giving one of us a hard time.

“What’s going on with the bookstore? I saw Mom come back with a few books and I’ve noticed you’re there a lot lately. I’m pretty sure you’re not visiting Millie,” he said as he wiped his hands with a rag he kept handy. Of all my brothers, Clarence was the one who looked most like me, but we were polar opposites in the personality department.

“Ryan is buying it,” I said unable to hold back my smile.

“Ryan? That guy that you’ve been fawning over the past month?” he said, and I braced for the teasing that was sure to come.

“Yeah, I really like him,” I admitted. I hadn’t meant to, but I was happy he was staying, and I wasn’t going to hide that.

To my surprise, he clapped me on the back and leaned in close. “I’m happy for you, Charlie. You deserve some happiness too.”

Clarence had recently reconnected with a girl he’d dated in high school and apparently, things were going well. To say I was shocked was putting it mildly. “Thanks.” I continued to brace for some sort of teasing that never came.

“Come on, let’s get back to work then you can go see your guy,” Clarence said, and we stayed busy enough the rest of the day that neither of us had time to do much more than check the schedule to see what job was next.

As soon as I finished my last job, I washed up and hurried over to the bookstore, hoping to catch Ryan just before he closed. “Hey, I didn’t expect you back so soon,” he said when I walked inside.

“I’m so excited for you I couldn’t stay away,” I said and waited while he finished with two ladies that were stocking up on the latest romance novels. They both glanced at me with smiles that made me suspect they were onto us, but I didn’t have it in me to care. “Have you told Millie?”

“Not yet. I wanted to meet with her and talk to her in person. She went back to Sacramento yesterday, but she’ll be back in a week,” Ryan said as he closed out his drawer and got ready to lock up for the night.

“Are you sure you can wait that long?” I asked. His excitement was contagious, and I felt as invested as he was in finding out if he was really going to stay.

“No, but there’s not much I can do about it. I could talk to her on the phone, but I really feel like it’s something I should do in person.”

“Could Avery open the store tomorrow?” I asked and was met with a blank look.

“I’m not sure. It depends on what classes she has,” Ryan said. “Why?”

“How do you feel about taking a drive to Sacramento? I haven’t been there for years, and you need to speak to her. It’s easy to see how much this means to you, and once it’s settled, you’ll be able to start making all those changes you have planned. I want to do all I can to make that happen.”

At first, he didn’t speak. He stared at me wide-eyed and silent before pulling me in for a tight hug. “You’d do that?”

“Yes, of course I’d do that. We can make a day of it. I mean, it’s not like it’s that far and if there’s anything you need to bring back with you, we can do that too.” I brushed his cheek with my thumb. Those eyes said more than he could ever say with words, and I wanted him to look at me that way forever. Fuck, even if it was true, I needed to take a step back and let things happen when they were meant to happen.

“Let me call Avery and see what plans she has for tomorrow. Are you sure you can take a day off?” he asked as he picked up his phone from the counter.

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