Page 42 of The Wedding Run
His words plunge into my soul, and I recognize their truth.
CHAPTER 20
Libby
The train slows as it enters the Nickel Mine depot. I glimpse a quaint Main Street with visitors meandering among the shops. When the train stops, passengers jostle each other to grab their bags and belongings.
Luke holds out a hand to me. “Come on. I’ll show you around town.”
I match his footsteps as we disembark and beat the crowd off the train and out of the depot. Luke knows a shortcut, and we round a building and end up on Main Street, where petunias and marigolds bloom in window boxes. More flowers encircle the base of old-fashioned streetlamps.
First stop, and true to his word, Luke buys a bag of cotton candy from a sweet shop. “Pink or blue?”
“Pink, of course,” I say.
He adds peppermint sticks to the bag, and I suspect Elle isn’t the only one with a sweet tooth. I pinch the pink cloud and taste the sugar melting on my tongue. I offer Luke a bite.
When he samples, his face crinkles into a grimace. “I just got a cavity.”
Smiling as we stroll, I spot a faux olive plant sprouting from an antique bedpan in a window display.
“Want one?” Luke whispers.
“If you’ll carry it on the train for me.”
“I’m a feminist, I’d let you carry it,” he quips.
Laughing, we wander toward another shop window showcasing antique leather books designed to resemble Dickens’ village. In another window, yellowed printed pages are cut into the shape of butterflies. Then, beyond the window displays, I see lampshades, wreaths, and floral bouquets, all handcrafted with the printed word.
“Now, this is interesting,” I say.
“You like books, do you?” Luke asks.
“I prefer to read them.”
He grins. “What’s your go-to book?”
“I love reading about people’s lives, famous or otherwise. What about you?”
He glances sideways as if embarrassed to admit. “Stephen King.”
“Don’t they scare you?”
He looks at me as if I’ve spoken another language. “They go well with an espresso.”
“A good way to keep you up all night. I do like a real-life murder mystery. Jack the Ripper, and I’m right there.”
“See!” He nudges me. “You’re only a murder or two away from loving the master of horror.”
“Sounds like another challenge.”
“I’ll let you borrow one of mine.” He extends his hand.
I accept the challenge and shake his hand. “I’ll share my copy ofThe Demon in the Freezer. We’ll see who gets scared first.”
We pass a garden store that I can’t resist, and Luke follows me inside. We peruse an array of spikey and lush flowers. Luke shows me stepping stones painted to look like books, from children’s classics likeThe Wonderful Wizard of OzandHarryPotter and the Sorcerer’s StonetoPride and PrejudiceandFifty Shades of Grey.
“What would you want in your garden?” I ask. “Carrie? Oh wait!The Green Mile?”
