Page 41 of Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop
‘TheJosephine Forrest? The one who’s sold a gazillion books?’
‘The very same, although she’s just Granny Blue to me.’ Lars looked confused by the name so I expanded. ‘Her real name’s Bluebell Appleton, Blue for short, but her publisher already had a saga author called Bluebell and another with the surname Appleton so Josephine Forrest is a pseudonym from her middle and maiden names. She has a new book coming out on the 28th and she wasn’t going to be able to do a launch because she was having cataracts removed the day before but her op’s been put back a week so the launch is on.’
‘I can’t believe Josephine Forrest is your grandma. My nanna loves her. She’s got all her books and has read them several times. I’m pretty sure she’s been to all her book launches here too, so she’ll definitely want to come to this one.’
‘Feel free to call her later and check she’s free. Tickets are limited as we don’t have much space, but she can have first dibs.’
We strung Christmas garlands across every other bookshelf, keeping the ones in between autumnal, and Lars fired questions at me about how Granny Blue got into writing and what it was like having a famous author in the family. It amused me when anyone got starstruck because I never thought of Granny Blue as famous. Obviously I was aware that, with sales exceeding twenty-five million copies around the world, my granny was abigname, but she was also the woman who’d bought me quarters of strawberry bonbons from the corner shop when I was little and always stole one before handing them over, who’d baked fairy cakes with me, pushed me on the swings and read stories to me. Every time I saw her these days, she still produced a paper bag full of strawberry bonbons although she no longer stole one, joking that she valued what teeth she had left.
We added colourful fairy lights across the bookshelves in the children’s section before moving into the front and starting on the garlands. I unlocked the door but, with no customers during the first hour, we managed to bling the whole of the downstairs, although the lights in the front were warm white rather than colourful.
Lars offered to repeat the process on each level while I worked on the promotion materials for Granny Blue’s launch and, even though that kept me busy, I was very aware of missing him by my side. He was so easy to chat to and I loved our conversations about the books we’d read and loved – exactly how our friendship had started.
When Cassie arrived, she went upstairs to help Lars. Every so often, I heard them laughing and it warmed my heart that they were getting on well, but I also recognised a twinge of envy that it wasn’t me making Lars laugh. I had to get over this. I couldn’t spend the next three months mooning over one of my employees. Employee. That’s what he was. Friend too, I hoped, but it couldn’t be anything more.
It was a bitterly cold day but the absence of rain meant there were still folk about. We had a trickle of customers across the morning, the numbers picking up over lunchtime. Lars took the first lunch break, during which I managed to finish the newsletter for Granny Blue’s launch, email it out and print posters which I added to the noticeboard and window. When Lars returned, I ate my lunch in the staff room then bundled up in my coat, scarf and hat to meander along Castle Street, curious to see which businesses had fully embraced Christmas.
Castle Jewellery next door had gone simple and classy with white fairy lights and sprigs of holly in their windows but Ginny hadn’t yet changed the autumnal dresses in The Wedding Emporium’s window. I knew that Tara in The Chocolate Pot always converted to full Christmas on Bonfire Night and, as I passed, I smiled at the Christmas tree near the door. Next to The Chocolate Pot, Carly’s Cupcakes had a mixture of Christmas-themed celebration cakes and autumn-themed ones in the window and a sign giving the final dates for Christmas cake and cupcake orders.
Continuing to the end of the street, I crossed over and worked back on myself, pausing by Bear With Me. It had two windows, one either side of the door. In the left one, Jemma had gone traditional with a nativity scene. A wooden straw-lined stable contained a manger, inside of which was one of the miniature artist bears Jemma made. Above the stable was a bright star with another of her designs in the centre. Surrounding the manger were larger teddy bears dressed as Mary, Joseph, the angel Gabriel and the wise men, with a soft toy sheep, donkey and camel looking on. It was a beautiful acknowledgement of the true meaning of Christmas. I moved over to the right window, which was more commercial, with colourful teddy bears and soft toys bursting out of boxes, gift bags and Christmas wrapping as though they couldn’t bear to stay hidden for any longer. The wordsbringing you hugs on Christmas Day and beyondwere written across the window.
It struck me that I still hadn’t arranged a night out with Jemma and Cassie. Peering past the bears, I could see Jemma with a customer so I’d message her later with some dates both Cassie and I were free.
I finished my circuit and returned to Bay Books. When I pushed the door open, Cassie looked up from the computer and smiled. ‘Nice walk?’
‘Chilly, but good. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas out there.’
‘I had a look on my way in. Some gorgeous displays again. I love what Jemma’s done.’
‘Me too. The little bear in the centre of the star is the cutest. We need to sort a night out with her so check your diary and let me know when you’re free.’
I went down to the staff room to ditch my coat, hat, scarf and bag, thinking about my tour of the street. All the traders made a special effort to create captivating window displays all year round but the Christmas ones always seemed to step up a gear. Lars was restocking some of our stationery items when I returned.
‘Lars, while it’s quiet and before Cassie finishes, can you help me retrieve something from my car?’ I asked.
He followed me outside and helped me ease a wooden display unit from the back seat and carry it into the shop.
‘Is this the Bookmas tree?’ he asked, his eyes lighting up as we began connecting the pieces together in the children’s section. ‘Is it the same one from when we were kids?’
I smiled at him, thrilled that he’d not only recognised it but he’d remembered what it was called. ‘It is. Granddad George wanted something Christmassy to display the children’s books on and he couldn’t find anything special so he decided to make his own. It’s been here since the very first Bay Books Christmas.’
The display was made up of three panels in the shape of Christmas trees which slotted together to create one big tree. Each panel had a rectangle cut out of it into which shelves had been fitted, making it look as though the books were sitting within the branches of the tree. It had been repainted several times over the years and the edges had been sanded to keep them smooth but it was otherwise exactly as Granddad George had created and it tickled him pink that it had been so enduring.
We’d had a steady increase in the number of festive books being delivered across the past couple of months and, while I’d put some out on the shelves, I’d stored most in the cupboards beneath the shelves ready for the arrival of the Bookmas tree. It could take a considerable number of titles and it always amazed me how often we needed to restock them.
I explained to Lars that we placed books for different ages on each level – picture books around the bottom, chapter books aimed at younger readers on the middle level and young adult fiction on the top. The increasingly smaller shelf spaces worked well for the number of titles we had for each age as well as being at the right height for the children at which the books were typically aimed. There were various hooks at the very top for adding stocking fillers like bookmarks, keyrings and pens.
‘What’s a typical Christmas like for you?’ Lars asked as we carried piles of picture books to the base of the Bookmas tree.
‘A welcome relief after a busy December,’ I said, laughing. ‘We love a big family Christmas at Mum and Dad’s. My brother Hendrix lives with his girlfriend but she’s not close to her parents so she never wants to spend Christmas with them. My sister Kadence is married but her husband’s parents always go abroad for Christmas so neither couple have parent clashes, but they all work shifts so getting time off can be a problem. This year, they’ve all managed to book Christmas Day off so it’s going to be brilliant having everyone together. And when I say everyone, I mean both sets of grandparents too so there’ll be eleven of us for Christmas dinner this year.’
‘Eleven? Wow! Thatisa big family Christmas.’
We began organising the books and placing them on the shelves.
‘It could be the last one. Kadence announced yesterday that she’s pregnant so it’s possible she and Cory will want to do their own thing next year or maybe they’ll invite us all to theirs, so I’m determined to make the most of this year.’
‘What sort of things do you do?’ Lars asked.
