Page 35 of The Breakup Bookshop

‘The author who writes really gory bestselling crime fiction that people can’t get enough of? Of course. I’m a huge fan!’

‘He’s… well, he’s an old friend of mine. He has a new book coming out soon. Maybe I could ask him to come to the bookshop opening. He could give you a quote to send with the media releases you talked about as part of your communications strategy?’

This. This is exactly why you need supportive friends who champion you, not ones who sleep with your boyfriend behind your back, break your heart and then send you messages out of the blue.

Embarrassingly, I feel tears springing into my eyes.

‘I can’t believe you’d do that for me,’ I whisper, blinking back my over-the-top emotions.

‘I can’t promise anything,’ Eilidh says. ‘All I can do is ask. I’m sure he’d be happy with the cross-promotion for his book, if you agreed to stock it.’

‘Of course I’d stock it. I’ll have a whole wall dedicated to him if he comes here. He’s such a big name! How do you even know him?’

Eilidh pauses. Do I detect her blushing? She never blushes.

‘He’s an ex, actually,’ she admits. ‘We recently got back in contact online. We were at university together. He was a little older than me, a mature student, and, well… it just didn’t work out. I’ve not seen him in over a decade, not since before Mark and I got together.’

‘No way! Are you hoping something happens between you again?’

She shakes her head. ‘No, it’s too soon for that. It’s just nice to have someone to chat to. It helps at night, when the boys are in bed and I’m feeling lonely, you know?’

‘Well, I’m very pleased to hear it. Especially if he’s able to attend the bookshop launch, then you’d both get to see each other in person again. Sparks fly, one thing leads to another and before you know it…’

‘You’ve been reading too many of your romance novels,’ she laughs. ‘I’m definitely not ready forthatagain. Okay, I’ll send him a message and see if he’s free. It would be so good if he could come along. He’s so popular just now. He used to say he wanted to visit Ullapool, so this would be a good excuse.’

As I wait for Eilidh to hear back from Richard, I forge ahead with my plans, handing out the launch leaflets on the street, posting on social media, telling everyone who’ll listen about the bookshop.

It isn’t long before we have a reply. Apparently, Richard is keen to see Eilidh again in real life too.

‘Oh my God, Ava, he’s booked a flight! He’s coming to the bookshop launch.’

We jump up and down on the spot, spinning in circles, holding on to each other. Just as we are mid-jump, Rory opens the door to the bookshop.

‘What are you two looking so excited about?’ he asks.

‘Richard J. Walker,’ I breathe, ‘is coming to the launch of my bookshop. I can’t believe it!’

Rory stands still for a moment in the doorway and stares at us both. He backs away, turns around and leaves again.

Too much excitement on display for one grumpy git.

13

The bookshop opens tomorrow. After sweeping the floor for the millionth time, I gaze around. I am pretty damn pleased with myself. Everything is just as it should be, from the kids and teenage section, complete with a Highland coo footstool that I found online and couldn’t resist, to the local interest/Scottish section, packed full of books about Ullapool, fishing, wildlife and walking trails. My thrillers section now features a large display of Richard J. Walker’s books that his publisher kindly sent for the bookshop launch.

The cookbooks are arranged in my canary-yellow cabinet. I pasted blue and yellow floral wallpaper in the back panels of the cabinet, so there’s a nice surprise if I manage to sell out of books. I’ve displayed some of the beautiful crockery I found in the shop when I arrived, as a tribute to The Old Tea Shop. My before and after videos on social media are full of praise for my upcycling abilities. However, they still haven’t attracted more views than Rory, the ‘hunky Highlander’, painting the mural. That’s by far my most popular video.

Granny’s handwritten recipe cards, including the ‘Campbell family scone recipe’, are displayed in a variety of colourful frames around the cabinet. I haven’t been able to find her cookbook, which I was sure I’d brought with me to Ullapool, but I’m hoping it will turn up. I can almost hear her voice telling me how proud she is of me. It feels like she is here in the bookshop with me.

The walls feature golden quotes from my favourite books. Everywhere I look, I see something that I love: the small gift section full of products from local craftspeople, my colourful furniture, the brightly painted panels behind the till. The space is full of light and vibrancy. I used to beg Seb to let me re-cover his two grey armchairs in our living room, but he refused. He always called my taste ‘a bit much’. I wish he could see it realized now. It works. The bold colours don’t fight with one another but create a gorgeous, welcoming space. This is my shop, and I’m finally creating the home I always wanted.

The local interest section sits proudly beside Rory’s mural of Ullapool, which is now finished. I have to give it to Rory – the painting is a complete showstopper. The beachfront, the fishing boats, the rows of shops and houses, the mountains, the sunset, he’s recorded it all. The vibrant colours will catch the eye of everyone who walks in the front door. Not only that, but he’s managed to capture something of the village’s essence that only someone who knows and loves Ullapool could. Within the painting, you have the sense that these little houses are filled with people who know one another deeply, who care and look after one another. I love it, from the Ullapool title at the top, to the artist’s signature at the bottom. Even if it is Rory’s signature.

I can hardly believe that I’ve done this. Before arriving in Ullapool, I’d barely changed a light bulb. Now, I’ve completed a full renovation almost entirely by myself. There was of course help along the way. Rory was right that people do lend a hand here. I drafted in a local joiner to help fix some of the bookshelves and signage. A plumber fixed the tiny downstairs toilet that had been completely blocked when I arrived, and transformed it into the prettiest loo that I’ve ever had the pleasure of peeing in. Donna helped me finish painting the quotes on the wall. And then there’s the mural, the work of art that takes centre stage in the shop.

The shop is my work, but it takes a village.

Now the only thing left to do is the launch tomorrow, to introduce my bookshop to the world.