Page 47 of Safe With You
“Yes.”
I didn’t believe her, but I respected the commitment to the story.
She closed the little door and looked up at me expectantly.
“What?”
“You know where books live.”
I laughed. “Books live in a lot of places.”
“The bookstore.”
The word came out like the answer should’ve been obvious.
I glanced farther down Main Street. Chapter & Charm sat less than two blocks away, its dark green awning visible between the boutique and the floral shop.
For a second, the photograph from that morning came back to me.
Luna laughing behind the café counter, unaware anyone had noticed.
I pushed the thought aside.
“Come on.”
Mila grabbed my hand. “We going?”
“We’re already walking.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Yes, we’re going.”
She smiled and pulled me down the sidewalk.
The bell above the door chimed when we stepped into Chapter & Charm.
Saturday felt different from Tuesday night. The rows of folding chairs were gone, the microphone had disappeared, and the bookstore had settled back into itself.
Mila stopped just inside the door.
“Where the dinosaurs?”
“I have no idea.”
She looked at me like I’d failed an important test.
“You said they had books.”
“They do.”
“But where?”
Before I could answer, an older woman approached the register carrying three mysteries. Luna stood behind the counter, listening as the woman explained why the second book in a series had been better than the first. She had on jeans and a soft brown T-shirt with Chapter & Charm printed across the chest, her curls pulled away from her face in a loose puff.
She didn’t notice us.
Mila tugged on my hand.
