"That's me," I said. "Married name."
"No one ever calls you Maxine!" he said.
"Except my mother and attorneys on legal documents," I said.
"No wonder!" he told me. "I just don't see you as a Maxine, though." Something about the way he said my name made me feel warm and tingly inside; there seemed to have been something of a thaw over the intervening decades. I was trying to come up with a response when Bethany touched my elbow. "It's about time to do the introduction," she advised me.
"Excuse me," I told Nicholas, feeling my heart fluttering a bit. "I've got to go introduce the author... I'd love to catch up more after the reading!"
"I'd like that, actually," he said, again flashing me that smile that hadn't changed in... well, let's just say a lot of years.
I stepped up to the front of the room and faced the crowd; it wasn't exactly standing-room-only at Seaside Cottage Books, but the place was pleasantly full. I just hoped everyone wasn't here only for the free food. I tugged at the hem of my blouse a little self-consciously and smiled at the audience.
"Thank you so much for coming to the grand re-opening of Seaside Cottage Books. I know you all miss Loretta—I do, too—but I'll try to carry the torch as best I can. The bookstore always meant so much to me growing up, and I'm honored to carry on the tradition. It's so good to be back in Snug Harbor... I hope to catch up with those of you I know from way back" — I smiled at Nicholas, who grinned back at me— "and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone else. I hope the store will be a place you can come to relax, enjoy browsing, and find wonderful new authors. And speaking of authors..."
I launched into a description of our guest author with an enthusiasm I didn't quite feel, even though I'd enjoyed her romantic suspense books set a few hours down the coast in Portland, and tried not to look at her—or Ted, who was sitting in a chair next to her, holding her hand.
Instead, I scanned the room, finding my eyes drawn to Nicholas, of course, but seeing a number of other faces that looked vaguely familiar, along with several I didn't know. One woman in a short, pink dress sat in the front row, wearing big sunglasses despite the indoor, evening situation. She had long, straight, highlighted hair caught up in a French twist, and reminded me a bit of Audrey Hepburn. Sitting beside her was a woman who was almost the complete opposite; she looked as if she'd been born with a broom handle where her spine should be. Her entire affect was regal, from her cropped salt-and-pepper hair to her aquiline nose to the understated pearls ringing her neck. Had they come together? I wondered, and my gaze wandered on, stopping short when they reached a familiar visage I had hoped never to see again.
I forgot what I was saying for a moment. Scooter Dempsey smirked as I recovered myself; I got the distinct impression he knew exactly what I'd been thinking, and that that had been his intent.
"Sorry about that; I lost my train of thought there for a moment," I said. "As I was saying..." I finished the introduction and sat down as Kirsten took the stage, feeling a familiar old anger bubble up. Not at Kirsten, although I have to say I was less than thrilled with the fact that my stodgy ex-husband had suddenly discovered unplumbed depths with her that he would have scoffed at had I suggested them. I was mad at Scooter Dempsey. It was because of him that Nicholas had broken up with me all those years ago. I'd turned him down for a date, and he'd then spread rumors about me that I'd never been able to discredit. I’d never been able to forgive him. Would he do it again, now that I had the store?
Put it out of your head, I told myself. We weren't in high school anymore. We were all adults. And that was ancient history—history that needed to be put to bed.
I had just turned to focus on Kirsten again when she said, "Imagine my surprise when I found out the owner of this wonderful store is my boyfriend's ex-wife!"
There was a silence as she gestured toward me, and every set of eyes in the room fastened on me with prurient interest.
Including Nicholas's, which was not exactly the way I wanted to make my debut in Snug Harbor.
"He has good taste in women, doesn't he?" Kirsten continued, smiling in a way I imagine she thought was generous. I glanced at Ted, whose face was set in a stiff smile, his neck and cheeks flushed red yet again, and I prayed that the day would be over soon.
"At least it should be good for business," Bethany whispered from next to me. "Everyone likes... well... a personal interest story."
Uh huh.
I felt my own cheeks flaming and sneaked a glance at Nicholas, who was looking from me to Ted with raised eyebrows. A moment later, thankfully, Kirsten launched into her reading—a suspenseful bit involving a woman being held hostage on a bridge. Which at the moment sounded almost preferable to my current situation.
The audience thronged Kirsten after the reading, which was good for business—the stack of brightly colored books Bethany had placed next to her were being signed and handed to customers in large numbers. Bethany stood beside the author while I hurried to the register and began ringing up my first sales, trying very hard not to look at the glamour shot of K. T. Anderson, which was challenging, since it was the entire back
