Tempting as it was to stop in every shop she passed if only to kill time, she refused to be drawn in until she came across what she was looking for: a book exchange. Outside the door, a table was laden with books for sale at half price, according to the hand drawn sign stuck on the window above them. She stepped inside and was immediately enveloped in the smell of old books. A fleeting memory washed over her of sitting on the floor in a bookshop flicking through picture books while her mother chose something for herself. She tried to catch hold of the sensation but it drifted away as quick as it’d come, leaving a hollow space in her gut.
“Hello, love. Welcome to Books by the Beach.” The male voice seemed to come from behind a counter piled with books. Mia waited to see who popped out from behind the stacks but didn’t see anyone.
She peered over the counter. “Hello?”
“What can I get for you?”
Mia squealed as a man touched her shoulder from behind. She jumped and spun around, holding her hand to her chest.
“Sorry, dear. Didn’t mean to scare you. Thought you heard me.” A man with thick glasses and wild gray hair gave her a gentle smile. He was dressed in corduroy trousers, a plaid shirt, and a knitted vest that reminded her of her grandfather. This man had the look of a person she’d expected to greet her at the B&B.
She tried to calm her breathing. She really was wound up. She couldn’t believe she was so nervous. No wonder her uncle was keen for her to take a holiday. “Sorry. I thought you were behind the desk. I wasn’t expecting you to come up behind me like that.”
He ran a hand over his gray stubble and smiled kindly. “No harm done, eh? Now what can I help you with? If you just want to wander around and find something yourself, feel free. If you want help, I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.”
Mia glanced around the shop and noticed doors leading to other rooms between the stacks of books. The store was a like a maze. “Thank you. To be honest, I have no idea what I want. I haven’t read a book in years and since I’m here for a month I think I need to try. All I know is that I want to sit on the porch and get lost in a story.” Not that she could see that happening but she wouldn’t know unless she tried.
“Name’s Harry.” He held out his hand and Mia shook it. His firm grip belied his age. She’d placed him at retirement age but this man’s shake held the same strength as her uncle’s, who was barely in his fifties.
“And I’m Mia. Lovely to meet you.”
“Right. What do you like? Maybe we can find you some new authors to fall in love with.”
“Well, I’d like a story I can get caught up in, something that has substance, if you know what I mean. A book to hold my attention.”
“Yep, so fiction then. Historical or modern?”
“Maybe both. Is that possible?”
“Certainly is. How about something that spans two timelines? Historical and modern. Got plenty to choose from.” He put a hand on her arm and guided her to a shelf bursting with paperbacks. “Choose any of these.”
“I don’t know where to start.” There were so many books jammed into the shelf she’d have a hard time deciding.
He laughed. “Well, pick a couple and if you don’t like them, you can bring them back and swap them for a small fee. Likewise if you do read them and want more—same fee applies.”
If only she could sort out her life as easily as that! Being able to go back to work and switch things around so the board didn’t demand she take a break would be a wonderful thing. She wouldn’t be trapped on an island, desperate to swap the silence for the bustle of Seattle where she could breathe and function. Right now, it felt as though she was stuck in a time capsule with no way home. No amount of pretty buildings and relaxing coffees overlooking the ocean could make up for what she was missing out on.
How on earth was she going to cope with it for the next four weeks without losing her mind?
Chapter 5
From the window in the attic, Matt watched Mia walk up the road with a bag slung over her arm. He’d been repacking years worth of family knick-knacks so he could tackle the next stage of his renovation project. Why he’d insisted on keeping everything was beyond him, but he couldn’t bear to see his father throw it all out when he’d renovated the family home. Matt had insisted that some of it would be useful when he decorated the house. Most of it was little things that reminded him of his childhood but had hardly touched in years, such as school reports, paintings he and his siblings had done as children, old family photos, and toys his father couldn’t bear to throw out when they grew up. No wonder the rest of the family didn’t want any of the stuff. Most of it was ready for the trash.
The front door opened and closed and he gave up trying to act busy when all he wanted to do was go down and see Mia. He dusted himself off and headed down the stairs. “Hey. How was your walk? You managed to kill a few hours.”
“I did. I’m surprised actually. I didn’t think there would be so much to see.”
“Excellent. Find anything useful in town?”
She lifted her smiling face to him. “Yes and I had a lovely time, thanks. Found chocolate and a fabulous old bookshop. Harry helped me find some books so I can settle down on the front porch and get
