“Good morning!” Dixie said, grinning from ear to ear as she burst through the front door, almost flinging the little metal bell across the room.
“Goodness gracious! You just about gave me a heart attack! Did you take extra medication this morning or something?” Julie held her hand to her heart, feeling it banging against her sternum like a jackhammer.
“Sorry, honey! I am just so excited this morning I can hardly contain myself!”
“What on earth happened?”
Dixie smiled, dropped her purse on the table and then put both of her hands on Julie’s upper arms. “Get ready for this! I can’t believe what I found out when I checked my email this morning!”
“That they have reserved your spot at the funny farm?” Julie teased.
“No, they wouldn’t be able to handle me there. Anyway, I reached out to Charlotte McLemore’s agent a few days ago.”
“The author? Why?”
“Well, I told her just how much I love her books, and how everybody around here is just crazy over them. Well, everybody except for you who hasn’t read one yet.”
“I’ve been a little busy.”
Dixie nodded. “I know, sugar. But you really have to read these books. I have never gotten so attached to characters in my entire life! Anyway, I asked her agent if she might be willing to come here and do a book signing and maybe an appearance at the spring festival!”
“The spring festival? That’s next weekend.”
Dixie smiled and clapped her hands together. “I know, and she said yes! She doesn’t go on her big tour for another few weeks, so they said this would be a great little stop before they get started on the official tour.”
“So she’s coming here? Next week?”
“Yes, she is! And we can start marketing it all over town. This place is going to be overwhelmed with tourists and locals and probably people who drive in from other cities and states. It’s Charlotte McLemore, for goodness sake’s!”
Julie stood there looking at her, unable to understand why she was so excited over this particular author. I mean, they had a store full of books. She had never seen Dixie so amped up over meeting anyone, except for that time that she explained how she ran into Burt Reynolds down on the beach twenty years ago. Julie still didn’t believe that story.
“Okay… That’s great. I’m so glad that you’re excited and that it’s going to bring possible business here to the bookstore…”
“Julie, you simply have to read one of her books before she comes. You must be well-versed so she knows how thrilled we are to have her here.”
“I don’t have time to read a book. Do you know how busy I am? I got four hours of sleep last night.”
“Honey, I have offered over and over to help you. You keep telling me no. But right now, I’ll take whatever you need off your hands so you have time to read one of these books. You won’t be the same after you do.”
Julie really did want to know what all the fuss was about. She liked to read, but she definitely wasn’t one of those people who could devour ten books in a week. Or a month. Or really even a year.
“Fine. Which one should I read?”
Dixie walked over to the table and picked one up, handing it to Julie. If there was one good thing about owning a bookstore, it was that she could take a book home for free. As long as she brought it back looking new, they could still sell it.
“Now, what can I help you with?”
“You know what? My daughter is about to get on my last nerve, so maybe you could get her to make a decision about whether she wants a big wedding or small one because she can’t seem to figure that out.”
Dixie chuckled. “I will talk to Meg. I’ll get that all worked out for you in a jiffy!”
As Julie walked over to the bistro table and sat down with her new book, she wondered if she’d be able to keep her eyes open long enough to read it. But if it was as good as everybody said it was, she was looking forward to a little escape.
William was starving. Today had been a long one with two fishing charters and a group of fraternity brothers who wanted to be taken out on the boat for photos. He’d had a granola bar for breakfast, no lunch and now it was almost dinner time.
Janine had offered to bring him something, but he knew she was busy with a new yoga class she’d added to her schedule. He didn’t want to disrupt her day, so he’d gone without. She was keeping Vivi this afternoon, so he was on his own for an early dinner.
As he walked down the sidewalk toward the cafe, he noticed Janine standing in the grass in the square, Vivi running around at her feet. Janine was smiling and laughing. He could hear her infectious giggles from across the square. Opting to watch her for a few minutes, he ducked behind a tree.
She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in real life, and sometimes he couldn’t believe she was his. From her beautiful curly hair to her fiery independent streak, he loved everything about her. Sure, they had their moments of arguing over silly things like any couple, but there was never a time where he thought of being without her.
He observed her with Vivi as they both fell to the ground in a pile of high-pitched giggles. Janine didn’t care if others looked at her. She was content with being joyful and having a good time, even if it meant laying on her back, kicking her legs in the air to copy what Vivi was doing.
Suddenly, William felt an overwhelming urge to grab her by the hand and walk her to the justice of the peace. She’d be the
