“As you said, singles tables usually contain single men.”
“If by men you count teenage boys or men whose pregnant spouses are on bed rest and couldn’t attend, then sure.”
Brooke laughed and clamped a hand over her mouth when she saw that Gabby didn’t find any of this to be amusing. “No.”
“Oh, yes.” Gabby shook her head. “The only single men at my table last night were the Monroe brothers.”
Brooke frowned as she pulled at the large brass handle and they both stepped inside the bookstore. The smell of the paper always comforted Gabby, as did the possibility of perusing the new release table. There was always an escape to be found between the pages of a novel. And a guaranteed happy ending, too.
“Brothers? Is Doug back in town?”
“Moved back a few weeks ago.” Before her sister could get any notions, Gabby added, “Hasn’t changed one bit.”
She realized that wasn’t exactly true. He had of course filled out in all the right places, and there was a rumble to his laugh that hadn’t been there fifteen years ago. Still, he was argumentative and opinionated. But he did let her have his cake. And that was…nice.
Gabby lifted a paperback from the table of new releases and turned it over to skim the back copy.
“Still sparring with you then?” Brooke gave a little smile. “You know, it’s funny, but I always used to think he just did that to get your attention.”
Gabby looked at her quizzically as she set the book down. “Well, he’s a grown man now who doesn’t need to tease to talk to a girl. And he’s still up to the same old tricks.” Her mouth thinned when she thought of the more glaring fact that would immediately shut down this conversation. “Also, he’s a divorce attorney.”
Brooke just shrugged.
“And I’m in the business of romance,” Gabby reminded her. “We both are.”
“Oh, yes you are!” Candy, who had clearly caught the end of their conversation, wiggled both sets of fingers as she eagerly crossed the room.
Oh, brother. Gabby had forgotten that the book club’s switch to Sunday nights made it easier for Candy to attend, since the Firefly Café was closed on Sunday nights and Mondays.
She caught her sister’s eye quickly, wondering which of them would be targeted first. With Candy’s wedding now only three weeks away, there was very little time for major changes. Or any changes at all, really.
“Now, Brooke, I’ve been thinking more and more about that train…”
Brooke shook her head. Her time in New York had made her more assertive than she’d been as a kid, but it was her reunion with her husband that had really lifted her confidence. She was doing what she loved—designing her own creations, running her own business, and coming home every night to a home she shared with the love of her life.
Brooke made it all look so easy, Gabby thought on a sigh. Still, she knew that it had been a rocky path, but one that had been worth it in the end. She comforted herself with those words as Candy continued to fret.
“Don’t think, Candy. Just…enjoy this special time.” Brooke even managed to smile while she said this, but Gabby knew she’d be heading for the tray of wine soon. “Everything will be perfect. And you did truly want that twenty-five-foot train.”
Candy was chewing on a fingernail. “I did. And I even thought at one point that it might not be quite long enough…”
Gabby scurried away before Brooke heard her snicker, or worse, Candy turned her attention to the flowers which were absolutely not changing. Nope, if she had to make up a story about inventory or flooded crops that damaged some new-fangled idea, so be it. She had listened, patiently, and she also knew that Candy would be thrilled with the result.
As usual, Bella had set up chairs in the back of the room, near the children’s corner, and tables had been cleared of books and replaced with drinks and snacks. Gabby set her contribution on the table—a bottle of white wine—and went ahead and helped herself to a plate of cheese and crackers.
“Uh-oh.” It was Bella, smiling at her. “You only hit the buffet like this when you’re upset. And usually, it’s about a guy.” Her eyes went wide. “Is there a guy to be upset over?”
Like her, Isabella was single, only it didn’t seem to bother her quite as much. Gabby dropped her shoulders and shook her head as she added more cheddar squares to her plate, and, for good measure, some nice creamy gouda.
“No. There is most certainly not a guy to be upset over.” She frowned slightly, realizing that had Bella posed the exact question to her this time yesterday, she might have named Doug as the source of her problems.
But last night Doug hadn’t just been a perfect gentleman; he’d been a friend of sorts, or at least an ally.
Pushing that thought away, she went back to her cheese. “And how is your love life these days?”
It was refreshing to turn the tables on a cousin who was just as single as she was these days. And always, Gabby corrected herself. It wasn’t like she’d gone through a breakup, hit a dry spell, or had a teen romance to fall back on—she didn’t even have a first love. A first crush, sure, but nothing ever came of it. She’d dated a bit, mostly seasonal tourists, or the occasional guy from Pine Falls, but there had never been a spark, and she had only been disappointed that she didn’t feel anything toward the man, rather than be upset that nothing more came of it.
“Hey, I thought we were here to talk about
