“I’d better go,” Nora stammered to Celeste. “Good luck with everything.”
She shot a glance at the second-story window, but no one was there.
Nora turned and started walking fast, eager to get back to Miracle Books. Her skin was still tingling like crazy.
Must be prickly heat.
At the end of the block, the tingling turned to itching. Nora put her hand to her forehead. Her hairline was damp. She needed to get out of the sun. She’d left her hat inside the shop and though she always wore sunscreen, she probably needed to reapply it.
As she paused under the welcome shade of the hardware store awning, the itching stopped. She now felt the weight of eyes on her back.
Was Celeste watching her?
Or the person who’d made the throat-cutting gesture?
The tickly feeling of being watched stayed with Nora until she entered the bookstore.
“And you said I was pale,” Sheldon cried from behind the espresso machine. “The ghost emoji on my phone is tanner than you. Sit down. I’ll get you water.”
Five minutes and a glass of water later, Nora was herself again.
“That was weird—for both of us to get overheated like that,” she said. “At nine thirty in the morning?”
“Not really. I skipped breakfast and you went on a hike before work. I need food and you need fluids. Doctor Vega is in the house.”
Nora waved a hand, dismissing the subject. “Is the paper back there? I think I saw a short piece about Soothe on the front page.”
With the paper in hand, Sheldon sat down in the purple chair opposite Nora’s mustard-colored velour chair. Three other mismatched chairs formed a circle around a glass coffee table. This was the readers’ circle, the most popular place in the shop.
“All right, children, are you ready for storytime?” Sheldon cleared his throat and began to read. “‘The Greene Building has a new tenant. Ms. Celeste Leopold has signed a three-year lease on the retail space and two-bedroom apartment. Ms. Leopold’s boutique, Soothe, an eclectic mix of merchandise meant to reduce stress and take the sting out of chronic pain, will open in late September. Soothe will also stock organic food and drinks in the form of CBD comfort muffins and anti-inflammatory teas.’”
Nora gaped. “Comfort muffins? I wonder if Hester knows about this.”
“Knows about what?”
Hester Winthrop, owner of the Gingerbread House Bakery and a member of Nora’s book club, the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, came around the corner of the Fiction section carrying a large bakery box. Inside were puff pastries shaped like open books. The scent of buttery dough wafted through the air, mingling with the aroma of fresh coffee. Nora couldn’t imagine a more heavenly smell.
Sheldon took the box from Hester and carried it into the ticket agent’s office. “We were just reading about our new neighbor.”
Hester’s face lit up. “I saw movers at the purple awning. What kind of store is it?”
Nora pointed at the paper. “Read the article on the bottom of the front page.”
“I don’t have time. I—”
“You need to read it.”
Hester’s apple print apron was dusted with flour and cinnamon, so she grabbed the paper and read the article where she stood. When she reached the final sentence, her eyes widened in shock.
“Comfort muffins?” Her voice was shrill. “What the hell?”
Sheldon slung an arm around Hester’s shoulder. “Celeste probably doesn’t know about your comfort scones. She hasn’t even moved in, and we’re already getting mad at her.” He looked at Nora. “Why don’t we invite her over for coffee and a chat? We’ll tell her about Hester’s scones and suggest an alternative name for her baked goods. Mellow muffins?”
Hester smiled. “That’s pretty good. But are CBD muffins even legal?”
“Yep,” Sheldon replied. “I use CBD oil all the time. Lots of people do. I wouldn’t worry about a few muffins, sweet girl. Your food is enchanted. You have lines out the door every day.”
“You’re right. Besides, this town needs more female business owners. I should do what I can to support Celeste. Let me know when you ask her for coffee, Nora. I’d like to be there.”
As Nora hurried to finish her opening tasks before the clock struck ten, all thoughts of Celeste Leopold were pushed aside. After the shop was ready and Nora had greeted her first customer of the day, she began gathering titles for the new window display.
A woman picked up the copy of Alchemy and Meggy Swann from the top of Nora’s pile and examined the back cover.