“Not with food in the title. However, The Recess Queen and Just Kidding are perfect for that age group. One story features girls. The other one’s about boys.”
Janice’s pen raced across the page. “Two is good. If we make them read a dozen titles about the same subject, we’ll have the same results as last year. I’m going to order copies of these four books, pronto. As soon as they come in, I’ll meet with the teachers, and we’ll come up with creative ways to discuss the messages in each book. And by creative, I mean cheap.”
Later, after Nora placed the order, she thought of how Connie Knapp could learn something from the PTA president. Janice tackled a problem by asking for help and welcoming other people’s ideas and suggestions. Connie used fear tactics. She got people to follow her by tapping into their anxieties and vilifying her opponents. Both women claimed a desire to help the community, but the only woman who would truly change Miracle Springs for the better was Janice.
Sheldon had cleaned up after the moms, leaving Nora to tidy the children’s section.
A copy of Holly Black’s Tithe had somehow ended up with the board books, so Nora carried it to its proper home in the Young Adult corner.
The three teens were there, sitting on the floor. The blondes sat, shoulder to shoulder, thick hardcovers open on their laps. The brunette had her back to the shelves and was balancing her book on top of her bent knees. Nora loved seeing the girls lost in their books, and she flashed them a smile, put Tithe on its shelf, and returned to the front of the shop.
Twenty minutes later, the brunette approached the checkout counter, hugging a book to her chest.
“Hey,” she said in a library whisper.
“Hey,” Nora replied.
The girl eased the book away from her chest and glanced at the cover with longing. Nora knew that look. It was the look of a reader who didn’t want to part from her book.
“Is there, like, a limit, on how long we can read here?”
“What’s captured your interest?” Nora asked.
The girl showed her the novel’s cover. It was Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
“Ah, the first of the Lunar Chronicles.” Nora nodded in approval. “I had my doubts about that book before I read it, but I was won over by the blend of Cinderella-meets–Blade Runner. You’re probably too young to know that movie. Anyway, you can read until closing.”
“Really? But this isn’t a library.” The girl was genuinely baffled.
“That’s true,” Nora agreed. “But if you love Cinder, you might buy Scarlet. This is why booksellers let people browse for as long as they like. We count on them falling in love with a series and buying the next installment.”
The girl’s face turned bright red. “Not me. I can’t bring a book like this home.”
She was telling Nora that even though she was in high school, she wasn’t allowed to choose her own pleasure reads. Someone else did that. A controlling parent, most likely.
“That’s okay,” Nora was quick to assure her. “You can read here. Just spend a little money now and then on hot chocolate or a bookmark. Does that work for you?”
The girl’s smile was transformative. Joy spilled from her eyes. “Seriously? I could come, like, every day?”
Nora grinned. “Sure. Every day. But if you’re going to become a fixture, we should be on a first-name basis.” She held out her hand. “I’m Nora.”
The girl’s delight disappeared in an instant. Though clearly apprehensive, she took Nora’s hand and said, “I’m Vicky.”
“Nice to meet you, Vicky. Are you new to Miracle Springs?”
Looking even more miserable, she murmured, “Yeah. We moved here from Alabama.”
Suddenly, one of the blondes poked her head around the corner of the Fiction section. “Yo, Knappster!” she whispered. “What’s up?”
“I was asking about this,” Vicky said, holding up the book. She gave Nora a smile that was brief but filled with gratitude and warmth, before returning to the YA section with her friend.
Nora passed her hands over her face in disbelief. She’d just met Connie Knapp’s daughter. Connie, the woman who wanted to destroy Miracle Books, had a daughter—a young woman—who yearned for the freedom to read. Vicky had come to the bookshop in search of stories and sanctuary. Not only had she found these, but she’d also made a friend.
Nora Pennington, champion of books and book lovers, was now her ally.
*
After closing that evening, Nora didn’t go straight home. Instead, she strolled up Main Street’s sidewalk, peering in shop windows and enjoying the sound of dried leaves crunching under her feet.