Sheldon beamed at her. “Aren’t you a breath of fresh air?”
Bobbie and Sheldon would probably find loads to talk about if Nora didn’t intervene, so she asked Bobbie if she’d like to see the display table highlighting all things Scotland.
Taking the hint, Bobbie followed Nora to the front.
“I would not time-travel to eighteenth-century Scotland,” Bobbie said, tapping a copy of Outlander. “Jamie Fraser might be the sexiest man in the world, but I’d trade him for indoor plumbing and Chinese takeout in a New York minute.”
Nora laughed. “I’m with you on the indoor plumbing, but I’d replace Chinese food with coffee. Jamie could never make it how I like it. Not his fault. He wouldn’t have access to the right ingredients.”
Bobbie pointed at the stack of books on the checkout counter. “My reading material for the plane.”
Bobbie’s stack contained twelve books, all of which had been pulled from the shelf labeled STAFF PICKS–NORA.
Nora stared at the cover of Ask Again, Yes, because if she met Bobbie’s eyes at this moment, she would probably cry. When she’d mastered her emotions, she asked, “Are you going to New York by way of Australia?”
“I have two nightstands. One has my clock, water glass, and current read. The other, which used to be Stan’s, has my book skyscrapers. I call it TBR City.” Bobbie laid a hand on the top of the stack. “I sleep better when stories are guarding my dreams.”
Nora wanted to give Bobbie the books as a gift, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “I’m just another customer. You’re going to swipe my credit card, bag my books, and wish me a nice day. After that, I’ll hop into my rental car and drive to that terrifyingly tiny airport in Asheville. By the time you’re ready to close for the day, I’ll have started evaluating that book page.”
“Fine. But there’s something I want you to have that isn’t a book. Let me grab it.”
“Who is that interesting creature?” Sheldon asked when Nora reappeared in the back of the store.
“The name on her credit card says Roberta Rabinowitz, but she introduced herself as Bobbie.”
Having finished with YA, Sheldon had pushed the book cart into the children’s section. “I wonder if that’s a childhood nickname.”
“I asked her the same thing,” Nora lied, knowing Sheldon would appreciate the explanation. “Apparently, she gave herself the nickname when she was applying for her first job. Having a man’s name got her foot in the door. All she needed was that opening, and before anyone knew it, she was inside.”
Sheldon laughed in delight.
“Bobbie thinks that everyone should experience the benefits of a gender-neutral nickname.”
“So you and I could be Pat and Morgan. Or Taylor and Blake,” said Sheldon. “That Bobbie is fun. I hope she comes back.”
Turning away before he could see the look in her eyes, Nora said, “Me too.”
Bobbie was standing by the bookmark spinner when Nora approached.
Feeling a little shy, she held out a string of beads and said, “This is a mala necklace. It’s made of red tiger eye beads, which are supposed to provide protection. I assume you don’t travel with a prayer shawl, but I wanted some kind of positive force to stand between you and that book page. Especially if it’s from a grimoire.” Nora put the necklace over Bobbie’s head. “May this bless you and keep you.”
Bobbie rubbed the beads between her thumb and forefinger. “Eye of the tiger. No one’s ever given me a more suitable piece of jewelry. Thank you.”
The two women clasped hands until the door opened, and several customers wandered inside. At that moment, Nora took her place behind the checkout counter and rang up Bobbie’s books. As she handed the bag to her old friend, more customers entered the shop. They all carried turquoise totes, signaling the onset of the midmorning rush.
Bobbie smiled at Nora. “Everything about this shop is so you. From the creaky floors to the trains rumbling by out back. I love that this corner of heaven exists, and I love that it belongs to you. This is the happy ending you deserve. And you wrote it for yourself. I’m so proud of you.” Her eyes were wet as she laid a business card on the counter. “I could call you here to update you on the book page, but I’m not going to. You have to call me.”
Nora stared at the card, remembering a time when she knew all of Bobbie’s numbers by heart.
“I won’t tell a soul about you,” Bobbie whispered. “I swear by The Red Pony.”