Playing Mr. Perfect (The Bradens at Ridgeport #1)

Clay

The air is brisk, the sidewalks and streets are busy, and the sky is clear as we make our way to the first stop on our itinerary, Shakespeare and Company. Amber and Dash are leading the pack, and Amber is giving us a history lesson on the historic bookstore. “The original Shakespeare and Company bookstore was founded in 1919 by Sylvia Beach as a gathering place for expat writers like Joyce, Hemingway, and Stein, and for famed French writers, too. The shop we’re going to see was founded in 1951 by George Whitman, and the original name was Le Mistral…”

Axsel is texting, and tossing out comments as if he’s listening. Brindle and Morgyn are holding hands with their husbands, talking quietly among themselves, and Pepper and I are bringing up the rear.

We’re in a city full of old-world charm, with intricate architecture and an aura all its own. I should be listening to every word Amber says, getting lost in the history and the beauty of our surroundings, but it can’t even begin to hold my attention the way Pepper does. She looks beautiful in her navy peacoat, her cheeks pink from the chilly air, her eyes a little guarded. I know she’s unsure whether she can trust my word to keep our secret, but I’m working on that.