Chapter Seven
Wren
”Oooh, that smells delicious!” Meadow exclaims from the front of the shop.
I heard the bell go off, but I was focused on the sketch I am working on for my client that will be here soon. Meadows” melodic laughter rings out before the bell sounds again. A few seconds later, Meadow is standing in the doorway to my work station, holding a bag of food and a tray of drinks. The smell of sweet caffeine floats through the air, making me groan. I ran out of my chai and didn”t have time to go grab one this morning.
”This one”s for you.” She floats over placing a steaming to-go cup on my table before passing me the bag. ”You can grab what you want out of there. Apparently, there are some breakfast sandwiches and a few different baked goods.”
Digging through the bag, I realize she”s not joking. The bag is packed full of food and the smells coming from it have my stomach audibly grumbling, making both of us laugh. I snag one of the breakfast burritos and a giant muffin. This is more than I usually eat for breakfast, but I figure I can have the muffin for a snack later. I don”t always get to take a lunch or dinner, so snacks are my best friend.
”Thanks, babe. Who brought us the goods?”
”Brooks.”
My face immediately falls into a frown. That man is a fucking menace and drives me nuts. Sure, he”s gorgeous and seems to get along with everyone but me. And no, I shouldn”t care that he”s different towards me, but if I”m honest with myself, it drives me fucking insane.
The smirk on Meadow”s face says she knows it too.
”Why would he bring us breakfast and caffeine sustenance?”
”Hmm, maybe because he”s a nice guy. I saw him leaving his store when I came in this morning. He was going to grab something to eat and asked if I wanted anything. Then, he asked if you and Daphne were in. So I told him our favorite drinks. I never thought he”d get us this much food too. Maybe you should go over there and thank him.”
I scowl at my best friend, but whether it”s because she”s known me for years or if it”s because she”s a mom, my glare has no effect on her. She knows how awful my run-ins with our new neighbor have been, which is why she”s fighting her smile.
Meadow and Daph have both told me it”s just really bad luck that I need to give him a chance, but I”m too afraid to.
The man gets under my skin and makes me anxious, which is something I”m not used to with anybody, let alone a guy. I don”t know if it”s his sexy school professor look or the fact that I”ve seen him swinging a sledgehammer all dirty and shirtless, but something about him trips me up. He doesn”t back down from my abrasiveness. Whatever it is, I don”t see myself willingly seeking him out any time soon.
”It sounds like you already thanked him for all of us. I”m sure that”s good enough. Besides, I need to get this sketch done before my client gets here.” I scoot my pad over to Meadow and watch as her thoughtful eyes look it over. It”s a great sketch, but it feels like something is missing and I can”t put my finger on it.
”This is gorgeous, Wren. I love how these Japanese-style waves flow through the piece. What if you add some clouds up here to match the movement?” She skims her fingers over the top of the piece, and I immediately see what she means.
Snagging the pad back, I make quick work of adding a few clouds to it before handing it back to her.
”Oh, that”s perfect. What do you think?”
”It absolutely is. Thanks for the tip.”
”I”ve got you, babe.” Meadow winks at me making me chuckle.
”Now that you helped me get that straightened out, I”m going to have just enough time to eat this scrumptious food before my client gets here. What do you have going on today? And when the fuck does my sweet niece come home?” At the mention of her daughter, Meadows whole face lights up.
”I have two tattoos set up today, but I figured I”d come in and hang out in case we have any walk-ins. Daphne has been absorbed in her current painting, so I figured it wouldn”t hurt to let her creativity flow and I”d cover the shop. As for my sweet River, she has two more weeks at her summer camp and then she”ll come home to us.”
”I hate that she”s away, but it”s probably more fun for that big brain of hers than hanging out here with us all summer. She has text me a few times, but I know how much she hates talking that way.”
”She”s having a blast. We have been video-chatting for most of our communication. You would think it”s weird that a teenage girl abhors texting, but then again, she does have a hippie for a mom.” Meadow winks at me, and we both crack up.
She and River are polar opposites, but they”re also two peas in a pod. Seeing their relationship makes me miss my mom, but I”m so happy they are so close.
”What is the camp again? Something science-themed?”
”Honestly, I”m not sure. You know Riv is smarter than the three of us combined. It”s through MIT, so it has to do with science and technology. Anything more than that is over my head. Hell, I didn”t even go to traditional school until I was in high school, and that was a complete culture shock for me. The only reason I even went was because my parents wanted to foster my love of art after I won a contest sponsored by the local college”s art program. Once they learned I could get a scholarship and go to school for free, they were all for it.”
Meadow grew up on a hippie combine somewhere in central Pennsylvania. From her stories, it sounds like a pretty kick-ass place, if not a little unorthodox. She was in a community that was completely green and depended on each other to survive. Since the people there were all like-minded, it seemed like it worked for them.
”Well, I can”t wait until she”s home. It”s not the same without her around. I wanted to talk to the both of you about making her an ”official” employee since she”s old enough to get her work permit now.”
”Honestly, I think she”d love that. She hates asking me for all of her techy stuff because it”s expensive, even though I love providing it for her. This will be a great compromise.”
”Perfect. We”ll talk about it more once she”s home, then.”
I”m just finishing up my burrito when the bell rings.
”I bet that”s your client. Go ahead and get cleaned up here, and I will have them sign the paperwork and then come on back.”
”Thanks, Meadow.”
I get all of my garbage out of the way and clear up the space as Meadow has my client fill out the appropriate paperwork. Once the client comes back to my space, she loves her sketch, and we are able to get things going.
The rest of the day is a blur with scheduled clients and a few walk-ins. The shop”s reputation is starting to make its rounds which means more foot traffic coming our way. My fears about settling in a small town and not generating enough business ease with every new client or walk-in we have.
I finish off my long day with a bubble bath, wine, and take-out. The relaxing night is exactly what I need after the fast pace of getting the shop up and running. I”m able to read the amazing K.L. Thorne”s new release before crashing for the night.
The next few days go by just as fast, with old clients and new.
Brooks has made a point to drop off treats or do something sweet for us. He brought us our favorite caffeinated beverages, which was sweet, but the best surprise were the new personalized sketch pads for each of us girls. I wasn”t around when he dropped them off, but he gave them to Daphne and asked if we could give him our honest opinions on them. Apparently, he”s planning on having a small high-end sketch pads, journals, and all sorts of pens, markers, and highlighters. It”s honestly a brilliant idea with how popular Booktok and Bookstagram are now. People love annotating, journaling, and documenting their reading journeys.
Plus, I love super thoughtful gifts like these. The binding is sturdy, but gorgeous, with our names engraved in the leather. It”s also the perfect size to carry around.
I”m doodling in my journal from Brooks when Meadow stops at my door and catches me. I acted like it was no big deal when Daphne gave me my journal, but that was far from the truth. It was extremely thoughtful and kind of him to give us each one.
”Glad to see your nonchalant attitude about the journals the other day was bullshit.” Meadow teases as she makes her way in and plops down on the empty chair in my room.
I stick my tongue out, keeping to my bratty ways.
”He did ask us to use them and give him our honest opinions. How am I going to do that if I never open it?” I quirk an eyebrow as I cross my arms over my chest.
”Oh, so you”re finally going to talk to him in person instead of avoiding him, like you have every day when he”s stopped by?”
”I haven”t been ignoring him, Meadow. I”ve just been busy when he”s been over.”
”Mm-hmm.” She stares me down. Once again, her ”mom glare” makes me want to squirm, but I back down to no one and I”m not about to start now.
The front bell ringing saves me from confessing that I Brooks has been so fucking sweet the last few days and his thoughtful gifts are wearing me down. Daphne”s currently tattooing a client, so I jump up and head towards the front door, glad to avoid this conversation.
When I make it to the front counter, a delivery person is backing out of the door with a dolly after dropping off several boxes. I do a monthly supply order, but it never amounts to this much stuff. Making my way over to the stack, I see it”s addressed to Brooks but was delivered here by mistake.
With a huff, I turn towards Meadow. We”ll need to tell Brooks we got his delivery.
Before I can utter any words, my elbow bumps into the top box, sending it tumbling to the floor and bursting open. To my horror, books spill out in all directions, and I silently beg that none of them are damaged.
Kneeling down to put the books back in the box, I pause when I realize it”s filled with romance books. But not just any romance books, this box is filled with books by some of my favorite indie authors.
What started out as a mission to quickly and efficiently put the books back turns into a slow, casual perusal of the treasures littering my shop floor. Sifting through the pile, I gasp when I see a special edition of Jacob Chance”s Edge of Honor series. This particular copy has all three books and foil embellishments on it. I didn”t even know it existed, but now that I”ve seen it, I have to have it.
”Holy fuck! Meadow look at this beauty. Did you even know this was available?”
Meadow pulls her eyes from what looks like the back of a J. Laine book to check out the one I have in my hands.
” Oh, that was such a great series. Belfast was the absolute best. Especially with his delicious Irish accent.”
”Right?! I wonder how much Brooks wants for this.” I gesture to the rest of the books sprawled on the floor between us. ”This is a seriously fucking awesome collection of indie authors. I”m really impressed.”
Meadow nods in agreement as she places books back in the box, but not before she first thoroughly checks them all out.
”It”s almost as if he found my Bookstagram account and hand-picked some of my favorites.” Meadow”s voice is soft, sounding far away as she gets lost in the books.
”Same. I haven”t heard of a few of these authors, but I”ve read a good handful of these books or have them on my Tbr.”
We”re so caught up in the goodness that neither of us hear Daphne and her client coming down the hallway until they”re standing right behind us.
”Hey, where did all the books come from?”
Meadow and I startle and slowly rise from the floor, each with books piled in our hands.
I right the box before placing the books in my arms inside and turn to face Daphne.
”Oh, these are full of books for Brooks”s new store, but they got delivered to us by mistake. I accidentally knocked over a box, causing it to burst open. It will be of no surprise to you that Meadow and I got distracted putting them away.”
”Oh, Brooks is starting to get inventory in. That”s so exciting.” Daphne smiles sweetly.
Out of the three of us, she”s the most reserved until it comes to books. She”s hands down the most passionate of all of us when she”s talking about her latest read or defending the romance genre as a whole.
”It is exciting. Especially since this box is packed with our favorite indie authors.” I tease as I wave a book in her face.
”Shut up. You”re kidding.” Daphne steps forward and reaches for the book in my hands, snatching it from me. She smiles when she sees the cover and recognizes the author.
”Hmm, I wonder if Brooks is open to suggestions on what to stock in the store.” She scans the back of the book, her eyes scan on the blurb.
”Oh, that”s a great question. Maybe Wren can ask him when she tells him we got his delivery by mistake.”
I whip around to give Meadow the evil eye because she knows damn well that I do not want to go over and talk to Brooks, especially about books. Both my girls know I”m a bad bitch, but when it comes to my HEAs, I”m as emotional and sappy as it gets. That”s more vulnerability than I”m willing to share with McSexy.
”Oh, don”t look at me like that. You know it doesn”t work on me. Besides, it”s about damn time you thank that man for all of the kind gestures he”s done for us the past few days. Daphne and I already have, but you haven”t, and that”s just plain rude. We want to give the right impression to our neighbors and our new community, and right now, your impression sucks.”
Feeling chastised, I take in my sweet friend Meadow”s ass-chewing and have to admit she has a point. I”ve been a coward, hiding away when Brooks is around and flat out rude by not acknowledging how thoughtful he”s been.
Squaring my shoulders and facing my friends, I smile. If there”s one thing I am not, it”s a coward. ”You”re right, Meadow. Sorry for making you bust out your mom voice. I know you hate having that kind of vibe.”
”I do hate it. I should make you go to yoga with me tonight to relieve some of this tension you”ve brought on me.”
Making my way over, I wrap my arms around her. She engulfs me in a hug, making me feel instantly at ease. Nobody gives better hugs than Meadow.
”I”m sorry, and I”ll absolutely go to yoga with you tonight. I didn”t know you found a place to practice here, or I would”ve already gone with you.”
”Thanks, Wren. I just found it the other day. They have morning classes that I was going to tell you about, but I wanted to go tonight, and get acquainted with the studio and the instructor.”
”Mornings will be perfect for us. I don”t have anything on the schedule for this evening, so I can definitely join the class with you, as long as Daphne doesn”t mind covering the shop.”
Daphne is leaning on the front counter. She must have checked out her client, who left a few minutes ago, while Meadow and I were preoccupied.
”Sure. I planned on being here tonight anyway, to work on a big piece for a client that will be in later this week. I have no problem handling walk-ins for the hour or so that you”re gone.”
”Perfect. Thanks, Daph.”
”No, problem.”
”Hey, since none of us have late night clients tonight, what do you say we head to The Tavern for some drinks and food? We can write it off as a business meeting.”
Meadow squeals as she jumps up and down while clapping, making Daphne and I laugh. We”ve been so busy since we”ve opened that I hardly see either of them outside these walls.
”Sounds good to me. We don”t have to spend the whole night talking about work, though, do we? I After seeing those books, I”m dying to get caught up on what you”ve been reading and maybe pick out our next group read.” Daphne gestures to the boxes of books by the front door.
”Oh, fuck yeah. Twenty minutes tops for work-related stuff, and then I”m all in on book talk. But for now, I need to talk to Brooks before I decide to raid and pillage some of those beauties in the box.”
Both Daphne and Meadow laugh because they know it”s not far from the truth. I can”t pass up a good book, and it would be so tempting to borrow one or two before giving them back.
”Go thank the sexy neighbor, and then get your butt back here for yoga. I have to run home to grab my stuff, but then I”ll meet you back here.” Meadow shoos me towards the door, not giving me a chance to back out or change my mind. She might be little, but she”s mighty. I wave at them over my shoulder and step out, facing Brooks”s shop.
I smile at my outfit— a schoolgirl mini skirt I paired with a ribbed black crop-top, thigh-high black socks, and my platform combat boots. My hair is in space buns, and my make-up is smoky. I know I look good, but going toe-to-toe with my hot neighbor has me pausing a minute. I hold a deep breath before slowly exhaling.
Sure, Brooks might remind me of a hot professor who makes my knees weak and my core ache, but I am as much of a knockout in my badass, tattoo-goddess ways.
With one final glance at myself in the shop”s window, I grab the handle and pull the bookstore”s door open, making my way inside.