Chapter 16 Taylor
TAYLOR
The afternoon sun fills the bookshop with warm light as I step back to take a look at my newest display of a very special book.
Starhoof’s pale blue covers with their light blue font might not be anything special on their own, but the paperbacks look great against the backdrop of the bright red tablecloth on the round table. I even put a strand of white Christmas lights around the edge to draw the eye.
I may have over-ordered, but I can’t help feeling happy to see so many copies of Starhoof right here in my own shop. Even if I have to give them away, I’ll make sure this book gets into some hands that will appreciate it.
Things might not have wound up exactly the way I imagined when I was a kid, but I’m starting to think that my life now might just be even better. I love this town, and I love my shop.
And I might love even more than that…
Roan called me Sunday to tell me that he wants to talk about us.
He had to help his parents with something important, so we couldn’t see each other then, and I’ll be hung up at the shop tonight.
And of course tomorrow is the big re-opening.
Looking around, I can’t believe that we actually pulled it all together. I still don’t have quite everything I wanted stocked and set up, but the place looks completely different than it did before. And I’ve stocked the kind of books I think this town will like.
My own eyes keep returning to Starhoof though. When Meg gets here today, I’ll give her a copy. I know she’ll read it since she’s enjoyed everything else I’ve recommended.
And I’ve got another surprise for her too.
I’ll admit, I’m sweating a little about that. But seeing her too shy to even say hi to her school friends at the Mingle tugged at my heart. I’m willing to take a risk if it winds up opening her world a tiny bit.
“Taylor,” she yells as she flies through the door, as if summoned by my thoughts. “Whoa, what’s that?”
She screeches to a halt in front of the Starhoof display, and I feel a little nervous about telling her how special the book is to me.
“This is a book I was lucky enough to discover while I was working in publishing,” I tell her carefully. “I loved it so much when I read it. It just came out, and I definitely wanted it in the shop.”
“Wow,” Meg says, sounding awed as she picks up a copy and flips it over to scan the description on the back. “Whoa, neat…”
“I want you to take a copy,” I tell her. “I was hoping maybe it could be our next book club read?”
“Thanks,” she says, hugging it to her chest. “I definitely want to. Did you meet the author?”
“I sure did,” I tell her.
Somehow thinking back to it now, I’m able to just focus on how exciting it was to share that day with the wonderful author, instead of beating myself up about what happened afterward.
“That’s so cool,” Meg says, shaking her head in wonder.
“Now listen,” I tell her carefully. “I have another surprise for you today. I hope it’s okay…”
“Hey-yo,” someone calls out as they open the front door.
Meg turns in surprise and freezes in place as two teen girls come in, backpacks slung over their shoulders.
“Hi, J.B.,” I say to Darcy’s daughter, who is peeling off her puffy coat. She’s got headphones around her neck just like she did at the Mingle.
“Hey, Taylor,” she replies. “This is my friend, Lily.”
“Hi, Lily,” I say to the other girl, who has long purple hair in two braids. “This is Meg. She and I have a book club together, just the two of us. And we just finished the last book in the Fire of Andaloor series.”
“No way,” Lily says, glancing at Meg like she’s impressed. “You’re already reading the Fire of Andaloor books?”
Meg nods, looking really pleased.
“That’s epic,” J.B. says, nodding to Meg.
“Raised right,” Lily says, arching a brow at me like I’m cooler than she thought.
“Well, we got the idea to read the books because of Taffy over at the library,” I admit. “And she got the idea—”
“From me,” Lily says, smiling. “Right on.”
“Come on in and get comfortable,” I tell the girls, indicating the lumpy sofa and the wooden rocking chair by the big window. “I’ll just grab some snacks.”
I wait until I see that Meg has taken the rocking chair and the other two are heading for the couch before heading up to my little apartment.
All I want is to hover and encourage Meg to participate, but I have faith in her that she’ll figure it out on her own. Darcy helped me set up this meeting with J.B. and Lily, who are both freshmen at the science high school, so I know they’re both down-to-earth, friendly kids.
I take my time making hot chocolate and cutting up some fruit, which I put on a tray with some cookies. As I’m making my way down the stairs with it, I remind myself that even if Meg is just sitting and listening to the other two, as long as she’s still in that rocking chair, it’s a victory.
But as soon as I’m out of the staircase I can hear her laughter, and I’m smiling too as I hear Lily quoting one of the villain’s lines in a really excellent imagining of what a narcissistic troll queen might sound like.
I set the snacks on the coffee table in front of them, and float back toward the counter. As much as I’d love to hear what they have to say about the series, I don’t want to be in the way, and I have a feeling they’ll be more candid without an adult there.
The canvas bags with the store logo arrived this morning, and I had a box of special bookmarks made up weeks ago. When it’s clear that the counter is far enough from the sitting area for them to keep chatting like I’m not here, I start tucking bookmarks in bags.
The idea is to give the first hundred customers a special thank you for coming in. And if they like the bags enough to use them, it will be like free advertising every time someone walks around town carrying one.
I smooth out one bag and admire the way the logo looks. It’s a book with angel wings, the words A Wing & a Page are printed in an arch over the top.
The bookmarks have the same logo, along with the store’s social media handles and contact info.
Christmas music plays softly over the speakers I installed myself last week. And when I glance out the window, I spot Roan walking a family around the tree lot next door.
By the time I finish putting all the bookmarks in bags, the older girls are really on a roll talking about the series, and Meg has ventured a comment here and there too. I’m proud of her for participating, and of J.B. and Lily for being so encouraging to a younger girl.
I’m just finding the perfect spot under the counter for the bags when I can’t help hearing Meg compare a moment in book two of Fire of Andaloor with the scene where all the children bounce their balls to the same rhythm in A Wrinkle in Time.
“A Wrinkle in Time,” J.B. sings out fondly. “I loved that book.”
“I used to re-read it every fall,” Lily says, nodding.
“I just read it for the first time,” Meg admits. “Taylor gave it to me because I’m Meg, short for Margaret.”
“That’s so cool,” J.B. tells her.
The three of them instantly start talking about all their favorite parts, and their feelings for the characters, and Meg is all in now, interjecting, laughing, and leaning forward like she’s never been shy at all.
And I get that feeling all over again that I’m right where I need to be. This is what books can do. This is their magic. They pull us out of ourselves, and they can even pull us toward each other.
I busy myself and try not to hover even though all I want is to be a fly on the wall. On a whim, I decide to post a few photos to the shop’s socials. I even upload a quick video of the cute Starhoof display.
When Darcy’s car pulls up out front to pick them up, they all seem visibly disappointed.
“If you girls want to come back,” I say, grabbing a pair of books off the display on my way. “We could maybe talk about this one. I’d love to know your thoughts.”
They take their copies of Starhoof. J.B. frowns and flips hers over to read the description.
“Horses?” Lily asks, looking more enthusiastic.
“Unicorns,” I tell her, winking. “I know the cover isn’t super interesting, but the book is really different from anything else I’ve ever read. I’d love to know what you think about it, if you have time to check it out.”
“Thank you for these,” J.B. says. “We’ll definitely be back. See you later, Meg-short-for-Margaret.”
“See you later,” Meg echoes, looking starstruck.
We watch them leave and Meg lets out a happy sigh.
“Sorry I surprised you,” I tell her softly. “But I met J.B. at the Mingle, and I thought you guys would hit it off.”
“They’re high school girls,” Meg murmurs in a way that makes it seem like high school girls are royalty from a different planet.
“They seemed to be having a pretty great time talking books with you,” I tell her, shrugging.
“I think you’re right,” Meg says. “And they’re coming back.”
“You’d better read the new book then,” I tell her. “So you guys can talk about it.”
The front door opens again, and I assume one of the girls forgot something, but it’s Roan. He looks handsomer than ever with his cheeks flushed from the cold outside, and his blue eyes are sparkling.
“Who were those kids?” he asks.
“My new friends,” Meg volunteers before I can say anything.
“Oh really?” he asks her.
“Taylor invited them,” she says. “She thought we could talk about books together, and we did.”
“That’s awesome,” Roan says, meeting my eyes over her head.
There’s gratitude and maybe just a little wonder in his expression.
“They’re coming back to talk about Starhoof,” Meg explains. “So I want to read it tonight. Can I stay here and read on the sofa, Taylor?”
“Of course you can,” I tell her. “If it’s okay with your dad.”
“I’m starting to think she’s going to owe rent on that sofa,” he teases.
“I’m not allowed to sublet,” I say, teasing him back. “It’s in the lease, and the landlord’s a real grump.”
“Right,” he says. “Well, I guess you’ve got a roommate then, Taylor.”
“Yes,” Meg says. “I can just live here and read books all day.”
“A girl after my own heart,” I tell her, nodding.
Someone knocks on the front door and we all look up.
Roan opens it, and a lady is standing there with a little boy beside her.
“We wanted to buy a Christmas tree,” she says apologetically. “And we heard the owner sometimes hangs out in here.”
“He sure does,” I tell her, smiling and nodding to Roan.
“Oh, this place looks great,” the lady says, looking around. “I don’t remember the Angel Mountain bookshop being so nice.”
“It’s under new ownership,” Roan tells her, as he heads to the door. “You should stop back for the re-opening. It’s going to be great.”
“I certainly will,” she says.
They head out together as he gives her details for the big day, and just like that I’m feeling positive about the shop.
“You have a customer,” Meg says, seeming as pleased and delighted as I am.
“It helps that we’re having an opening day celebration,” I tell her. “People are always curious about a party.”
“My dad is going to do a thank you party,” Meg says. “At the tree lot, for the customers.”
I smile at that because I suggested it to him, and it sounds like he’s decided to go for it.
I’m about to respond when my phone buzzes. I pull it out and see that someone has reposted one of my new photos. It actually has a ton of likes already.
“What is it?” Meg asks when she sees the surprised look on my face.
“People online like the shop photos,” I tell her.
“Of course they do,” Meg says. “Look at this place.”
And even though I feel like I’ve hardly looked at anything else for weeks, I take the shop in all over again, from the shelves to the lighting to the cheerful Christmas decorations, and feel excitement from my head to my toes that a dream I didn’t even know about last Christmas is coming true right now.
Everything is almost perfect.