Chapter 27
The living room looked a lot different the second time Eleanor set it up for the Coastal Book Club than it had for the first meeting of her little group.
She’d known it would, of course. She and Garrett had been working nonstop to turn her too-big house into a just-right bookstore.
But those changes had been gradual, piecemeal.
Looking at the room now, with the image of how it had looked during the last meeting in her mind, made those changes feel concrete… even if she had a long way still to go.
“Looking good in here,” Garrett said, as though her thoughts had summoned him. He was carrying a toolbox in one hand. It was a sight that Eleanor had seen a lot recently, but one that never failed to make her blush. He looked dreadfully handsome when he was being handy.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” she said, putting down a charcuterie board so she could cross to him and wrap her arms around his waist. He put down his tools so he could embrace her in return.
She’d learned to read his cues more accurately after several weeks of working together…
and several weeks of exploring the new relationship between them.
She knew that her gruff hardware store owner would never be the smiley, happy-go-lucky type, but he showed his contentedness in other ways: strong arms around her waist, a cheek pressed to the top of her head, a thumb brushing slow circles against her side.
Once she began to understand his signals, she found them even more romantic than elaborate declarations.
They were secret, private signs, ones just for her.
“Hey,” she said, nudging her foot against his. “You know I couldn’t have done this without you, right?”
He chuckled quietly. “I think this is where I’m supposed to say, ‘No, honey, you could!’ but I’ve seen you with tools, Eleanor. It’s not pretty.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed harder.
“Don’t be a pill when I’m trying to be gracious,” she ordered. “I was trying to say that I appreciate you.”
His gaze grew warm. “I appreciate you too.” He paused. “You know, just not for building stuff.”
He stole her squawk of false outrage with a kiss.
When they pulled apart, Eleanor glanced at the clock and then jolted in surprise.
“Oh, drat,” she said. “I’m running late. You’d better get going. The ladies will be here soon.”
Garrett let out a groan. “But if I go, then I’ll be leaving you behind. I don’t like doing that.”
She melted but tried to stay firm.
“I don’t like it, either, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Besides, if you stay, Miriam will ask you probing questions about our love life.”
That caused him to bolt upright like someone had lit a fire beneath him.
“Shoot, you’re right. Okay, bye, honey! See you tomorrow!”
He was gone in a flash, leaving Eleanor chuckling behind him.
Beneath the surface of her grumpy boyfriend, a word that still set butterflies fluttering in her stomach, was a truly sweet man.
He wasn’t a chatty guy, but when he spoke, he meant it.
And he wasn’t afraid to say gentle things either.
He kept telling her how proud he was of her, how much he admired her for taking a step into the unknown with her bookshop endeavor.
Every time he said such a thing, Eleanor felt more confident, not only in her new business, but in her new romance too.
She’d never felt as supported as she did with Garrett’s quiet, steady presence at her side.
Even when they butted heads, which they did every time Eleanor tried to use a tool, no matter how simple, she knew his cantankerous attitude came from a place of caring.
There were no two ways around it: Garrett had become a defining feature of her new chapter, and she couldn’t be happier about it. She couldn’t wait to get to know him better, because each thing she uncovered only made her like him more.
Again, the time on the clock startled Eleanor.
She’d spent too long daydreaming about her new beau and now was nearly out of time to finish preparing for the book club meeting.
Fortunately, June, the first to arrive, was more than happy to help Eleanor finish setting up the plates of snacks, cakes, and sandwiches that Eleanor had made to go along with the pots of tea she had brewing.
This month they were reading, much to Miriam’s delight, a regency romance…
the very same one that Eleanor had been reading that fateful night of her twentieth anniversary.
She had laughed out loud when she’d picked up the book and realized it was the same title that she’d cast aside all those months ago.
It was amazing how much things could change in just a few short months.
This time, when Eleanor had read the duke’s romantic declaration, she’d swooned right alongside the heroine…
and possibly imagined the hero looking just a bit like one particular hardware store owner.
Miriam arrived next, practically vibrating with excitement over the opportunity to discuss her favorite genre, and by the time Diana and Cadence arrived, one right after the other, Eleanor had everything styled to perfection, although she mentally made notes for how to make the club even better for the next month.
“Right,” Miriam declared, clasping her hands happily under her chin. “Catching up first, then let’s talk about our marvelously steamy book. Cadence, darling, what’s the report on the hobby search.”
Cadence gestured to her hair, which was still looking cute with June’s contributions.
“I think the perm fiasco was enough novelty to last me a while,” she said, still sounding a bit sheepish about the misadventure. “I think for now, I’m just going to enjoy what is instead of perpetually searching for what might be better in some imaginary out there.”
“Well, that’s wise,” Miriam said, sounding so disappointed by this fact that everyone couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh stop it,” Miriam scolded, although she didn’t look truly upset. “I’m old, and you’re all young and beautiful. I’m living vicariously through you.”
“Age is just a number,” June told her. “And you cannot expect any of us to believe that you’re out of adventures, Miriam. We know you too well for that.”
“Hm, maybe,” Miriam said. Her expression suggested that she was scheming.
“How about you, Diana?” June asked. “Any more tales from the online dating front?”
Diana scrunched her nose, although she smiled too.
“Not yet, although I haven’t given up on it,” she said.
“I’m being a little more selective about who I meet, since that first date was such a flop.
” She rolled her eyes expressively, leading to laughter and sympathetic murmurs from her friends.
“But I’m optimistic that the right guy is out there somewhere.
You know, the person who will appreciate all the parts of me, not see some of them as something I should ‘fix.’”
She flicked a glance over at Eleanor as she said this, and Eleanor nodded and raised her teacup in a little salute. She was glad that her friend had embraced that if someone thought she should give up her career, that was a problem with the relationship, not with Diana herself.
After all, Eleanor rather thought that Diana was perfect, just the way she was.
Indeed, she thought they were all perfect just as they were, this wonderful, silly, supportive group of friends that she’d found for herself.
They were one of the most beloved aspects of this new life she was building for herself.
And as she listened to their playful chatter, Cadence and June sharing their children’s latest antics, Diana complaining about absurd customer requests, and Miriam cackling with obvious joy, Eleanor couldn’t help but feel a warm surge of hope.
There was a lot of work ahead, especially with her bookstore, but she felt ready to tackle it all.
How could she not, with such marvelous people at her side?