Chapter Nineteen #2
All that new foot traffic had plenty to appeal to them inside the store, as well.
It had taken days of after-hours effort, but she’d arranged the new decorations she’d picked up at the hardware store all around the shop.
Now the whole place radiated cozy fall vibes, which she’d highlighted to great effect on the shop’s social media, and which had also been drawing folks in.
More people were indulging in pumpkin spice lattes from the café, and customers were lingering longer, finding just the right book to curl up with on a cool, autumn night.
She had other big plans for the place, but she’d taken some real ownership in the past week or so. The new confidence had her standing up straighter, smiling more brightly, being clearer about what she wanted.
Some of that was thanks to her new job. Her new home.
Her new apartment that felt warm and comfortable instead of cold and sterile, her new friends, her new view of the forest and the mountains.
Her new access to fresh air, and the new welcomeness of greetings from strangers who were slowly turning into acquaintances, and who knew?
She hadn’t imagined staying here forever, when she’d first answered that help-wanted listing for a bookstore manager.
But maybe in twenty years, she’d still be here, by choice and not just by chance.
Maybe all those strangers would grow from acquaintances to friends.
Then she could be one of those people who knew everyone and got her nose in everybody’s business.
Maybe she’d live in that little cabin in the woods where Hunter had kissed her and cooked for her and made her feel so special she could hardly stand it.
And wow—she was getting way too far ahead of herself.
But a girl could dream.
Shaking off her haze, she smiled at the mayor and handed him his purchase. There wasn’t anyone in line behind him, so they made small talk for a couple more minutes before he headed out.
“He’s right, you know.” The voice coming from the other side of the counter made her jump.
She turned to find Hattie standing there. “Where did you come from?”
Hattie rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve been hiding in the romance section since he came in.” She tipped her head toward the door to indicate her father.
“Really?”
Shrugging, Hattie placed a paperback with a particularly drool-worthy bit of man-chest on the cover. “You think I wanted my dad to see me buying this?”
Emma picked up the book and scanned the title. “Ooh, I hear this is a good one.”
“You can borrow it when I’m done.”
It was a sweet offer, especially considering Emma literally worked in a bookstore and could read it anytime. “I’d like that.”
She scanned the book, and Hattie rooted around in her big canvas messenger bag until she came up with exact change.
“So, uh.” Emma cleared her throat. “Your dad doesn’t exactly approve of your reading choices, then?”
Hattie laughed out loud. “My dad doesn’t approve of literally anything I do.” She shrugged. “But that’s okay, I’m used to it.”
“That sounds really hard.” Emma sometimes regretted the distant relationship she had with her parents, but she never felt like they disapproved of her.
“Eh.” Waving her off, Hattie changed the subject. “The good news is that he approves of you.”
“He approves of me bringing the store up to date a little.”
“Same difference.” Hattie smiled, a little of her usual mask of manic cheerfulness fading away.
“Seriously, though. He expects a lot of everybody. Him telling you to your face that you’re doing a great job here is a big deal.
You can take that kind of goodwill to the bank in this town—possibly literally. ”
Huh. Emma hadn’t been looking at it that way, but she tucked the knowledge away in her pocket. “Well, thanks.”
“Anytime.” Just like that, Hattie’s walls went back up. “Anyway, I have a big date planned with this bad boy”—she tapped the cover of the book—“and a giant pile of takeout tonight, so I should get going.”
Laughing, Emma finished ringing her up. “Don’t let me keep you.”
Hattie slipped the book and her receipt into her bag. “By the way, Abby and I are thinking about doing an eighties-rom-com night at my place this weekend. You in?”
That sounded terrible—but in a good way. “Absolutely.”
“Cool, I’ll text you the details. Bring yarn and your beverage of choice.”
“Will do.”
With that, Hattie took her leave. It was a random weekday evening, so Emma was closing by herself tonight.
She was able to do most of her tidying up while the last few customers were filtering out.
Once she turned the sign on the door to Closed, she returned to the register to check over the receipts and cash out for the night.
She was just about done when her phone rang.
Her heart rose, only to fall again as soon as she checked the screen.
Another spam call from an unknown number.
Rolling her eyes, she set the stupid thing back down.
But as she did, she spotted the book she’d set aside to bring to Hunter when they went hiking the next morning. A smile curled the edges of her lips.
Followed immediately by a scowl. After she’d texted him, she’d had an unexpected rush of customers, and then she’d forgotten to come back and do the admin work to log the book in as received and, for all intents and purposes, delivered to the customer.
With a groan, she pulled up the clunky ordering system that was the bane of her existence. It had crashed half a dozen times today alone.
When Granny came back, she was going to have to push her about revamping it.
She’d priced things out, and it really wouldn’t be that expensive to get a new computer that could meet their needs.
The new ordering system could integrate with the new website she was putting together.
Thanks to all the attention the shop was getting on social media, internet sales would probably pay for the investment in new tech within a few short months, and from there, they’d really be off to the races.
She paused, her brows pulling together and the corners of her mouth turning down.
Why was she waiting, again? Granny had told her that the store was her baby. She could do whatever she wanted with it. The changes she’d made so far had been modest in comparison, but just look how well they’d turned out.
In the back of her mind, she heard Mayor Thompson and Hattie and their glowing praise.
She heard Hunter. Hunter who kept telling her that she was amazing, and who insisted she be clear about her wants and desires. He was the one who’d helped her gain the confidence to start making real decisions, both in her personal life and here at the store.
There was still an uncomfortable frisson of anxiety, threatening to run through her at the idea of upsetting Granny with a big change. But underneath it lay conviction. Modernizing the shop’s technology would be a home run. She knew what she was doing.
And she was done holding back.