Ink and Shadows(Secret, Book, & Scone Society #4)(13)

“I’ll just leave this on the counter for her.”

Nora walked over to the register, which sat on a second glass case filled with jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings featuring white hexagonal crystals were set off by a backdrop of lavender silk.

“Some cultures believe that crystals can speed the healing process,” said Celeste when Nora returned to the middle of the room. “Brenna’s the jewel smith. She’s been making jewelry since she was seven. I know I sound like a bragging mom, but that girl was born to create art. She can do it all, from oil portraits to ceramics to glassblowing to quilting. The only thing she wouldn’t try was sculpting. She never wanted to walk in my shadow.”

Though Nora was interested in both Celeste and Bren, she needed to say what she’d come to say and hurry back to the bookshop.

“This might seem like it’s coming out of left field, but is Bren feeling okay?”

In an instant, Celeste’s guileless expression turned guarded. “She’s just tired. We both are. Why?”

“On Friday night, my friend and I saw her drop to her knees on the sidewalk across the street from my shop. We ran over to see if she needed help. Her stomach was obviously bothering her, and then, she threw up. Pretty violently too. We asked if we should call you. She said no and told us to leave her alone. I just thought you should know.”

Celeste fidgeted with the silver band on her left thumb. Again, her eyes strayed to the empty food case and she muttered, “I can’t handle any more secrets.”

A bang sounded from the stockroom, and Celeste jumped. “That must be Bren. Thank you for telling me. And for bringing us gifts. It’s nice to make a new friend. Especially with another healer.”

Now, it was Nora’s turn to be surprised.

“I heard about your bibliotherapy from the clerk at the hardware store. Maybe, when I come over for that coffee, you can tell me how it works.”

After letting Nora out the front entrance, Celeste closed the door and sagged against it. Nora could see her face through the glass. It held no trace of excitement. Only worry.

Nora hurried back to Miracle Books where she was immediately greeted by the welcome gurgling of the coffee machine. The lights were on, soft jazz drifted from the speakers, and the new shelf enhancers had been lined up in the ticket agent’s office, waiting to be priced.

“Samwise Gamgee has nothing on you, Sheldon Vega,” Nora called into the stacks. “You’re a lifesaver.”

When Sheldon didn’t reply, she headed to the front of the shop to see what he was doing. She saw a small crowd on the sidewalk outside the shop, but no Sheldon. And then, she suddenly knew where he’d gone.

“Oh, crap. The book pockets!”

Minutes later, she heard a pounding on the back door. She raced to take the bakery box from Sheldon.

“I’m so sorry. Visiting Soothe threw me off my game. But I called you Sam Gamgee when I first got here. Does that earn me any brownie points?”

“You should have called me Aragorn, so . . . no.”

Nora knew how to keep Sheldon from sulking. “Would you like to find spots for the new shelf enhancers while I take care of the book pockets?”

“You haven’t even priced them yet.”

“Give me five minutes.”

Sheldon was humming by the time he found a home for the amber hobnail vases on a small table featuring novels with autumnal covers.

“It’s almost ten, and we have quite a crowd out there,” he said, making his way to the front door. “Our window is drawing them like moths to the flame. I bet they can’t wait to come in and . . . oh . . .”

Nora had been adding titles to the Halloween waterfall display next to the checkout counter when the rest of Sheldon’s sentence fell off a cliff. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. It was ten o’clock, but Sheldon hadn’t turned the brass skeleton key to unlock the door.

He just stood there and stared outside.

“What is it?” Nora asked.

Sheldon turned to face her. “Not everyone in that crowd is happy. I’m sure some of them want coffee and books. But others came to pick a fight. I know that look. I know their type.”

Nora left the rest of the Halloween books on the counter. “There’s a line from Persuasion that says, ‘We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.’ ” She walked over to the door and peered out. “Get ready for rough seas, my friend.”

“O Captain, my Captain!” Sheldon bellowed before disappearing into the stacks.

His Whitman reference made Nora smile. She smiled when the first customers entered the bookstore and returned her greeting. She smiled when a woman said that she wanted to buy several books from the window display, but not until after she had a cup of coffee.

However, when four women strode into the shop with the assessing gazes of county health inspectors, Nora stopped smiling. The women huddled together near the window, pointing, frowning, and exchanging heated whispers.

Nora put up with this for several minutes, but when it was clear that they weren’t going to move, she decided to find out what they wanted.

“May I help you, ladies?” she asked in her silkiest saleswoman voice.

A brunette in a burgundy twin set and gray slacks pressed her hands together as if in prayer and said, “I sure hope so. I’m Connie Knapp, and these are my friends, Olga Gradiva, Bethann Beale, and Dominique Soto. We represent a group called the Women of Lasting Values. Have you heard of us?”