An Invincible Summer (Wyndham Beach #1)(94)

“We’ve already talked about him meeting my kids, and me meeting his daughters. You’ve met them?”

“No, I never have.”

“Really?”

Maggie nodded. “We haven’t been particularly close over the years.”

“I’m sorry. The way he talks about you, I thought . . . well, no matter.”

“It’s complicated.”

Joe walked Maggie to her car, and they hugged.

“You have my number,” Joe reminded her. “Please call me. Anytime. I want this to be a beginning.”

“So do I.”

He opened her car door, and she slid behind the wheel and turned on the ignition.

“You’ll hear from me,” she promised. She backed out of the parking space and drove toward the exit. When she checked the rearview mirror, he was still standing where she’d left him, watching her drive away.





Chapter Nineteen


GRACE

“Good morning.” Grace pushed open the bookshop’s front door.

“Hey, early bird.” Liddy stood behind the front counter, going through some papers.

“I thought I’d stop by before customers started coming in so I could get a few pictures for the website.” Grace swung the camera case from her shoulder and placed it on the floor. She looked around the shop and noted, “The lighting could be better.”

“Feel free to wander around. Take whatever shots you want. I’m leaving the whole internet thing in your hands.”

Grace scanned the front part of the store. The morning sun highlighted the faint haze on the large front window, probably the result of not having been properly cleaned in a while. Judging by the dirty floor, Grace suspected Fred hadn’t been big on housekeeping. She walked through the shelves of books, and it occurred to her that the store lacked display areas, making it hard for customers to find the books they wanted. The shelves went almost to the ceiling, too high for most people to reach while at the same time cutting off much of the natural light from the windows, and didn’t seem to follow any particular order. Funny, but she hadn’t realized how haphazard the arrangement was when she was browsing the shelves. She paused throughout the store to take photos, none of which inspired her when she reviewed them.

“Get any good shots?” Liddy asked when Grace returned to the front of the store.

“Not a one.”

Liddy took off her glasses and set them on the counter next to her little handheld calculator. “Why not? I thought that’s what you came to do.”

“There just aren’t any.”

Liddy stared at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Here. See for yourself.” Grace showed her the pictures she’d taken. Liddy watched silently as the images scrolled past. “See anything you think might attract customers?”

“Humph.”

“The place lacks ambience. It’s dark and uninviting. We love this place, but it’s pretty dingy. And it’s in need of a really good cleaning.” Grace looked down at the carpet that was bunched between her feet. “And frankly, this rug’s gotta go before someone trips and breaks a bone or two. I’m surprised no one’s fallen over it.”

“Well, I know one person who has.”

“Who? Did they sue Fred?” Grace asked.

“Me, and no, I did not.”

“That’s not the only problem with this place, Liddy.”

“Do tell, since you seem to be on a roll.”

Grace took a deep breath. “The bookcases are too high. They’re one of the reasons it’s so dark in here. And they’re not well organized.”

“Excuse me, but we’re not the public library.”

“You’d never know it by the way the store is set up.”

“And you have how many years of experience in retail?” Liddy’s ire had been fully stoked.

“None, but it doesn’t take a marketing expert to know the space isn’t utilized well,” Grace countered. “Look, it’s like being married to someone for a long time and not noticing they’re going gray or gaining weight until someone else points it out to you. You get used to things looking a certain way, and it’s okay. Until it isn’t.”

“All right then. How would you rearrange things?” Liddy challenged.

“I’d take up the carpet. I bet there’s a wood floor under there, but it might need to be refinished.”

Liddy came out from behind the counter, glaring, her hands on her hips. Before she could speak, Grace continued her critique as she walked through the store.

“I’d turn the bookcases around so they’re facing the front of the store. Adult fiction in the very front—bestsellers on a table there in the center—children’s books all the way in the back.” Grace knew she was dumping a lot on Liddy, but she was on a roll. “These chairs are perfectly awful. Take Mom up on her offer to give you those chairs she isn’t using. You could have story hour here. Maybe get a small rug you can unroll just for story time. You know, like a magic carpet?”

Liddy acknowledged the suggestion with a sort of grunt Grace took to be agreement, though her hands were still riding on her hips.

“And over here . . .” Grace pointed to the wall of shelves on the left side of the shop. “The space is not utilized well. If you moved those bookcases over there”—she pointed toward the opposite wall—“you could have a little coffee bar. Nothing fancy, but just a place where your customers can pick up a little something while they look over their selections or chat with friends.” She gestured for Liddy to follow her to the back window. “You have a beautiful view out there. If that wild hedge was trimmed, you’d be able to see the harbor. I bet if you put in a patio, nothing expensive, you could have book club meetings out there in nice weather.”