Page 63 of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

Six Months Later

“Sometimes the dreams that come true are the dreams you never even knew you had.”

—Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones

I straightened the stacks on the table of “Staff Favorites,” my hand running over the embossed cover of Deadly Treasure , thinking about all the trouble this book had caused.

The book didn’t cause any trouble , I thought. It was the book’s owner.

None of my customers knew what had transpired on St. Claire last summer. I’d told Jane and Amanda most of it. Everything,

in fact, except about my broken heart. Because even though Ethan Valentine’s lie had hurt, I knew he didn’t lie to hurt me . He lied because he didn’t like who he had become and wanted to be someone else.

That I understood.

I’d fallen in love with a fictional person.

But I had fallen in love, and I think Jason Mallory fell for me. Too bad he wasn’t any more real than the heroes in the books I surrounded

myself with.

Beach Reads and Mysteries had opened for business the first weekend in November.

Now, the weekend after Thanksgiving, we were getting more traffic with holiday shoppers and people from the neighborhood enticed by either our creative window display—thanks to Grams—or the scent of spiced cider that filled the large space.

It was everything I had ever dreamed of owning.

Nooks to read or chat; a small café with local-made pastries, salads, sandwiches, and of course a coffee bar. There were books

everywhere, but also gifts for your favorite book lover. Shirts, book bags, handmade bookmarks, fabric book covers. The children’s

section was perfect for little people to explore, and tables were strategically placed with hidden power strips so older kids

could study.

And an idea I stole from St. Claire: thousands of tiny white lights winding through the shop. Around the pillars of the open

ceiling, draping down the bookshelves, decorating the plants, and framing the windows. They made me happy, and several times

a day, I heard customers exclaim when they noticed the small details that made my store unique and inviting.

I might have fallen in love with a fictional person, but he gave me the world by opening my mind, and my heart, to my dreams.

Jason had told me—no, Ethan had told me—that my dream store should be a destination. It should fill readers with the desire to browse and buy, to provide

peace like their favorite comfort read, or open whole new worlds with books that entertained, that made them laugh, cry, feel.

It did just that.

I hoped it did. I’d put all my money into this place and taken out a loan for the building.

I wasn’t a complete idiot. I didn’t open in Manhattan—that would have cost five times more. I didn’t even open in New Jersey or back where I

grew up in Connecticut.

Instead, I’d found a corner building four blocks from the beach in Miami, Florida.

Downstairs was my bookstore; upstairs I leased to an accounting firm because having another source of income never hurt. It

wouldn’t cover the mortgage on the building, but it was enough so I didn’t panic every time I got the bill.

And, I bought a house. A tiny two-bedroom house near the beach where Grams and I lived and shared a single bathroom. It had a porch and a small yard, and I built a catio for Nick and Nora. They seemed to like it.

I knew that opening a small business was one of the riskiest gambles anyone could take. I knew most closed within three years.

Many owners were left with nothing to show for it. I had invested everything I had into this business—not just money, but

my time, my dreams, my tears, my fears, and my whole heart. For the first time in my life, I was taking not only a risk—but

a risk that could wipe me out. A risk that, if I failed, would hurl me to ground zero. Worse. It was a risk that I wouldn’t

be able to bounce back from if I didn’t succeed.

But every time I walked into my bookstore, I smiled. I might fail, but if I didn’t even try, I didn’t deserve my name on the

door.

And it was.

Beach Reads and Mysteries

Mia Crawford, Owner Ethan was here, with me, and he loved me.

He touched my cheek, kissed my neck, my ear, then wrapped me tight into a hug and whispered, “I will make it up to you, Mia.”

“Okay,” I said, because my heart was still pounding in my chest. I had changed so much over the last six months, but it had

all started with this man pretending to be someone he wasn’t, showing me that I was pretending to love my carefully planned

life.

“Are you allowed to take a break?”

“It’s my store. Didn’t you see my name on the door?”

He smiled, his eyes sparkling, and looked around appreciatively. “It is definitely you. You have help?”

“My Grams. And, um...” The names of my full-time employees completely slipped my mind. I didn’t even remember who was working

today.

“What’s upstairs?”

“Accountancy group.”

“And where do you live?”

“Two blocks away. I don’t own a car.”

“Want to give me a tour of your daily walk?” His fingers entwined in mine, and he pulled me to him again.

“You love me,” I said, a statement.

“I do.”

“How did you find me?”

He tilted his head. “I am Ethan Valentine.”

I grinned.

“What?” he said. “Tell me what you want. It’s yours.”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I think I love you too.”

“Think?”

I knew I loved him. I’d fallen in love and walked away because I didn’t know who I really was that last day on St. Claire.

Now I knew who I was. And judging by Ethan’s attire and self-confidence, he knew exactly who he was.

“I hope you know for sure, because I just opened an office here in Miami.”

“You did?” That surprised me. “What about St. Claire?”

“I still own St. Claire. Kalise is running the resort solo and promoted two staff members as her assistants. My Uncle Luis

is also keeping an eye on things. He told me to tell you that he wants you to visit soon.” He paused, asked, “Do you miss

it?”

“Sometimes,” I said honestly. “St. Claire is special.”

“We can go back whenever you want. That is, if you know you love me.”

I tried to maintain a stern face, but I couldn’t, and my grin widened. “I know I love you.”

He smiled. “Good. Because we hired another sexy bartender to replace Jason, and I don’t want to have to compete for your affection.”

I laughed, wrapped my arms around his neck, and said, “Let’s start the tour in the bedroom.”