Page 73 of Liam (Preston Brothers #4)
Addie
The “tour” of the town only lasts a few minutes. I show them Roman’s apartment, our old trailer from behind the chain-link fence, and the ballpark we’ll be going to later. I save the best for last. The “best” meaning the shops on Main St.
“So this is really all of it, huh?” Griffin asks, walking between me and Dayna while we hold on to the crook of his elbow.
“I told you it was small,” I laugh. “But there are bigger towns nearby—only fifteen, twenty minutes away. That’s where Roman has most of his work.”
I stop in front of Lucy’s bookstore—a place I’ve only just started visiting. “This is Liam’s sister’s shop,” I tell them, pushing open the door.
Lucy’s behind the counter, a woman standing on the other side. Lucy flips a clearly overused book in her hand. “You want to return this?” she asks the woman.
“Yes.”
Lucy sighs, drops the book on the counter. “Yeah, sure, our refunds are in the kids’ section,” she says, pointing to the corner of the shop. “Right next to the lion, the witch”—she meets my eyes—“and the audacity of this bitch.”
Dayna cackles.
Lucy’s customer gasps. “Can I speak to your boss?”
“You see that sign?” Lucy asks, pointing to the sign that reads “Lucy’s Bookstore.” She waits for the woman to read the sign, then faces her again. “Hi, I’m Lucy .”
The customer shoves the book away so forcefully it slides along the counter and falls to the floor. She leaves the shop just as Mia enters with Katie and Benny, dressed in his baseball uniform, ready for his game later. “Addie!” Benny runs up, hugs my waist.
“Hey, Benny.”
“Addie!” Katie coos. “Lookie.” She turns, showing me her braid. “Like you, Addie.”
“Roman had to show me how to do that, like, fifty times,” Lucy murmurs, and I smile at the thought. She grins over at Benny as she pulls out a book from under the counter. “I got you something,” she says, handing it to him.
“Thank you, Aunt Lucy!” he almost shouts, running toward a large wingback chair. He sits, waits for Katie to join him before opening the book.
“Are these your foster parents?” Mia asks me.
“Yeah,” I say and introduce Dayna and Griffin. “This is Mia.”
“Will your dad be at the game later?” Dayna asks. “I’d like to thank him for letting us stay there last time.”
Mia waves a hand between us. “It’s no problem. Honestly. And if I’d known you were in town now, I would’ve told him to stay at a hotel.”
“Oh no, that’s fine,” Griffin says. “Is he away a lot?”
“He lives in New York,” Mia answers. “He stays there when he comes to visit.”
“Right.” Griffin nods, but I don’t think he truly understands.
Mia suspects as much also. “I know, it’s very weird he has a whole house?—”
“Addie says you’re into baseball, right?” Lucy asks Griffin.
“Sure,” Griffin answers.
“You know the name of the man who just bought the Pioneers?”
“Joseph Kovács?”
Lucy points to Mia. “Meet his daughter.”
“Oh, that makes so much sense,” Griffin says.
“Anyway, we just popped in to see you,” I tell Lucy. “I’m going to show them around town a little more.”
Lucy snorts. “That’ll take you another minute.”
Logan comes down the circular staircase leading to Lucy’s husband’s office—his girlfriend, Aubrey, a step behind. They’re both adjusting their clothes.
“Ew!” Lucy squeals.
Logan scoffs. “Like you haven’t done it.”
Aubrey reaches under the counter, then hands me a book. “For next week’s book club. You’re coming, right?”
“You have a book club?” Dayna asks.
Lucy hands her the same book. “Here you go.”
Dayna reaches into her purse. “How much?—”
Lucy waves it off.
“How is this even a business?” Logan murmurs.
Lucy glares at him. “Don’t you have a hammer to hold?”
Logan smirks. “Red just took care of that for me.”
Lucy grabs the beaten book the customer brought in and throws it at Logan’s head. He ducks just in time. “Get out!”
“I’m leaving!” he laughs out, his hand already on the door.
“Hey, Logan?” I call out.
He stops, turns to me. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for the advice,” I tell him. “It was very… helpful.”
He stands taller, almost as if he’s proud. “I’m glad, Mini Roman.”