Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Glancing toward the bookstore, I saw a tall, gangly teenage girl whom I recognized. I’d first seen Kelly Shaw at last year’s Highland Games where Murray did storyteller time. It was literally Murray sitting on a stool surrounded by kids, telling them fairy tales in that rumbling, gorgeous voice of his. He had a hypnotic way of telling a tale, so much so that even the adults were mesmerized. Kelly had been there, watching in the crowd. She’d grown a couple of inches since then.
The pretty, blond teenager strolled out of the bookstacks with a paperback in hand and walked toward the front of the line. Sure enough, Murray stood a few people in front of me, head and shoulders above everyone else. I would have noticed him if my mind hadn’t been on Nee and Nick.
Murray’s daughter held out the book to him.
He looked down at her, in profile to me.
A pang echoed across my chest, accompanied by a telltale flutter in my belly I hadn’t experienced since I was thirteen years old, sitting next to my crush Jackson Montgomery in fourth period.
“Can I get this?” Kelly gave her dad a look I remembered Nee giving her parents many a time when she wanted something. The Aren’t I so cute, you can’t deny me anything look.
Apparently, Murray was not unaffected. “Aye, okay then. What’s it about?” He glanced over the back cover.
“It’s actually part of a trilogy … come see.” Kelly tugged on her dad’s hand.
Unlike most people who would be annoyed at being pulled out of line, Murray followed his daughter with laid-back docility.
I smiled to myself as she led him between two stacks. Kelly picked up two more books, obviously explaining them as they looked over the back matter. Murray nodded along and easily acquiesced, piling the three books into his arms to bring to the back of the line.
When he turned around and our eyes met, his flared for a second before he and Kelly strolled over to join me.
“London, how are you?” Murray asked. There was more than a casual inquiry in his voice.
I was still mortified he’d witnessed my meltdown yesterday.
“Fine. Looks like you’re stocking up.” I gestured to the books and smiled at Kelly.
We’d met a couple of times over the past nine months, and she seemed like a nice kid. Very articulate and mature for her age. Between that and her height you would be forgiven for mistaking her for being a few years older.
Kelly held up one of the books. “All the girls in my form class are reading this series because of social media. All the American girls love this one. Have you read it?”
My lips twitched at the naive insinuation that since some American girls on social media had read a book, that meant all American girls had read it. I was quite flattered to be considered “a girl.” At least I could thank my mom for one thing and that was her youthful looks.
“I haven’t, but I’ll be sure to add it to my book club’s agenda.” I could feel Murray’s eyes on me but was reluctant to meet his gaze again because every time I did, he seemed to steal my breath.
“You have a book club?” His daughter sounded intrigued by the idea.
I nodded as I moved forward with the decreasing line. “Well, kind of. It’s supposed to be a book club.”
“What does that mean?” Murray asked.
I reluctantly looked at him and there went that crazy fluttering again. “It’s basically me, Nee, Taran, and Cammie meeting in here, barely discussing the book we’re all supposed to have read and instead just talking nonsense. Everyone’s been so busy lately, though, we haven’t done it in a while.”
Murray’s lips twitched as Kelly said she thought that sounded fun.
I remembered being fourteen and wanting to grow up and hang out with older women. I grinned at her, feeling nostalgic.
“You’re very pretty,” Kelly opined, like she’d just noticed.
I laughed, flattered. “Thank you. So are you.”
“Really?” Her brown eyes lit up like this was welcome news to her. A car horn suddenly sounded, and her head jerked toward Main Street. “Dad, that’s Lucas and his mum. The books?”
“You go, I’ll get the books. They’ll be there when you get home.” Murray gestured for her to leave.
“Thanks, Dad.” She went up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his bearded cheek, then waved at me. “Bye, London.”
“Bye,” I called as she hurried out of the bookstore.
I had nowhere else to look but at Murray.
“She and her friends Lucas and Anna have been close since they were toddlers. They still meet up whenever Kelly comes back to the island.”
“That’s nice.”
Feeling weird about yesterday on top of my usual awkwardness with Murray, I grew silent as the line dwindled and closed in on the counter. My troubles returned to me but not enough to distract me from the fact that Murray seemed … sad.