The Bookshop of Second Chances Jackie Fraser (ebook reader macos .txt) 📖

not as grim as the thought of telling people why I hadn’t been in.

Midway through the morning, while I’m up a ladder dusting shelves, Jenny comes in and bangs her hand on the bell aggressively. Edward looks up.

‘Hello,’ he says, ‘what can I do for you?’

‘As I said yesterday, and the day before, you can bloody well apologize to Thea and give her back her job,’ she says.

‘Oh. Well’ – he looks across the room to where I balance, head touching the ceiling, on the highest step of the stepladder – ‘I don’t know if I can do that.’

‘Why the hell not? I’ll be in here shouting at you every day until you do,’ she says. ‘That woman’s the best thing that’s ever happened to this place.’ This makes me blush. I should get over there before she says anything even more embarrassing.

‘She is, yes,’ Edward agrees, and I climb down the ladder and hurry across towards them.

‘What? Why did you sack her, then?’

‘It’s all right,’ I say. ‘I got him to change his mind.’

She turns quickly, and grins at me, relieved. ‘Oh, thank God for that,’ she says. ‘You’re an idiot,’ she says to Edward.

‘Yes,’ he nods. ‘Fair enough.’

‘Good news anyway,’ she says to me. ‘How did you get him to change his mind? He’s usually stupidly stubborn.’

‘Yeah, I guess I was persuasive,’ I say, avoiding Edward’s eye. He laughs.

‘She was. Very persuasive.’

‘Huh. Well. Good. And you’re all right?’ she asks me.

‘I am now, yes.’

She frowns at me. ‘You’re sure?’

I nod.

‘So what was that all about?’

‘He miscalculated. It’s all fine now.’ I clear my throat. ‘I hope.’

‘I hope so too.’ She shakes her head at him. ‘Seriously, Edward.’

‘I know,’ he says. ‘I don’t deserve her.’

Jenny narrows her eyes and looks from him to me and back again. I’m pretty sure I know what she’s thinking. I’m not sure I want anyone thinking anything, at least not at the moment. Give it a while, yeah?

‘Thanks for coming in to have a go at him,’ I say. ‘I’m touched.’

‘She’s been in every day,’ says Edward.

‘I know he can be a dick, aye,’ says Jenny.

‘I don’t think he means to be,’ I say. I glance at Edward, who smiles at me. My heart contracts. Oh my God. Shit. Does he always smile at me like that? Can she see it? Shit.

‘Hm,’ says Jenny. ‘Okay, good. Don’t do it again, Maltravers.’ She looks at her phone. ‘I’d better go – I’ve got someone coming in. I just grabbed five minutes to come over here.’

‘Thanks,’ says Edward, ‘I appreciate it.’

She looks at him suspiciously. ‘You sound almost sincere,’ she says.

‘I am.’

‘Huh. Well, I’d better run. Don’t let him take advantage of you,’ she says to me, and I’m proud of my straight-faced ability to assure her that I won’t.

The bell jangles behind her.

‘Good lord,’ he says. ‘I suppose you know I’ve had half the town in here to tell me how brilliant you are.’

‘Pfft. That seems unlikely.’

‘Not at all. Constant stream of abuse and everyone’s best “we’re very disappointed in you” expressions. And fair play to them. I mean, you are brilliant. And I intend to take advantage of you fairly comprehensively.’

I frown. There it is again. What’s that feeling? It’s like… Oh my God. We stare at each other, and then I clear my throat and look away.

Twenty-Four

It’s been so long since I started a relationship, there are things I’ve forgotten about. I can’t remember the protocol. And it’s different when you’re middle-aged. Or it seems different – I can’t just phone all my friends and excitedly scream at them. Although that’s more or less what I want to do. I’m not sure what to do, who to tell.

I called Xanthe when I got home, the day after I slept at Edward’s the first time. He wanted me to stay again, but I felt like I should be – is cautious the right word? I didn’t want to just give up my own space, my own home. However much I wanted to be with him.

She was amused, but pleased, I think.

‘Ah, there, I expected that to happen. I thought he liked you. When he took you away to his beach house. I was surprised nothing happened then.’

‘Beach house? You make it sound a lot more glam than it is,’ I object. ‘It’s just a shed. I don’t think you could say he “took me away” either.’

‘I think you could say exactly that. And are you seeing him, or what?’

‘Well, yes–’

‘There you are then.’

There wasn’t much I could say to that, annoyingly.

‘Hey, so, tediously,’ says Edward, leaning on one elbow to look at me, ‘I have to go to London next week.’

‘London?’ I’m puzzled.

‘Yeah, you know – big city, down south?’

‘Ha ha. But why? For a sale?’ He’s never been south of Newcastle since I’ve known him.

‘Yeah, there’s a thing at Sotheby’s.’

‘Get you,’ I say, secretly impressed. ‘Sotheby’s!’

‘I thought about cancelling, but that seems–’

‘Cancelling? Why?’

He shrugs, avoiding my eye. ‘Oh, you know… change in circumstances…’

‘What, cancelling because of me?’ I’m embarrassed.

He nods. ‘But, um…’

‘Well, that seems foolish. I’ll still be here when you get back, won’t I?’ We look at each other for long enough that my heart starts thumping. I clear my throat and look away. ‘How long are you going for?’

‘Oh, I usually go for a week or so.’

‘A week? Really?’ I’m shocked, and it must show on my face.

‘I do know people in England,’ he says, amused. ‘People I don’t get to see very often.’

‘Friends?’

‘Yes, I imagine that’s what you’d call them.’

‘Er, friends like… Corinne?’ I don’t want him to think I care about Corinne – I really don’t – but he’s called these women ‘friends’ before.

‘Not exactly. I’ve known Corinne a long time, but most of my London friends I’ve known longer. And they’re generally men,’ he adds, ‘if that’s what you’re asking.’

‘Generally?’ I can’t really believe it’s me saying this; I think I might sound jealous. I’m not, though – at least,