“Oh, he’s one of my favorites.” Beth grabbed a book from the shelf.
“There you go. The first meeting isn’t for two weeks, so you’ll have plenty of time to read it.”
“Perfect.” Beth headed for the cash register but was waylaid by the display of new romances. She stopped and picked up one, then another.
Liddy sighed happily.
The door opened, and Tuck walked in holding the hand of his youngest granddaughter.
“Are we late?” he asked somewhat anxiously.
“I don’t think Grace has started reading yet, but you better hurry back there, JoJo.”
JoJo took off down the aisle, dodging adults at every turn. Liddy and Tuck caught up just as she stopped at the display marking the children’s section.
“What’s wrong, Jo?” Tuck asked.
JoJo’s eyes filled with tears, and she stuck her thumb in her mouth and pointed to the sea of children already crowded around Grace.
“We’ll find a place for you to sit.” Liddy lowered her voice and gently touched JoJo’s shoulder to urge her forward, but the child did not move. “Look, JoJo, there’s a spot right over there.” Liddy tried to get her to move to her left, but JoJo stood firm.
Grace opened the book and appeared to be about to read when she looked up. She smiled at JoJo, who waved with just the fingers of her right hand. Even from a distance, Liddy was pretty sure Grace could see the tears on JoJo’s face.
“You want to sit closer to Grace, JoJo? Is that it?” Liddy whispered, and JoJo nodded, her bottom lip quivering.
Liddy looked to Grace and silently formed the word help. Grace apparently got the message, because she scooted over on the chair and, looking directly at JoJo, patted the empty space. When the little girl took a few tentative steps forward, Grace nodded, and JoJo wove her way around the children seated on the floor. When she reached Grace, she climbed onto the chair, her thumb still in her mouth, her tears drying on her face. Grace whispered something in JoJo’s ear, and the girl smiled.
Grace began to read, and even the children who’d been talking and laughing settled down and listened as the story was brought to life.
Liddy turned to Tuck and softly said, “She’s a natural. Look at those kids. They’re hanging on every word.”
Tuck nodded. “Jo hasn’t talked about anything all week except coming to the bookshop this morning because Miss Grace was going to read her a story. I don’t think she realized there’d be so many other kids here.”
When Liddy turned and headed to the front of the store, Tuck walked with her.
“She’s awfully shy, and of the three kids, she’s been the most affected by Brenda leaving them the way she did.”
What way was that? The question burned Liddy’s tongue, but she wasn’t going to ask. Maybe he’d spill over beef stew at dinner tomorrow.
“She started school this week with the other kids, but she’s so anxious over going to a new class with no familiar faces, she’s having nightmares and barely talks unless Linc sits with her by herself and asks pointed questions. He said it’s like pulling teeth, trying to get her to open up. I’m worried about her, to tell you the truth. I know Linc is, too. He’s never been around kids, and then to take on these three.” He shook his head. “He’s doing the best he can, and he’s afraid it’s not good enough. I feel badly for him, but I don’t know how to help.”
“I’m sorry, Tuck,” Liddy said. “I wish I knew what to tell you. Has Linc talked to one of the counselors at her school?”
Tuck opened his mouth to respond, but a customer grabbed Liddy by the arm and wanted to talk about the shelving of the nonfiction books.
“I don’t know why true crime isn’t shelved closer to psychology,” the woman complained.
Liddy went into shopkeeper mode. “Excuse me, Tuck, while I help this customer.”
“Sure. I apologize for monopolizing your time,” he said.
“Maybe we can continue this conversation tomorrow over dinner,” she said hopefully over her shoulder.
When the gossip was good, Liddy was right there with the best of them. But some things were sensitive—like your child abandoning her family and disappearing after turning her kids over to her only sibling. The subject was as tantalizing as it was disturbing and sad. Truth be told, Liddy was dying to know what had happened. But she wouldn’t have asked, so the interruption when she sensed Tuck was going to say something definitive about the situation frustrated the devil out of her.
The story hour ended, and the counter was surrounded by parents wanting to pay for the books their kids had to have after Grace had read to them.
“I can see I’ll be reading this one over and over for the next six months,” one father muttered as he handed over his credit card for his purchases as well as his son’s.
Liddy smiled brightly. “Come back next Saturday. New week, new book. You won’t even have time to get tired of reading this one.”
“Great idea. We’ll be here.”
Tuck was in line with JoJo, who clutched the book to her chest as if it were the most precious thing she’d ever had.
“So you liked the story, JoJo?” Grace came up behind her. JoJo nodded and hugged Grace’s legs. “Will we see you next week?”
“I have a feeling she’ll be begging to come back every week,” Tuck told Grace.
JoJo nodded again but gave no indication she was ready to let go her hold on Grace.
“Jo, it’s time to go. Thank Miss Liddy and Miss Grace and tell them you’ll see them next week.” Tuck knelt to JoJo’s level after she hadn’t budged. “Honey, you have to let go so Miss Grace can go home and get her lunch. You don’t want her to be hungry, do you?”
JoJo seemed to think it over, then let go. She looked up at Grace, who hugged the child and said, “JoJo is my special friend. I hope you bring her back, Tuck.”
“Of course I will.” He ushered his granddaughter behind him so as to give the next person in line their turn to pay for their selections. “Oh, by the way, Grace, Linc showed me your plans for that little house over at Liddy’s. Very nicely thought out but ambitious for a property you’re merely renting.”
Liddy half listened to Grace’s response while she chatted with her customer. Grace easily sidestepped the comment about renting and addressed the compliment instead. “Thanks, Tuck. I spent a lot of time working on that floor plan, but I don’t remember giving Linc my sketch to take with him.”
“He sketched it out for me. From memory,” Tuck explained. “It’s going to be quite the place when all the work is done.”
“That’s the plan.” Grace smoothed JoJo’s hair back. “I’m going to run home now and change, but I’ll be back in a flash. Liddy, if this keeps up, you’re going to be exhausted by the end of the day.”
“The thought has crossed my mind,” Liddy told her. “But you don’t have to change. You’re a good advertisement for the story hour dressed the way you are.”
“Well, then, I’ll skip the trip home, but I would like to run across the street and get a sandwich and some coffee. I’m starving.”