Say You'll Be Nine by Lucy Lennox

Author:Lucy Lennox [Lennox, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-01T18:30:00+00:00

18

Cooper

Nine and I stared at the guy for a beat until he laughed.

“Nicki is my wife. Seriously, gentlemen, what can I help you with? You’re those videogrammers, right? Is that the word?”

Being recognized for the second time today really brought home the subscriber numbers we’d been noticing. The numbers were skyrocketing, but until being recognized around this tiny town, it had only been an abstract statistic. It felt strange, but exciting.

“Vlogger,” I corrected. “But yes, that’s us. We were hoping to find some home decor magazines or books if you have them.”

I looked around the store and realized it was all very old-fashioned country. The place was packed to the brim with knickknacks, enough to make my skin crawl with unexpected claustrophobia. Apparently, I did have a preferred aesthetic—who knew?

“Sure, right this way. Nikki keeps the periodicals in a rack in the candle room.”

Of course she did. Who wouldn’t?

We followed him through the crowded house to a little room full of more stuff, most of it flammable.

“Thanks,” Nine said in an apparent attempt to release the man from his duty and free up some space in the tight quarters.

Once he left, Nine leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Norm and Nicki’s Nickerie? Really?”

I smiled and leaned back into him, enjoying knowing he was close while I still felt hurt and more vulnerable than I liked. He was such a steady presence, warm and strong, that I felt completely cared for when he was near. It was spoiling me. I knew better than to get used to this, but it was also nice to have a break from always being the one in charge. When I was with Isaac, I could let go.

“Hm,” Nine said in the same low voice. “How to Decorate on a Dime.”

I reached for the one next to that. “Flea Finds For Less.”

“Country Tweaks from Grandma’s Attic… these are not what we’re looking for, are they?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Don’t think so. Let’s see…” I reached over to a more modern-looking magazine. “Millennial Minimalism to Fit Any Budget.”

“Let’s just grab one of each and hit the road. Maybe we can find something good in them. Plus, it’ll give you something to do while you’re laid up. And you can browse online too. Delia uses that corkboard site. We can ask her for help.”

I looked over my shoulder to see his sweet eyes filled with serious concern for me. “I’m fine,” I said softly.

Nine searched my face, obviously assessing my pain level. “Please let me take you home and put you in bed. I won’t be okay until you’re off your feet for a little while.”

I put my arms around his neck and kissed him gently. “Okay. You get one of each, and I’ll go wait in the truck with Nacho. Ask Nicki’s Norm where we can get takeout in this one-horse town.”

When Nine finally joined me in the truck, he blew out an annoyed sigh. “Sorry that took so long. Apparently I had to

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