The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

Author:Mollie Rushmeyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-08-12T12:07:30+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Hope’s long exhale fogged the rain-streaked window of Ronan’s truck. The rain had stopped, but the gray sky remained restless, much like her mood. Tate shifted his gangly fifteen-year-old legs in the extended cab behind her. He’d seemed subdued but quite the young gentleman, insisting she sit in the front seat. Either that or he was mad at Ronan for dragging him along on this excursion and didn’t want to sit next to him. Ronan cast her an encouraging smile, but she squeezed her nails into her palms harder and couldn’t manage to smile back.

She should’ve been jubilant at finally laying the foundation for her dream with Ronan’s gift. Plus, they would hopefully come back from Duluth with her volumes of Jane Eyre.

This time, she’d prepared by bringing the copy of her mom’s will from the safe-deposit box in Chicago. Dee had been glad to overnight mail it to her. The will stated her mom left all her worldly possessions to her daughter, which amounted to a stack of books, with their names, descriptions and identifying information listed. For some naive reason, Hope had assumed explaining the situation to Richard Allen would be enough proof last time. After all, the three-volume set of Jane Eyre was sold to him by mistake.

But if Richard studied the will, he’d make the connection that the name on her ID was Hope Sparrow, not Emily Carrington. The prospect put her stomach in a vise grip. But she had to keep her focus on the mission—to get her volumes back and not on the many ways this could go wrong.

She felt the heat of Ronan’s glances more than witnessed them.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get the book set back. Okay?” His tone was strong, confident.

Something about the statement bugged her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She made a noncommittal sound in her throat and held tight to the folder containing the will.

The small glimpses of Lake Superior between the thick trees spread wide-open, and with it, the full, glorious vista of the historic town of Duluth. It had sped her heart and pulled the air from her lungs in wisps when she’d driven with Marian and Kat. The view did the same now. Breathtaking. Literally.

But as Ronan wound his way closer to the antiquities and curiosity shop, adrenaline pumped for a different reason.

Ronan parked in front of the shop, and Tate squeezed out of the separate cab door before Hope could put her feet on the ground.

“I’m starving. Can I go walk around and find something to eat while you guys do whatever you’re doing?” Tate shoved his hands in his pockets and tossed back his hair, revealing the shaved sides underneath.

“No. Definitely not.” Ronan shook his head. “I’m supposed to supervise you, remember? I can’t let you roam around on your own.”

Tate kicked a stray cigarette butt on the sidewalk. “I’m not a little kid.”

Tate’s comment seemed to strike Ronan differently. Perhaps Ronan connected it to the strained relationship with his own father.

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