Giving up, Sophie sat on a bench and checked her phone, letting the baby cry. It seemed as if everyone Sophie knew had tried to reach her today. The insurance adjuster needed pictures of the damage. Ramona had questions about the hors d’oeuvres. The publicist from Rosewood Press touched base with last-minute details. Jenna inquired about the jury duty notice she’d received in the mail, and for some reason Seth needed her to resend his flight itinerary. Granny texted her—something about Joshua. But the woman had apparently used voice-to-text, and it was impossible to make sense of her garbled message.

With one hand Sophie responded to everyone, then walked Lilly back to the store. When Anna finally decided to take the baby home, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Sophie joined her staff, shelving books and answering questions as they arose.

Ellie, her librarian-turned-bookstore-helper, was a little bossy with Amber, the well-read college student Sophie had hired. The younger woman was patient with Ellie, but Sophie could tell it was wearing on her nerves.

To separate them, Sophie asked Amber to help her with the fiction section. But she would have to talk to Ellie soon. The woman seemed to regard Amber as one of her former high school students instead of as a fellow employee. Sophie would hate to lose Ellie, as the woman was a big help in curating the books, but Sophie couldn’t let her chase away other employees either.

The afternoon flew by, and soon the roofers finished. She thanked the men and gave Brandon a big hug. “Thank you so much for your help. I’ll let you know when the insurance check arrives.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow for the grand opening.”

It was amazing how quickly the shelving went once the four of them were focused on the task. They were making such great progress, they worked straight through supper. They did the local shelves last, a section Sophie was particularly proud of. She and Ellie had put a lot of thought into books that might appeal to tourists and locals.

Sophie took the empty boxes to the Dumpster and returned. As she passed the different rooms, she surveyed the shop as though for the first time. The wood bookcases gleamed under the lights, burgeoning with beautiful books. The blue walls were a soothing backdrop, and the wooden floors, creaking here and there, gave the place a homey feel.

She placed her palm over her thumping heart, a feeling of contentment overwhelming her. What do you think, Mama? Is this what you had in mind?

She didn’t need an audible answer. Her mother would’ve loved the spacious children’s area, the huge selection of classic literature, and the comfy chairs where readers could curl up and sample a book. It was just the way they’d planned.