“I’m glad to hear that. And I’m so glad to see the last of that awful pink! I never liked it, even for a boutique. I tried to tell Millie it was gaudy, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“It was quite bright.”

Never one to dawdle, Aiden had gone back to rolling, the slurp of paint now a constant backdrop.

“I was sorry to see her go out of business,” Alanda said. “But her merchandise was overpriced. Anyway, this town has needed a bookstore for years. I’ll be glad to have a brick-and-mortar store where I can smell the books before I buy them.”

Sophie laughed. “Spoken like a true book lover.”

“I heard you hired Ellie Peterson as part of your staff. She’ll do a great job for you.”

Ellie was a former librarian and a consummate reader. She currently led a popular book club and was known for her excellent taste in literature.

“She’ll be holding her book club here on Thursday nights now, and she’s been very helpful in curating the books since she’s familiar with the local readers. I’ve also hired a few college students to work part time through the summer.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it covered. Is Schooners catering the party?”

“They cut me a great deal on hors d’oeuvres. Thanks for the recommendation. And Cheryl from Party Plus is helping with decorations.”

“It’ll be an exciting day for sure. Donovan Spencer from the Gazette wants to interview you about the party soon. I spoke with him yesterday. And of course, a reporter from the paper will be here to cover the party itself.”

“I’ve gotten a great response from the media, including the ABC and NBC affiliates. Nathaniel Quinn will be doing a couple of call-ins to the local radio stations as well.” Talking about all the promotion surrounding the party was spiking her blood pressure. There was so much riding on this party.

“It’ll be a red-letter day,” Alanda said. “I heard that for Nathaniel’s last book release party, people lined up hours beforehand.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Well, I, for one, can’t wait to meet him. He lives here in North Carolina, you know.”

“I read that recently, but I couldn’t find out where exactly.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t advertise it, given his popularity, but he and his wife live in Bluebell. He came to Piper’s Cove a couple years ago to do some research for the novel, but he was so low-key nobody even realized he was in town.”

“Can’t say I blame him,” Sophie said. “I wouldn’t like all the attention either.”

“I’m excited to read the book, though. Imagine if it becomes a film! A big movie about our little town.” She gave Sophie a coy smile. “Do you suppose they might give the mayor a little cameo?”

Sophie laughed. “They definitely should.”