“Three of us, four stores, Dad has the fourth but one of our cousins is just finishing college and has been working each summer at a different store. They all have their own personalities, the stores, I mean. Dad tailors the store to the needs of the community.”

“Unusual, isn’t it?” Loren asked.

Nate nodded. “It is. But none of us were coerced into the family business.”

“And you all are the third generation?”

“Right.”

Roxie smiled. “Fascinating. I’ve always been interested in family businesses that go down through the generations. If I were ever to write a book, that would be the topic.”

Loren gave her a surprised look.

“I know, not much chance I would sit down long enough to do that, but it is a good topic.”

“We sell furniture, you sell houses, and you once said something about staging a house. Does that mean arranging temporary furniture in it?”

“Exactly.”

“There is probably some way we could work together.” He flashed her a guilty grin as he reached for the last cookie. “Mom always said never take the last of something when you’re a guest.”

“There’s more in the cookie jar,” Loren said. “And I can always bake more on Saturday.”

He looked at Loren. “You work on displays at the library?”

“I do. And bulletin boards. I love to display people’s collections, especially those of historical value.”

“My aunt collects thimbles. Her mother, no, her grandmother, started the collection over a hundred years ago. Thimbles. When you think of collections, you think of stamps or coins, but thimbles?” He grinned and shrugged.

“Really? Would she mind showing them to me? Has she ever put them on display anywhere?”

Here was the real Loren, Roxie thought happily, not the one who hid behind her shy mask.

“I will ask her and get back to you, or have her contact you.”

And Loren actually smiled a little. “So many kinds of antique collections get shown at the Register House historic landmark, and that’s great, but more people use the library. We’ve had collectors get together after a display with us.”

Roxie ignored the rumbling in her belly, then before she realized what she was doing, she asked, “Nate, have you had supper?”

“Ah, no, and now that I think about it, I’m not sure I had lunch.”

“We were planning on ordering pizza in, you want to join us?” She didn’t look at Loren, just in case she was sending her that Oh, Mother look.

He thought no longer than a moment. “Yes, I would like that, if you really mean it.”

Loren sniffed. “Mom never says something she doesn’t mean. What kind of pizza do you like? I’ll go call it in.”

Nate replied, “My favorite is everything and anything.”

“Good, we agree. Thick or thin crust and we like extra cheese.”

“Whatever, I like them both.”