“The shop is saved and we have plenty. You can take a deep breath. Take a load off.” Annie put on a wide smile. “Have a chat with Mia. I’m sure she will give you some new marketing ideas while you’re not producing any words. Maybe you can finally have a think about how to sell ebooks in the shop. Take your mind off writing for a bit. Recharge. Everything is going to be all right. Because when hasn’t it?”

“Thank you.” Jane pulled Annie close again. “For being so understanding.”

“It’s just common sense, babe. You always want to do too much. Remember my mantra?”

“The key to getting things done is doing fewer things,” Jane exclaimed. “Words Annie McLean lives by.”

Jane knew Annie truly believed in those words, whereas she’d always believed she couldn’t afford to. That she had to be on top of everything all the time to keep things running smoothly. But it looked like right now, she didn’t have much choice but to do less, at least on the writing front.

“Promise me one thing,” Annie said. “Don’t fill up all the time you usually reserve for writing with a bunch of work-related activities. Really give yourself a break.”

“I’ll try.” Annie knew her so well, because at that very time, Jane was already making long, alternative to-do lists in her head.

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you. Your brain is on bed rest,” Annie joked.

“Maybe I can help out in the shop a bit.” Jane surprised herself by saying that. She wasn’t sure if she actually meant it.

“Yes, please.” Annie pecked her on the cheek. “It can only be good for business if word spreads that Jane Quinn is behind the counter.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Jane’s been in the shop a lot lately,” Mia said. “More than before.” It was the middle of what they had started calling the dead hour between two and three in the afternoon when hardly anyone ventured in. Annie and Mia had taken up the habit of having their afternoon coffee at two thirty like clockwork. They sat at one of the low wooden tables in the corner of the Pink Bean area of the shop.

“She claims to be suffering from a bout of writer’s block. I just call it exhaustion. Sometimes Jane tends to believe she is a machine that can do so much more than any other mere mortal. And sometimes that comes back to bite her in the ass. This happens about once a year, I would say, although in Jane’s memory that frequency seems to have been distorted to once every five years.” Annie shrugged. “Some things can’t be learned, I guess, and need to be experienced over and over again. But it’s okay. She has me by her side. I know how to handle Jane Quinn.” She flashed Mia a smile.