Whirligigs spun from the ceiling, and colorful signs plastered the walls. Tempting sweets of every color and description were artfully displayed behind a shiny glass counter.

The smell of chocolate, mint, and vanilla made Emily’s mouth water. The only other customer in the shop glanced at her before turning his attention back to the dime novel in his hand.

A young woman with flaming-red hair greeted her from behind the counter. “Howdy, there,” she said cheerfully. “You must be new in town.”

“I am,” Emily said and debated on how to introduce herself. She still had a hard time using her married name.

“My name’s Kate,” the proprietor said.

“Emily,” she said, following Kate’s example.

“Well, howdy, Emily. So, what brings you to Haywire?”

Emily hesitated. “I’m…actually…eh…Mrs. McKnight,” she said.

Kate’s face lit up. “Oh, I’m so happy to meet you. When I heard Chase had taken a wife, I couldn’t believe my ears. Didn’t think anyone could pull him away from his cattle. Congratulations. Don’t know how you managed it, but I’m sure there are a lot of women in town who envy you.”

Kate’s friendly manner and lighthearted chatter reminded Emily how much she missed her female companions back home.

“So, what can I do for you today?” Kate asked.

Emily’s gaze dropped to the tempting display of candy behind the glass case. “Do you have any children’s books?”

Kate flashed a smile. “As a matter of fact, we just recently started stocking them.” She walked around the counter and led Emily over to the book section.

The male customer glanced up from the book in his hand but said nothing. His frock coat and derby hat suggested he was from out of town, probably from somewhere back East.

“You’ll like that,” Kate told him approvingly, indicating the book he held. “You can’t go wrong with a Kit Carson tale.”

The man grunted and continued thumbing through his selection.

“Here we are,” Kate said, drawing Emily’s attention to the bookshelves. Dime novels took up most of the space, but one shelf was devoted to books for the young.

“Is there a special someone you wish to purchase a book for?” Kate asked.

“Yes, a young friend. Maybe you know her. Her name is Ginny.”

Kate’s smile brightened. “I know Ginny. Haven’t seen her for a while. She used to come in with her class. She always asked for peppermint drops. How is she?”

“She’s fine.”

“Tell her I said hello.” Kate fingered the covers as she scanned the books. “How old is she now? Eight?”

“She’s nine.”

“Nine, eh? Then she would probably love the illustrations in this book,” Kate said, handing her a copy of The Light Princess.

Emily flipped through the pages. The illustrations were beautiful, no question. Unfortunately, Ginny would not be able to see them. “Were you aware that Ginny is blind?”

“Oh, that’s right,” Kate said with a look of apology. “I forgot. She never acted blind. I once started to fill her bag with the wrong candy, and somehow she knew.”