He looked slightly mystified. “P as in Peach, like the fruit.” Flashing a grin, he hefted his drill. “I’d better get back to work.”

“Peach.” The glasses woman looked intrigued. “I bet there’s a story there.” Her words were drowned by the whir of his drill. She went back to the New Releases table. “How about this one, Taylor? ‘A searching memoir of turbulent times,’” she read from the flap copy.

“We did a memoir last month,” the woman called Taylor said. She looked over at Natalie. “We’re looking for our next book club pick. Any recommendations?”

Natalie smiled. “I thought you’d never ask. What’s your group like?”

“We do wine and nibbles once a month. There are nine men and women. I’d say we have eclectic taste in books.”

“And wine,” the other woman said. “And men, for that matter.”

“Sounds like fun.” Natalie introduced them to a few new releases and a couple of classics, offering her best pitch each time. Both women agreed that the new Stacy Kendall novel, about twins growing up separately and unaware of each other until one is accused of murder, would give the group plenty to talk about. “Sounds like a great one for our next meeting,” Taylor agreed, admiring the intriguing cover art. Instead of buying the book, she set it aside.

The other woman didn’t buy it, either. “I read everything on my phone app,” she said, offering an apologetic look.

“Oh, you can get a download right here in the shop,” Natalie said. “You purchase a unique code, and then—”

“Thanks. Maybe I will later on your website …”

Natalie recognized the signs of a failed sale. The two women edged toward the exit in that way customers had when they didn’t intend to buy anything—checking their watches, suddenly remembering they needed to be somewhere.

Natalie offered a smile of understanding—never make a person feel bad for visiting the shop. “Well,” she said. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“I’m a sucker for stories about twins,” Peach said in a conversational tone. “Sorry for eavesdropping, but it sounds really good. I’ll buy a copy.”

“Great,” Natalie said, trying not to sound surprised. “I’ll ring one up for you.”

“The Man in the Iron Mask is probably my favorite look-alike story,” he added. Wiping his hands on a bandanna, he took a volume from the Vintage and Collectible shelf. “This is the exact edition I had when I was a kid.” The volume featured bold illustrations and an old-fashioned dust jacket.

Suddenly the women didn’t seem to be in such a hurry. “Oh my gosh, I might need that for my nephew,” said the glasses woman. “He’s obsessed with action comics and I’ve been looking for ways to get him to read more books.”

Peach handed it over with a flourish. “That’ll do the trick, I bet.”