“Oh, just point me in the right direction. Or I can ask the man working up front. I hate to break up your meeting.”

Colleen dismissed this with an airy wave, then dabbed at her bob and peered up at him through her lashes. “I’d better show you. This place is like a maze. You could get lost. I don’t mind. This way.” She fluttered her fingers to steer him out of the reading nook and, as soon as his back was turned to the book club members, gave the girls a victorious smile and preened, kicking up a heel and flaring her hands. She sidled ahead of Sam and murmured, “I know this place from top to bottom.”

Ran glowered after them. “No, Colleen,” she grumbled softly, “I know this place from top to bottom. Because this place happens to be mine.”

Maggie shoved her hair out of her face. Her hand trembled. Her skin was damp. Maybe Sam’s effect on the girls was a good thing. They’d paid a lot more attention to how he looked than to what he’d said. “I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

“Already?” Julia asked.

Maggie nodded and grabbed her things off the floor: coat, book, keys. She had to get out of there.

“That’s too bad,” Hope said.

“I’ll text you,” Ran said, “and let you know when we’re meeting next.”

Maggie mumbled a thank-you.

Ran was eyeing her with a frown. Slowly, she added, “See you soon, Margaret Arioli.”

The keys slipped out of Maggie’s hand. She snatched them off the floor. Damn.

12

MAGGIE PRACTICALLY RAN out of the bookstore. A thin snow fell. In the glow of the streetlamp, the flakes swirled like a cloud of gnats. She hurried down the sidewalk. The cold felt good on her face.

Bells jingled. “Maggie!” Sam called. “Wait up!” He strode out of the store, and the door swung shut with another peal of bells.

She waited for him by the curb. Snow settled on his dark hair and glistened on his high cheekbones. She looked away.

“Left my books on the counter. I’ll have to go back and buy them, but I thought I’d walk you to your car first.”

“Thanks.” She tried to smile. “That was nice.”

“You parked over there?” He jerked up his chin to indicate the municipal lot.

“Yeah.”

They crossed the street side by side. There was no traffic, but Maggie strode quickly anyway. She was anxious to get back to the cabin.

“So that’s your book club?” Sam asked when they reached the sidewalk.

She nodded.

“Your friends seem sweet. Colleen was sad you were leaving—said she thought you’d be going to see The Girl on the Train with them tonight.”

“Yeah. No.” Maggie clumsily shuffled her book and phone to her side so she could don the half of the coat she hadn’t put on yet.