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He nodded once.
“All right. The book is short. I have no doubt that you’ll be able to finish it tomorrow if you apply yourself. But maybe it’s worth getting the notes and analysis as well to help with the essay. Mom can hold onto it until you’re finished reading.”
The boy looked at his mom.
She sighed. “That’s probably a good idea. It’s been a while since I read the thing. And I don’t remember loving it. Which is not—” She turned to pin her son with a glare. “—getting you out of reading it.”
“Aw, man.” The boy’s impish grin made me and his mom both smile.
I pulled the commentary version I preferred off a nearby shelf and handed it to the mom. “Can I help you find anything else?”
“No. I think this is it. Thank you. We’ll be back to browse sometime when we’re not facing a weekend marathon of catching up on summer reading that didn’t happen.” The mom gave her son a fwap on the arm with the books.
“Sorry.” He hunched his shoulders.
“You should be.” The mother’s grin belied her words.
I rang them up and they started toward the door just as Whitney and Kayla pulled it open. I watched my friends wait for the paying customers to leave and waited for the girls.
“Happy Friday.” Kayla was already halfway to the comfy seats.
“Hey, Jenna.” Whitney plopped onto the couch beside Kayla. “Are we late?”
“Nah. I was early.” Jenna stretched her arms up over her head.
“Who has a fun story from this week? ’Cause I could use something cheerful.” Kayla tucked one leg up under her. “I had no idea how badly some of the kids needed help even this early in the school year. It’s been nonstop.”
“That mom and son who left as you arrived? Summer reading that didn’t happen. They’re the fourth set this week. Different book this time, but still. Who forgets to do their summer reading?”
Jenna raised her hand.
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I would much rather have been outside doing something than inside reading.” Jenna frowned. “That’s not entirely untrue still today.”
“You know you can read outside, right? There’s not a law against that.” I shifted in my seat. I didn’t understand people who didn’t love books. And okay, I got that I was an extreme case seeing as I ran a bookstore, but it wasn’t like I hadn’t been an avid reader before that.
Whitney chuckled. “I actually do have a rule against that at our house.”
“What? Why?” I frowned at Whitney. “Reading outside is perfection. If the weather’s good.”
“Beckett likes to take the books outside to ‘read.’” Whitney made finger quotes around the word. “And then he either drops them off the deck, because the hardbacks make a fun splat when they hit the pavement. Or he forgets when it’s time to come inside and they inevitably get rained on. Or doused by the neighbors when they’re out spraying their planters.”
I winced. “All right. I can concede that maybe outdoor reading should only be undertaken by responsible parties.”
Kayla laughed. “I like that you didn’t put an age limit on that.”
“I don’t know if it’s a fun story, but I’d sure like to hear about Megan’s dinner with Cody.” Whitney waggled her eyebrows.
I squirmed. “I’m helping him with the fundraiser he’s in charge of for work. He needed to check out a restaurant that caters. That’s it.”
“Uh-huh.” Whitney looked at Kayla. “Are you buying that?”
“I’m afraid I have left my wallet at home and am unable to purchase it. Jenna?” Kayla glanced at Jenna. “What say you?”
Jenna sent me a sympathetic look. “As much as I’d like to let you off the hook, I can’t.”
My jaw dropped. Jenna didn’t even know Cody. It wasn’t like she’d been doing any hanging out with the whole group—she wasn’t always a guarantee on Friday nights. “Wow. I thought we were friends.”
