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“Not a superpower, and I didn’t ask you.”
“Well, I’m not sure mine is a superpower either, but I’d like to have the ability to super-speed read. There are too many books in the world and not enough time.”
“Nerd,” Spencer coughed into his fist.
“Says the post-doc.” Charlotte took his teasing in stride.
Spencer toasted her with his glass. “Point well taken, ma’am.”
The dessert brigade returned with sliced pies, ice cream, and small plates, but quickly realized there was nowhere to put them, as we had never cleared the table. After a few moments of hubbub, we decided to serve our own desserts from the island and retire to the couches and chairs around the TV and electric fireplace, leaving the table as a problem for later us.
“So, Charlotte, forgive the follow-up on your grateful toast, but I got the feeling you weren’t only referring to a new beginning with our boy Hayden here,” Margaret said, breaking a comfortable silence.
“Oh,” Charlotte said. “Well, you’re right. I have a big meeting with my boss at the IBA the week after next to wrap up my internship and see if there’s a permanent place for me. So, I’ll know more soon.”
“Well, that’s very exciting! But I have to ask. Your mother didn’t seem too thrilled with your internship in our conversation that set up you staying in Duncan’s place. What does you staying on with IBA mean for Ridge Reads?”
Charlotte put her fork down.
“Well, it seems my parents are going to close the store sometime early next year, whether I stay at the IBA or not.” Her voice shook a little. “Sorry, that’s only the second time I’ve said that out loud. It’s still a little surreal. They told me when we talked earlier. I apologize if I was a little quiet at dinner.”
“It’s hard to get a word in edge-wise with these four around,” Dad said. “I have three decades of experience to show for that.”
Charlotte laughed softly, acknowledging my dad’s attempt at defusing some of the sadness.
“They’re just going to close the store? Not try to sell it?” Margaret pressed. She had this way of interrogating you that felt slightly invasive and yet therapeutic all at once. I wondered if I should intervene, but met Margaret’s eyes, and she made a gesture with her hand, indicating she had a plan and I should trust her.
Charlotte shook her head. “Apparently there isn’t a ton of interest, and part of me wonders if my mom just can’t stand the idea of seeing the store owned by someone else who might change the name or the focus from her family’s store.”
“Hmm, I wonder?—”
“Margaret Hayes, you are not buying that store.”
Margaret laughed. “No, of course not, dear. I mean, I love the store and want it to stay in our town, but that would tie us down too much from our travels and retirement. I was just wondering if there was something the Independent Book Alliance could do in a situation like this.”
Charlotte shook her head. “There is a fund stores can apply to when they get in trouble. The gala for that fund was one of my main projects during my internship, but there’s a limit on how often a store can benefit. We had to access the fund to stay open during the pandemic, so we wouldn’t be eligible again.”
Margaret nodded, the shrewd businesswoman she was in her past life coming through. “That makes sense. What about another branch of similar resources? Where the community wants to keep the store in it, but doesn’t have the ability to fund the operations. The IBA could come in and provide oversight, and yes, some funds, until the store is solvent and then can be cooperatively owned by the town or community itself?”
Charlotte looked at Margaret intensely, her brow furrowed as it did when she was thinking hard about something.
“That’s really interesting, Margaret. Can we get coffee at some point before you and Stephen go back to Holly Ridge? I’d love to talk more about this when my brain isn’t so full of wine and turkey, and it’s had some time to process.”
Margaret looked pleased that Charlotte had asked. “I would love that, dear. We’ll make it happen.”
Then she turned her powers on me. “And what about you, Hayden? Are you enjoying your CIO position?”
I looked at Charlotte, wondering how honest I should be, given the reminders I’d had just this evening of the gossips that my brothers were.
“The more I’ve climbed up the ladder at Brandt Investing International, the less I’ve actually gotten to work with people and computers, so I’ve been struggling with that. And, uh, I don’t actually know that I like living in a big city?”
“But you’ve lived in one city or another since college,” Hunter pointed out, like I was an idiot who didn’t realize that.
“Yeah, I know, but they’ve always seemed cold? And impersonal? But, since we’re analyzing people’s grateful messages, as Dad pointed out, I haven’t lived in a big city with a brother, or with someone… special.” I snuck a glance at Charlotte. “Perhaps I don’t have to change everything all at once.”
Margaret beamed at me, pleased that I was soul-searching.
“But none of you can say anything to Duncan about this, okay? I mean it. He’s back in the States for that week at the beginning of December and I’m going to talk to him then. I have… ideas.”
