A Serial Romance

Safe At Home

Chapter One, by Cindy Holby

Maggie Lambeth’s heart fell into her stomach when she opened the letter.  It was the final notice.  Despite her best efforts, the house that had been in her family for years, and the bookstore it contained had been condemned to make way for the new baseball stadium.  There was no rescue from the state historical society forthcoming and the fund to move the house to a new location only held about half of the total that she needed.  The only good thing she could think of was that her mother was no longer alive to see it torn down.

Maggie went to the window.  Her big gray cat, Huckleberry, lay in a spot of sunshine watching the large construction vehicles that moved around the building site.  Yes the city needed the stadium, especially downtown.  It was part of revitalizing the economy and making downtown the place to be.  But they also needed books and more importantly, a bookstore that had been a part of the community since before she was born.  Somehow progress did not see it that way.

The bell rang.  Janice, her mother’s cousin, who’d worked for the Book Nook since the day it opened came in carrying the coffee supplies and the delivery from the bakery.  Maggie went to help her with the box that contained muffins, cookies and tarts.

“We’re supposed to put the new vampire book back for Pam,” Janice informed her as she shrugged out of her coat and hung it in the kitchen.

“I don’t think we’ll be here when it gets in,” Maggie confessed.

“What?”

Maggie pointed to the letter on the counter.  “We’ve got thirty days to leave before the city takes the property.  They’re stating eminent domain.”

“Oh my,” Janice said as she looked at the letter.  “They can do that?”

“They seem to think so.”

“I’m calling Jeffrey.  You need to talk to a lawyer.”

“I can’t afford a lawyer.”

Janice came to her.  Grabbed her forearms and gave them a squeeze.  “You are so much like your mother.  Proud.  Stubborn.  You’re the image of her.” Janice stroked her hair.  “I used to be jealous of her you know.  When we were growing up.  All the boys always paid attention to her because she was tall and had that pale blonde hair and those turquoise eyes.  And when she met your father…” Janice’s voice trailed off.  “Your mother loved this house and this store and we’re going to save this house even if we have to stand in front of the bulldozers when they come to take it down.”

Maggie couldn’t help but smile as she shook her head.  The image of feisty Janice standing up to a bulldozer would be a sight to see.

“Now no more talk about money.”  Janice went into the office and picked up the phone. “Jeffrey is family,” she said with a finality that allowed no discussion.  Maggie let her make the call.  After all she had nothing to lose.  And it was a much better solution that staring down heavy machinery.

Maggie went to work.  She put the coffee on, arranged the baked goods in the display case and straightened the magazine rack.  The she moved to the children’s corner.  Plumped the cushions on the chairs and put the stuffed animals that were the subjects of their own stories up on the shelves.

“Jeffrey is going to stop by this afternoon when he gets out of court,” Janice informed her.

“Really?”

“I told you, he’s family.”

Maggie shook her head at Janice’s idea of relationship.  Jeffrey was something like a fourth cousin by her count but she wasn’t going to complain.  She moved on to the teen section.

The books were really moving here, with a lot of adults wanting the same titles that had the teens raving.  One of the vendors had supplied a poster from the latest teen book made into a movie.  She’s meant to hang it yesterday but became distracted from the task when a customer came in.  Maggie got the ladder from the storage room and climbed it to hang the poster over the shelves.

It was a difficult lean over the shelves and the top far corner of the poster didn’t want to stick. Maggie wrestled with the two sided tape which was also being difficult.  It seemed the more she tried to unwind it, the more it folded in upon itself and got stuck.

The telephone rang and Janice answered it with her usual cheery greeting of “Book Nook!”  Huckleberry jumped down from his perch in the window and twined his way around the base of the ladder, curious as to what she was up too.  Finally she was able to get a piece of tape to anchor the poster when the door bell rang.  Janice was still on the phone so Maggie called out, “I’ll be right with you.”  She glanced over her shoulder to see a tall man wearing a ball cap looking around the shop.  She didn’t recognize him.

Maggie leaned out, balancing on one foot as she struggled to get the top corner to stick.  Huckleberry, fascinated by her other foot waving in the air jumped on the ladder and swatted at her foot.  He hit her ankle with his paw, which started her and she jumped.  The ladder jumped and Maggie was stuck in mid air with her arms windmilling for balance.

The ladder lurched and she fell.  Maggie let out a yelp, knowing she was going to land hard but instead found herself caught in a pair of strong arms.  She looked up into a handsome face and a pair of deep brown eyes above a really nice smile.

“Are you okay?” He carefully lowered her to her feet.

“Um…I think so.”   Maggie found herself still hanging onto his arms.  She looked around for Huckleberry, who had found a landing place on top of the bookcase. She let go and realized she could stand and apparently had escaped with no harm. Lucky he’d been there. Even the ladder had righted itself and stood as it should.  But the poster was still causing problems.

“How about if I fix that for you?”

“If you don’t mind…”  Maggie smoothed her hair as he climbed the ladder.  Janice was off the phone and grinning at her.  She fanned her face which meant she thought the guy was hot.  Maggie checked out his backside as he fixed the poster.  She couldn’t argue with Janice’s assessment.  He looked fit. Very fit.  His hair was nice too, cut short and neat with golden highlights in the brown which meant he spent a lot of time outdoors.  Or else he had a very good stylist.

“How’s that?” he asked.  He held his hands out to await her next command.

“Perfect,” she replied.

He came back down and folded the ladder.  “Where does this go?” Maggie showed him the way to the storage room.  Hot and gallant.  It had been a long and lonely time since she’d come across this combination.  She peeked at his hand as he put the ladder against the wall.  There wasn’t a ring in sight.

“Can I fix you some coffee?”  she asked.  “How about a muffin on the house.”

“Sure,” he said.  “That would be great.”

“I’m Maggie Lambeth,” she said as she poured his coffee into one of her mugs with the Book Nook logo on it.  “I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before.”

“You haven’t.  I’m new in town. Cam Welder.”  He shook her hand and took the coffee. “I’m with…” He looked around a minute, as if confused.  “I think I had a hat when I came in here.”

“Oh!  I must have knocked it off when you…”  Maggie laughed, still a bit embarrassed at her near fiasco.  She went back to the teen section and he followed.  Sure enough, there was a ball cap lying beneath a table.  She picked it up and handed it too him.

He showed her the logo.  I’m with the Bobcats.  I guess we’re going to be neighbors.”