1: NOVA

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Lovely classical columns give the store an ancient but romantic appearance. Bright lights, three-level balconies, and a gorgeous spiral staircase lend an open and airy feel. Upon entering the store, the cash register is to the right, and the book café and champagne bar are through an entrance to the left. Straight ahead is the spiral staircase and three balconies of books, a reader’s paradise.

This Georgia Peach has come a long way.

Today was the grand opening of my bookstore, Another Chapter. I can’t help but be grateful for the success of the day, though I’m tired as hell. My feet are sore, and my back hurts. I can’t wait to get home and soak in the tub, take a relaxing bath, grab a sandwich and head to bed. I’ll do it all over again tomorrow.

The work is just as hard as my prior job as an accountant but a lot more rewarding. I head to my office to shut my computer down for the day. Just as I sit behind my desk, I hear the tinkling of the bell over the doors, and I call out, “I’ll be there in just a moment.”

I frown, realizing that Martin, my assistant manager, must have forgotten to lock up behind himself. A glance at the clock on my computer shows that it’s five minutes till seven. We closed early when there was a lull in business. We only had another half an hour, and I was certain that I could handle it if anyone else came in.

I can’t imagine who might be in here to purchase a book at the last minute. The coffee shop closed just before Briana and Cody, my clerks, and Lalah and Natalie, my two baristas, left for the day. Even Clark Stewart, my champagne bar operator, has left.

After I shut my computer down, I look around my office. It’s relatively clean. Once I finish the sale that is waiting for me, I can return and grab my keys, purse, and phone and head out. I’d made the bank deposit earlier, and we’ve done more credit and debit sales than cash in the end. I don’t have much cash remaining, so I feel comfortable enough leaving it here. It’s less than a hundred dollars.

I click the lights off and head out into the store. Inhaling the scent of books and vanilla beans, I’m on a high that I hope doesn’t erode with time.

This afternoon, a lady with a toddler came in and asked if she could volunteer to do a story time once a week for children in her daughter’s age group and other under-school-aged children. She even suggested that when school is out, it would be the perfect time to include older children, as well.

I loved the idea, and since it does not cost my store a dime, I agreed to let her come in each Wednesday, starting next month and have story time from one to two. Briana created flyers, and Cody and Martin agreed to pass them out around town. The staff slipped one in each customer’s bag before they left.

Mayra, my other clerk, suggested a sign-up sheet, and so far, I can tell that we’ll have plenty of little readers in here to listen to storytime.

I scan the store and see a man in the Do-It-Yourself section flipping through a book. He’s tall, and he’s wearing black jeans, black boots, and a leather vest with patches all over it. His head is covered with a black beanie. Other than that, I have no idea what he looks like except that his arms and hands are covered with tattoos.

“Hello, may I help you with a purchase or help you find a specific book, sir?” I ask.

He grunts something under his breath and never turns to acknowledge me.

“Okay, I’ll be upfront waiting for you when you’re ready to check out.”

For the most part, my customers have been nice, although there have been a few that were less than friendly. They weren’t rude, but they seemed to want to not be bothered. I respect that, but it is close to closing time, and I’m not okay with him just scanning my books for information and no plans to purchase them.

Sighing, I head to the front of the store and behind the counter. I busy myself with straightening the displays on the counter before I wipe them down. When I’m finished with that, I straighten a couple of displays in the middle of the store, returning to the front when I hear movement coming in my direction.

I hold my breath, wondering if he’s purchasing something or if he’s just going to walk out of the store. To my surprise, he is still holding the same book that he was looking through when I first noticed him, and he seems to be still reading it. He places the book on the counter and reaches into his back pocket.

“Is there anything else that I can...Kai?” I say breathlessly when the man looks up at me.

It feels as if I’ve been thrown back through space to a very uncertain and scary time in my life.

The scowl on his face deepens until he really looks at me.

“Nova,” he says softly.

I watch as his face transforms, and the scowl is no longer there. His smile grips my heart and chases away the darkness that always surrounded me at that time.

I don’t know how my feet manage to move, but somehow, I’m no longer behind the counter, and I find myself in his arms. Arms that tighten around me, stronger and more comforting than they ever were. And much like he used to do, he rests his chin on the top of my head. Only I no longer have to duck mine for him to do it. I fit perfectly in the groove between his chin and neck.

I inhale the unfamiliar scents of leather, musk, and marijuana that cling to him.

Pulling back, I stare at him through blurry eyes. He wipes the tears away with his thumbpads and smiles, saying, “Aye, don’t go getting all emotional and teary-eyed on me, girl.”

Laughing, I say, “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I never expected to see you again.”

“I’d always hoped that I would find you again somehow. Never expected it to be on the West Coast, though.”

Shaking my head, I say, “Yeah, things change...just like dreams.”

“I’m sure you’re doing great things. So, you’re the owner of the new bookstore everyone’s raving about.”

“Yeah. I am,” I say, looking around proudly.

“I heard today was the grand opening. Sorry I couldn’t make it earlier. I was busy. How are things going?”

“Busy. I’m so excited, though I didn’t get a break today. But the beauty of that is that I will fall asleep tonight, thankful that I’m finally living my dream,” I share. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

Kai steps back and assesses me, shaking his head. “Little Nova, all grown up. You look amazing.”

“And you...you look...”

I take in the shorn sides of his head, the beard and mustache that he so desperately wanted years ago, and the wary look in those pale blue eyes. My eyes drop to the tattoos on his knuckles, hands, and wrists.

“Different,” he says, shoving his hands into the front pocket of his washed-out jeans.

“Yeah, you do. Are you busy, or were you just passing through?”

“Not busy anymore. Just dropping in to see what you had going on over here. Like I said, everyone’s been talking about your store, and I’ve been meaning to get by here and check it out. Sorry to drop in just before closing time.”

“It’s okay. I’m glad that you did. It’s been the best part of my day so far,” I share.

We’re quiet for several seconds as we stare at each other.

“You still read sci-fi?” I ask, trying to break the silence.

“Ahhh,” he scratches the back of his head and looks around as if he’s worried someone might overhear our conversation. Unless the walls have ears, his secret is safe.

“Okay, okay. Well, do you have a few minutes to grab some coffee with me and play catch up?”

“Uh, yeah. I do,” he says, scratching the back of his head and looking around.

“Let me lock up, and I’ll get us a fresh cup of coffee, and then we can sit down and chat for a minute,” I say.

“Or how about you get the coffee, and I’ll lock up,” he says.

Nodding, I say, “Okay, that’ll work too.”

As I prepare the coffee, I try to ignore the tightening in my chest, the warmth taking over my body, and the beautiful memories assailing my mind. It’s been exactly twenty years since I last saw Kai McGinnis, but there hasn’t been almost a day that has gone by that I haven’t thought about him and wondered what he was doing.

He returns and takes a seat in one of the chairs on the coffee shop side of my bookstore and watches me.

“Do you like—”

“Just black. No sugar. Real coffee,” he says, winking at me.

I laugh. “Just like Mary taught you, huh?”

He scoffs. “That wasn’t the only thing that she taught, but hey...”

I finish adding sugar and cream to my coffee before I grab his and head to the table. “I always wondered about that,” I say of the first foster mother that we were with together.

“Nothing to wonder about. With a husband on the road all the time selling insurance and no one to watch over her, she manipulated most of us young boys coming through her house. Made us think it was all our ideas when it was really hers.”

“That was sick. You were only fifteen, Kai.”

“Well, she didn’t have any limits, and honestly, I was a horny teenager like the rest of ‘em, and she was...available.”

“I always wondered if that was why she was so hard on me,” I say softly, blowing my coffee.

I notice Kai sips his without blowing, and it doesn’t seem to bother him. I know it’s hot as hell.

“Yeah. When you came into the house, she recognized the moment that I turned my interest to you. She tried everything that she could to discourage my attraction to you.”

“Including being mean to me and giving me all the chores no one else would do,” I say.

“That’s why I had to become your protector. I knew it was because of me that you were enduring all the bullshit she was dishing out...and Art too when he came off the road.”

Smiling, I say, “You made those days easy for me. I appreciated you for it.”

He looks down at the table and smiles that shy smile that I remember from all those years ago. The same smile that endeared me to him.

“I got through mine because of you, too, Nova. Looked forward to seeing you at the table every morning and getting to walk home from school with you.”

Laughing, I say, “Remember how you’d always scoop up all those pecans from the Wheelers’ yard and then sneak into Old Man Baxter’s yard and pluck a couple of peaches for us.”

He laughs and says, “Almost gave that bastard a heart attack every time. He’d be sitting on the porch every afternoon, waiting for us to walk by when school let out. I guess he was coming out too early because he’d always fall asleep in his rocker, waiting for us to get out. I’d sneak into his yard all quiet like.”

“Yeah, and then as soon as you’d finish, you’d grab one of those pecans and throw it at the window behind him, waking him from his nap!” I giggle.

Kai laughs, too, and it warms my soul.

I reach for his hand over the table, and his smile drops, and his eyes darken. I wonder what he’s thinking and what’s been going on in his life since I’ve been away. He must be thinking the same thing because he asks the same question I’d been thinking about.

“So, how has life treated you since we last saw each other?”

“It’s been fair. Better than before.”

“Are you married?” he asks.

I swallow, pushing the dark thoughts aside and reply, “Not anymore. Married twice and divorced twice.”

“They were a fool. If we hadn’t been underaged, I’d have never let you go. Never let you walk out of my life, Nova,” Kai says.

My eyes tear up, and I look away until I feel his rough, callused hand wrapping around mine.

“Hey,” he says, forcing me to jerk my gaze back to him.

“I’m sorry. I’m fine. I am,” I assure him. “That was a long time ago. What about you?”

“Never. It’s not in my molecular structure to get married.”

I laugh.

“Still love your laughter. It’s beautiful and infectious.”

“Thanks, Mac.”

His eyes darken, and he smiles. Laughing, he says, “I haven’t heard that name in forever.”

“So, people just call you Kai?”

“No.”

“Okay...Mr. McGinnis?” I ask, chuckling.

“No.”

“Please, tell me. What name do you go by now?”

“End Game.”

“Okay, well, how—”

“Nova, I’m not the same kid you once knew.”