The Story Of Us - Teri Wilson Page 0,2

slice of cobblestone heaven. Who would rather shop someplace slick and impersonal like Portland when they could soak up the rich history of a place that had remained virtually unchanged since 1902?

No one with any sense, that’s who.

But when Jamie unfolded the light blue flier nestled among her bills and junk mail, she had a horrible feeling that things were about to get worse instead of better.

“What?” she muttered, heart pounding as the innocent-looking slip of baby blue shook in her hands.

The flier was from the City of Waterford, notifying shop owners of a special town council meeting.

To discuss business district project by Ridley Property Development.

She read the words once…twice…three times, until the initial shock wore off. Then her heart seemed to sink straight to the soles of her red patent-leather kitten heels. Property development companies didn’t move into historical districts to help preserve the past. They moved in to tear things down and build something else.

Something bigger and supposedly better; something shiny and new.

But where would that leave True Love Books?

A lump formed in Jamie’s throat as she looked around her very lovely, very empty store and realized the truth. This shop she’d adored for as long as she could remember might be in trouble. Real trouble.

Rose-colored glasses could only do so much.

Fortunately, Jamie had never been one to wallow.

Her usual sense of optimism might have taken a hit with the surprise appearance of the horrid blue flier, but she had no intention of hiding among her books and waiting for the situation to go from bad to worse. In this one instance, her lack of customers was a good thing, as it gave her a chance to get out of the shop and do a little investigating while Lucy kept an eye on True Love Books.

She went door to door, up and down the sun-dappled sidewalks of the business district in a furious whirl of polka dots and clicking heels. For a moment, she’d been tempted to head straight to her aunt’s flower shop, but then she’d thought better of it. Her aunt was almost like a second mother, especially since Jamie’s parents had packed up and moved away from Waterford in their new RV. But there was no reason to alarm Aunt Anita until she had a better idea of what they might be up against.

Which turned out to be a lot. Or at least, it certainly seemed that way.

By the time Jamie finally stepped up to the door of Anita’s Flowers, she had a sneaking suspicion the entire business district was in serious danger. Even the heady scent of pink parfait roses and blush-hued peonies failed to cheer her up. She closed her eyes and took a deep inhale, lingering outside her aunt’s shop for a moment. Row upon row of cut flowers arranged into bouquets in buckets of water flanked the entrance, and hanging baskets of lush ferns and ivy swayed overhead. The names and prices of the blooms were all written by hand in tiny chalkboard print. Ever since Jamie had studied French back in high school, the corner boutique had reminded her of one of the charming flower stands that dotted the streets of Paris in her textbooks. The business district’s cobblestone streets added to the old-world flair, but who knew how much longer those would last?

Jamie tightened her grip on the offensive flier as she pulled open the shop’s glass door and the tinkling of delicate bells announced her arrival.

Her aunt looked up from a potted violet plant and smiled. “There’s my favorite niece.”

Not for long. Ugh, Jamie hated being the bearer of bad news. But the fact that she was Aunt Anita’s only niece probably cemented her status as favorite.

“Your parents Skyped me last night. From Winnipeg!” Anita chattered away as she wiped her hands on her ivory linen apron and strode behind the counter. Her hair was in its standard loosely curled bob, and she wore a crisp pink button-down shirt with dark jeans. Aunt Anita had the same kind eyes as her sister, Jamie’s mom, which always made Jamie feel a little bit less lonely—especially since her mom and dad had embarked on their big cross-country retirement trip six months ago.

Anita shook her head and let out a soft laugh. “I swear, they’re going to put a hundred thousand miles on that RV by the end of the year if they…”

Her voice drifted off once she met Jamie’s gaze. Anita stared at her for a beat, smile fading.

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