“Hudson! I’m so glad you’re here. Come look at these plans.”
I stepped closer and glanced down. The plans were of the second floor of the bookstore, and I could clearly see all the changes that Candace had mentioned.
“Wow, this looks amazing, Greer.”
She let out a bubbling laughter of excitement. “Thanks! Anthony here did drawings for the remodel, and yesterday we got the go-ahead from the building department to make the changes. Since we’re not altering anything with the building itself, we didn’t have any issues getting this project greenlit.”
I nodded and looked around. The same crown molding that was in Greer’s apartment was on this floor, as well as on the first floor. “So, is the building considered an historical landmark?”
“I’m trying to get it marked as one. The process takes a bit longer than I thought.”
“You own the building, right?”
Greer glanced back down at the plans and shook her head. “No, I bought the bookstore, and that took every penny I had saved up.”
“So you lease the entire building, then?”
“Yes, lease to own.”
I nodded and rubbed the back of my neck. Something about the way those men were pointing at the building rubbed me the wrong way. I made a mental note to find out who they were and what they might want with Greer’s bookstore. Or, at least, the building it sat in.
Greer took a step back and turned to Anthony. “Everything looks great. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page with the bookcases. I want them to match the original ones.”
Anthony nodded. “The carpenter the contractor hired is top notch and can easily duplicate them. The good thing is, they’re not that ornate.”
Greer glanced over at said bookshelves. “Well, all the ones up here are from the old library in Mount Harrison. When it closed, my father bought them with the hope that I’d use them in the bookstore. I’d like to keep the older bookshelves on the other side and have the newer ones over here.”
“I’ve got that noted.”
She exhaled loudly. “Good. Okay, well, I’m off for the rest of the weekend, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me on my cell or have Candace call me.”
Anthony smiled. “Enjoy your weekend, and happy birthday, Greer.”
“Thank you.”
When she turned to face me, her smile turned into a full-on grin. “Shall we?”
“We shall. After you, birthday girl.”
Her cheeks flushed. We started to make our way toward the stairwell at the back of the store and Greer looked over at me. “Thank you for the flowers this morning and the note. That was very sweet of you, Hudson.”
“It’s the least I can do. You really came through for me with your dad’s cabin. I’ve gotten so much writing done the last day and a half, it’s unreal. It was just a simple way to say thank you, and of course, happy birthday.”
Greer typed in a code and the door unlocked, leading us into the back stairwell that led up to her place. “Well, wait until you see them. They’re beautiful.”
At the top of the stairs, she punched in another code. “Should I bring a change of clothing for dinner, or will we have time to stop back here and change?”
“Do you mind bringing something?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I’m just excited to see what you’ve planned for us today.”
“Well, I told you to dress for hiking and I see you did. Did you pack an extra bag, just in case the weather changes?”
With a smirk, she replied, “Yes, Dad. Where are we going?”
“I thought it might be fun to take a hike up to Cloudland Falls.”
Her eyes brightened. “I haven’t been up there in years.”
“Well, from what I’ve looked up, it’s beautiful.”
“Oh, it is,” Greer said as she picked up a hiking backpack and handed it to me. “You should see it in the winter. It’s stunning.”
I stared at her for a moment too long as I thought about what life would be like living here all the time. To be able to just hike up this trail any damn time I wanted to. And to have Greer by my side. “I think I need to plan that, but only if you agree to come back with me.”
She glanced over her shoulder at me before she headed toward a hallway. “That would be fun! Let me grab my stuff for dinner.”
A minute or so later, Greer came back holding a dress and another bag, which I was guessing held everything she needed to get dressed up for dinner.
“If you don’t mind carrying my pack, I can carry this,” she said. “Are you parked out front?”
I shook my head. “No, right around the corner, down Maple some.”
“I forgot to tell you that I have some parking spots behind the building. You just have to go down the alley. You can park there next time.”