With a soft moan, she wrapped her arms around my waist.
I drew back and leaned my forehead against hers.
“Is it wrong that I don’t want to go to my folks’ house for dinner anymore?” she asked. “I’d rather stay here, order a pizza, and watch a movie.”
I smiled and twirled a loose curl around my finger. “We could always do that after dinner, minus the pizza. Maybe Ben & Jerry’s, instead.”
Her eyes went wide as she gasped and then grinned. “It’s like you know how my mind works.”
I dropped my head back and let out a laugh. “Come on, we’ll be late, and I really don’t want to make your folks wait on us.”
Greer gave me a fake groan before reaching for her purse. “Fine, but I’m totally expecting Ben & Jerry’s later.”
“Deal. Do you want me to drive?”
She shook her head. “We can walk if you want. It’s a warm evening, and they only live a couple of blocks away on High Street.”
“Fresh air sounds good to me.”
Greer and I walked the short distance to her folks’ house, and I listened while she pointed out different landmarks, like the Boggy Creek Library, which was about a block down from the bookstore.
“Does having the library so close to the bookstore hurt your sales?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think having a local library is so important, since not everyone is able to afford books. I know I’ve donated to the library when I’ve gotten damaged books in, or when an author does a signing and we have leftover books. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I usually just donate them to the library instead of sending them back. Some publishers don’t allow you to do returns anyway.”
I reached down and laced my fingers with hers. “I love how passionate you are about books, Greer.”
She smiled and looked down at the ground. “I’ve always loved to read. The most exciting thing for me is when I see someone young fall in love with it. I feel like I’m passing along a gift.”
I nodded. “I was thinking that maybe I could do an event at the bookstore. I mean, if you’ll have me.”
Her eyes lit up. “What? Oh my gosh, Hudson! That would be amazing, and I would love that!”
Laughing, I squeezed her hand. “Then, it’s settled. We’ll do something with this new book, maybe a Q&A and signing event, if that works for you.”
“Yes! That sounds perfect.”
We walked a bit in silence before I asked, “Will you tell me about the book you wrote?”
She looked up at me. “It’s young adult.”
With a nod, I asked, “Would you let me read it?”
Chewing nervously on her lip, she shrugged. “Will you let me think about it a bit more?”
“Of course.”
We stopped on the corner of Maple Street and High Street, and my mouth dropped open. This was clearly the historical area of Boggy Creek, and the houses were amazing. “Wow.”
She giggled. “I know. High Street is one of my favorites in Boggy Creek.”
“I wonder why?” I asked with a smirk. The history in these houses alone would make any history buff giddy.
“My parents live in one of the first houses ever built in Boggy Creek. I told you about my friend Willa, whom I really need to introduce you to. Her husband’s family is a huge part of the history of Boggy Creek. His great-great-grandfather, Mr. O’Hara, came from Ireland and they settled in Boston.” Greer looked up as if trying to remember something. “Maybe it’s three greats… Anyway, he started O’Hara Construction, and they built a lot of the historical buildings on Main Street, as well as a number of these houses on High Street.”
“They’re beautiful,” I said as we crossed the street and started to walk north down High Street. “I love that white, Georgian-style home with the red door.”
Greer practically beamed. “That’s my folks’ house! It used to be the Jeremiah Tucker Tavern, a stagecoach tavern built in 1800. When the Tuckers decided to move back to Boston, my family bought it. We’ve lived there ever since.”
“That’s incredible.”
“It is. My parents’ bedroom used to be the original second-floor ballroom. I loved growing up in that house. My parents are talking about downsizing, since it has five bedrooms and four bathrooms. They don’t need all the room. My brother isn’t really interested in living there, so I probably will. My plan is to rent out my current apartment and move into the house when my folks buy a smaller place.”
I nodded as we stopped in front of the two-story, white clapboard house. The front door was painted red, and a national historical marker was to the left of the door. The landscaping around the front was simple, keeping with the design of the house. Large chimneys could be seen protruding from the roof. I had counted at least three as we approached. “I can’t wait to see the inside,” I said.