He headed for the front door, patting his pocket for his keys. “What do you mean?”
“This copy is a first edition.”
What? He jerked to a stop as the potential implications raced through his head. “Does that change the value?”
“Oh yeah.” Sadie let out a laugh. “Adds a few zeroes.”
His mouth went dry. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I never joke about literature.”
He believed her.
“Listen, Noah. Your grandfather was like extended family. Let me keep the book in my safe and put out feelers at a few upcoming auctions for you. Free of charge.”
It was a generous offer. But…Noah rolled in his lip.
Sadie persisted. “I could probably make something happen in a few weeks, max.”
He hesitated. Could he really sell Grandpa’s favorite book? The one that had soaked up more of his grandfather’s time and memory than any other novel in that library? The one that had captured Grandpa’s attention and helped mold him into the man he’d become—the man he’d tried to teach Noah to become?
Then he took one look at Elisa, rushing from the kitchen in her icing-smeared jeans, and he knew he could. Knew that was exactly what Grandpa would have wanted—an end to the feud. A big gesture. Heberts helping Bergerons.
After what Elisa had just done for him, how could he not?
Elisa stopped in front of him, her mouth forming a silentis everything okay?
Sadie cleared her throat. “Would that be okay?”
Noah cleared his throat, turning back toward the phone. “Absolutely not.”
Silence filled the line. Then—“I’d really like to do this for you. For your grandfather.”
“Oh, you can. But you’re not doing it for free.” Noah broke into a smile, which Elisa matched even though she had no idea what was going on yet. He couldn’t wait to see her smile once she did. “You’ll get a fair commission on whatever you bring in, and that’s a non-negotiable.”
Sadie’s delighted cry still echoed in his ear as he ended the call and shot Owen a text.
Noah
Headed your way.
Then he looped an arm around Elisa’s waist and pulled her in close. Her breath caught, and he knew the feeling. He pressed a quick kiss against her lips, then rested his forehead on hers as joy flooded his soul. Deep as the bay. Endless as the ocean. “Call Mama D. Tell her not to sell the diner.”
twenty-eight
Elisa rushed to the diner as Noah rushed to the bank. Delia hadn’t answered her phone, and now Elisa was worried she might have fallen with her walker. At least the waitstaff would be there by now. Still…
She hurried inside the packed café, nearly bumping into Trish, who crossed in front of the door with a tray full of pancakes. She barely saved the tray from tipping over. “Whoa, where’s the fire?”
“Don’t even joke about fire.” Elisa glanced around the crowded café. “Where’s Mama D?” There was so much to tell her, she thought she might burst.
“Table twelve. I just convinced her to sit down—she was in the kitchen, trying to ‘put love into the pancake batter.’” Trish smirked, shifting the tray to her other hand. “Where have you been?”
“That’s a long story.” Elisa sniffed the bacon-scented air. “Wait a second. I got everything set up earlier for breakfast, but who’s handling the hot orders?”
“Lucius, actually.”
“What?” Elisa started for the kitchen, her chest tight. “He came back? Did you call the cops?”
