“A bookstore, right?” he asked. “Pretty sure that’s what I heard.”
“Yes! The Fox and Fables Bookstore. I’m very excited.”
He held out his hand. “Name’s Gunter Zuniga.”
I had to shove the scones under my arm so I could shake his hand. “Winter Atkins. Most people call me Win.”
“Nice to meet you.” He was handsome and had striking blue eyes. “I see you’ve found the diner okay?”
“Oh yes,” I said, holding the bag of scones as proof. “I’ve already convinced myself the lemon and blueberry scones are calorie-free.”
He chuckled. “I run the drop-in center here and the café.” He gestured to the closed store on the end, opposite mine. “Well, it’s more of a training center for teens. Café’s only open four days a week. Helps kids get some experience in the food service and retail industry. There aren’t many jobs in small towns, so it helps them get a foot in the door when they venture out into the real world.”
“I love that. What a great initiative.”
“Yeah, the kids love it. It also gives them a place to hang out.”
“The spot by the river here is just lovely,” I said. “This town is so pretty.”
“Ah, you’ve fallen under the Hartbridge spell,” he said with a grin. “Have you just moved here?”
I nodded. “From Boise. My aunt and I live out on Cottonwood Road. She found an old farmhouse that’s more work than whimsy, but as long as she’s happy.”
He grinned. “I bought a fixer-upper myself. If you need any advice or help...”
I snorted at how cute that was. “Oh dear god, no. I won’t be doing any of the fixing. Believe me, nobody wants that. My aunt Ro does the fixing. I’m more of a hire-a-professional kind of guy.”
He chuckled warmly. “Fair enough.”
Noticing the pride flags in his center window, I figured now was as good a time as any... “I appreciate the pride flags,” I said. “I will admit, when we were looking for locations, it made me feel welcome. So thank you for that. I know it means a lot for teens to see it as well. I worked at a big book retailer for years, and having that visibility is so important.”
His face lit up. “It really is. It’s part of the reason I opened this center,” he explained. “I never had that growing up, and I have to wonder what difference it would have made if I had.”
So he was queer . . .
Good to know.
A man carrying a box came down the sidewalk. He had sandy-grayish hair, wore navy trousers, a gray woolen sweater, and a dimple pierced his cheek when he saw us.
“Ah,” Gunter said. “I could have come up and got those.”
“It’s no problem,” he said, handing the box over to Gunter.
Gunter looked between us and made introductions. “This is Rob O’Reilly. He’s the town doctor, just around the corner.”
I held out my hand. “Winter Atkins. The bookshop is mine. Well, it will be. Once it opens.”
Doctor Rob grinned at me. “Gotta say, I was very happy to hear we were getting a bookstore.”
“Thank you. I’m excited to be here.”
“Just moved here?” he hedged.
Before I could answer, Gunter replied for me. “He has just moved to town, just in time for Christmas. And he was just commenting on the pride flags and how that made him feel welcome...”
They smiled at each other as if there was an inside joke I wasn’t privy to.
“Is that a problem?” I asked, not entirely sure where I stood on the line between acceptance and mockery.
