“Arnie is going to be beside himself when she shows up,” Stella laughed. “He’ll freak out at first and he might even babble, but then she’ll distract him with the cookies, and before he realizes what’s happening, they’ll be having a normal conversation.”
Jack slipped his hand into Stella’s. “Clever of you to send her with his favorite cookies.”
Stella leaned her head against Jack’s arm. “He needs a little push. I guess we all do sometimes.”
Jack chuckled. “Have you been pushed recently?”
“Ha! More like shoved right off a cliff,” she said and stopped walking. “A few days ago I realized I’ve been stuck in a cycle of monotony. Not unhappy but not fulfilled. Then—bam!—I burn a journal, words start appearing like mad, those purple words start pushing me toward something, I learn I can command the words, Arnie has a heart attack, I meet you, I unleash a pirate and a sailor into the library—”
“Don’t forget Percy catching you indecent with a man in Arnie’s house.”
Stella laughed. “His face, though. I wish I had a photo of howflabbergasted he was. I wasn’t actively wishing for change, but maybe, like Arnie, I needed a shove. I just didn’t intend for it to be so jarring.”
“So what’s next for Stella Parker?”
Waves of heat rippled up from the black pavement, blurring the edges of everything and giving the town a magical appearance like an image pulled from a summer dream.
“Definitely not Miami,” she said. “But I might give extended education or certification serious thought.” She peered at him. “The idea of writing and completing something feels exciting, using my words in a way I’ve been doing for years but more intentionally and focused. Now that I can call them forth, what’s stopping me from creating a whole lot of things? And I can help connect readers with the perfect book. And with the magic, if Arnie allows me to use it officially, even more possibilities arise.” She stopped when she noticed Jack was staring and smiling at her with a goofy grin. “What?”
“You,” he said. “You look happy, Stella.”
She couldn’t see her expression, but she felt the truth of his words, effervescent and swirling with gratitude. Somehow she’d dropped the heaviness she’d been dragging around, and there was space for lightness and—she smiled at Jack—for falling in love. “I am happy.”
A neon-pink van emblazoned with the wordsFur Real Dog Groomingparked against the curb. Ariel waved through the window and hopped out, then hurried to join them on the sidewalk. Always a blaze of color, today she wore a set of scrubs covered in a rainbow of pawprints. Her blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail, showcasing her pink stripe.
“Where are you heading?” she asked. “I figured it would be nutso in the library today with festival setup.” She leaned forwardinto Stella’s space like someone with a secret to share. “What’s the update on the pirate situation? And why are the two of you looking so glowy? Did something—”
“We’re going to the deli,” Stella said quickly, “and Frost Bites to get lunch for the library crew and ourselves. We haven’t found Hook yet, but we have people on the lookout.”
Ariel’s forehead creased. “People? What people?”
Jack said, “Darcy and Crusoe.”
Ariel frowned. “And they are?”
“Fictional characters,” Stella said, bracing for Ariel’s response.
Ariel laughed but stopped when she realized Stella wasn’t joking. “Oh, you’re serious. Wait. You don’t mean”—she clutched Stella’s arm—“FitzwilliamDarcy.” Stella nodded, and Ariel squealed. “Is he as dreamy as we hoped?”
Jack looked pointedly at Stella. “Are you interested in Darcy?”
Ariel scoffed. “Not a chance with you around. Can I meet him?”
Stella waffled. “Possibly.”
Ariel bounced on her toes. “I wonder if he’s interested in girls with pink hair. But you’re ignoring the glowy comment?” Stella nodded. “Fine. We’ll talk about that later. Mind if I join you? I was coming by to see if you needed anything and to check in. I’m glad I caught you.” She looked at Jack directly. “How’s modern life treating you?”
“Couldn’t ask for anything more,” Jack responded.
“How about temperatures to drop twenty degrees?” Stella teased and leaned into him as they commenced walking.
“What about sticking around longer?” Ariel said. “Is that a possibility?”
“Ariel!” Stella said.
“Aren’t you curious?” Ariel asked. “Why is there a time limit?”
Jack squeezed Stella’s hand. “I don’t know all the intricacies ofhow everything works, but there’s always been a time limit. In most instances, having someone around for two weeks is a welcome rule. But not in every case.”
