“Brooklyn’s at Isabel’s for a sleepover,” he explained, trying to ignore the twist of worry that accompanied the words. “And this seemed important.”
“It is,” Ollie confirmed, his expression softening. “I can’t tell you how much it means to have you here.”
They stood there a moment too long, just looking at each other, until Sam cleared her throat dramatically.
“If you two are done with whatever this is,” she said, gesturing between them, “we have a bookstore to save and approximately eight million ideas to sort through.”
Ollie blinked, as if coming back to himself. “Right. Yes. The meeting. Which is why everyone’s here. Obviously.”
He turned to address the growing group, clapping his hands together. “Okay, book nerds and rescue squad! Grab coffee, grab chairs, and let’s get this brainstorm rolling.”
The next hour passed in a whirlwind of ideas and enthusiasm. The circle of chairs filled quickly—Maya, Jules, and Sam were joined by Noah, Luke, Keaton, and several other familiar faces from around town.
Ollie stood at the center, a whiteboard marker in hand, scribbling down suggestions as they flew around the circle.
“Romance trivia night!” Maya called out. “With teams and prizes. We could partner with Brew & Barrel.”
“Blind date with a book,” Jules suggested. “We wrap books in plain paper with just a few teaser words, and people buy them without knowing exactly what they’re getting. There’s a gift shop in Afton that has a display near the front of the store with these, and people can’t get enough!”
“Local author showcase,” Noah added. “I know several writers in the area who’d jump at the chance to introduce their books to more people.”
Finn was drawn into the energy of the room, the collective determination to save something that mattered. When there was a brief lull, he spoke up.
“You could do a renovation workshop,” he suggested, all eyes turning to him. “Basic home repair skills. People pay a small fee, learn something useful, and the proceeds go to the store. I know people tend to go online more than bookstores for that info these days, but it’d be another way to work with other businesses in town.”
Ollie’s face lit up. “That’s brilliant! Would you teach it?”
The question caught Finn off guard. “Me?”
“Who better?” Ollie’s smile was encouraging. “You’re literally rebuilding this place as we speak.”
“I…” Finn hesitated, unused to being the center of attention. “I think Luke or Brendan would be better suited for that. You’regiving me way too much credit. I’m just the guy who keeps balls in the air. They’re the ones who do the manual labor.”
“We’ll talk about it more,” Ollie said softly, holding his gaze for a beat too long. “Thanks for thinking outside the box.”
Brendan snorted from his corner. “My brother, the reluctant handyman hero.”
“Shut up, Bren,” Finn muttered, but there was no heat in it.
The planning continued, the whiteboard filling with dates, responsibilities, and to-do lists. Finn surprised himself by volunteering for logistics—organizing supplies, creating schedules, coordinating with vendors. It was familiar territory, the kind of behind-the-scenes work he excelled at.
What wasn’t familiar was the way he and Ollie kept gravitating toward each other throughout the morning, sharing quiet asides, exchanging glances when someone suggested something particularly outlandish, working in tandem as if they’d been doing it for years.
“You’re good at this,” Ollie murmured during a brief break, as they stood side by side reviewing the event timeline. “The organizing part, I mean.”
“To-do lists are my love language,” Finn replied dryly. “Keaton loves to give me shit about how many lists I have going at any given time, but that’s also why I’m damn good at my job.”
Ollie laughed, the sound warming something in Finn’s chest. “I’ve noticed. It’s nice. Having someone who can turn chaos into order.”
“I think you’re more controlled chaos. The bookstore wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has if you were a complete wreck. Andthe world needs people who can go with the flow too,” Finn said, the words slipping out before he could catch them.
Ollie’s eyes widened slightly, a flush creeping up his neck. “That’s—thank you.”
The moment stretched between them, charged with something neither was ready to name. Then Maya called Ollie over to discuss promotional materials, and the connection broke, leaving Finn oddly bereft.
As the meeting began to disperse into smaller working groups, Noah approached, his expression carefully neutral.
“Got a minute?” he asked, gesturing toward a quieter corner.
