“I’m really sorry that happened to you, but I can promise you that something like that would never happen here.”
“How can you be sure?” The question popped out before she had a chance to consider it.
“First of all, most Others mate for life and they would never pursue another female. And second, if an unmated male tried something like that, I’d send Flora after him.”
While Tricia was undoubtedly joking, Sara suspected that Flora would be a formidable ally despite her diminutive size.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said solemnly. “Thank you for believing in me.”
After Tricia left, Sara gathered her things slowly, savoring the quiet of the empty classroom. Sir Pricklepants rustled in his cage, and she stopped to refresh his water and give him a gentle scratch behind the ears.
“I think this is really going to work out this time,” she told him, and he snuffled in what she chose to interpret as agreement.
CHAPTER 4
The sunny afternoon tempted Sara and she decided to walk into town before going home. The crisp winter air turned her cheeks pink as she walked past snow-covered gardens and cozy cottages with smoke curling from their chimneys. The brick storefronts along Main Street were still decked out for the holidays with a wide variety of decorations adorning the windows and the old-fashioned streetlamps.
The delicious scents emerging from a coffee shop and bakery tempted her, but then she spotted a thrift store across the street. The window display featured a mannequin in a spectacular vintage gown, surrounded by antique books and curious knickknacks. The sign above the door read “Second Chance” in elegant script.
Unable to resist, she crossed the street. A bell chimed as she pushed open the door, and she was immediately enveloped in the warm scent of lavender and beeswax.
“Welcome!” A voice emerged from somewhere behind a towering rack of vintage dresses. “Be right with you, just wrestling with a particularly stubborn petticoat?—”
There was a crash, a muffled curse, and then a pretty brunette emerged, slightly disheveled but beaming. She was about Sara’s age and wearing a vintage red and white polka-dotted dress that accentuated her curvy figure perfectly.
“I love your dress,” she said.
“Why, thank you. Are you looking for something similar?”
“I’m tempted, but my children can be hard on clothes.”
“Children? Ah, you must be the new kindergarten teacher. I’m Posy and this is my store.”
“You know about me?”
Posy’s smile widened at her undoubtedly shocked expression.
“This is Fairhaven Falls. We started talking about you the moment your moving truck crossed the town line.” The other woman gave her an enthusiastic handshake. “Sara, isn’t it? You’ve taken over Belle Waverly’s class.”
“That’s me.” She smiled, charmed despite herself. “I wanted to check out some of the local shops and get a feel for the town.”
“I’m a relative newcomer myself, but it’s a wonderful place to live. Would you like to look around? Let me know if you have any questions about the store—or the town.”
She laughed and nodded, eagerly exploring the vintage clothing along with a charming miscellany of gently used items. Posy happily filled her in on the story behind many of them. The vintage dress in the window had belonged to a silent film star who’d retired to Fairhaven Falls in the 1940s. The antique mirror in the corner was rumored to show your true self, though Posy admitted it mostly just showed your reflection with betterlighting. The collection of teacups near the register had been donated by a genie who was very particular about proper tea service.
“A genie?” she asked, trying to hide her skepticism.
Posy shrugged. “That’s what I was told. At this point, I just roll with it.”
“This town is…” She hesitated, searching for the right word.
“Peculiar? Impossible? Absolutely bonkers?”
“I was going to say ‘wonderful.’”
Posy’s expression softened. “It’s that, too. Fairhaven Falls has a way of collecting people who need somewhere to belong. We’re all a bit odd here, but that’s rather the point, isn’t it?”
“I suppose it is.”
