Theo:New phone, who dis?
Fable:??
Chapter 27
Fable
“That was unhinged,” Theo announces, popping a pink Starburst into his mouth.
“Right?!” I pause the closing remarks of the podcast and unwrap another Starburst. We’ve been on the road for almost three hours now. Destination: Unknown (by me at least), but we did pass by a Welcome to Oregon sign a few minutes ago.
“How was that podcast any less creepy thanScream? This shit really happened!” He shivers and I laugh. “She re-gifted the belongings of her previous victim to her new victim!”
“Hence why she’s called theRe-Gifter. And it’s not less creepy... it’s just more fascinating. It’s fun to figure out the puzzle of it all. The whole time you’re wondering why she would do that, and then you find out it’s because her aunt had been doing it for years before and taught her. Like the family business!” I say excitedly.
He side-eyes me. “You scare me.”
“Good.” I set my feet on the dash and pop a Starburst into my mouth—a red one. As kids, we would fight over the reds, but I guess Theo’s tastes have changed because he left them on the console between us. “How much longer do we have?”
Scanning the next sign, he says, “About five minutes.”
A disappointed hum. “No time for the next podcast episode, then. It’s called ‘The Tailor of Taylorsville.’” I give him a wicked grin.
“Sadly, no,” he says, not sounding very sad at all.
“Oh well. We have to save something for the drive home.” Ilook down at the pile of red Starburst and offer him one. “Why are you skipping the red? You used to love them.”
He cuts me a look before taking the next exit. “Because you love them. Saved ’em for you.”
Unwrapping the last red, I offer it to him, and he takes it with a smile. He turns left at a sign proclaiming that Glendale, Oregon, is one mile away. That name ricochets around in my brain for a moment before I can place it. Then it settles—Gramps’s cursive on the back of a photo coming to mind. Glendale, Oregon, is the home of Barb’s Books.
My throat goes dry.
“Theo. What are we doing here?” I croak.
His gaze shoots to mine. For a beat, he takes in my expression, and it must be giving away my thoughts, because his hand lands on my thigh. “We’re going for a visit.”
A colorful blanket of wildflowers lines the road on both sides as we enter the city limits. Theo steers us toward downtown, and when the brick building comes into view, with Barb’s Books written in blue above it, my heart beats out of my chest.
The truck comes to a stop as we park on the street, and all I can do is stare out the windshield at the bookshop. It’s warm, welcoming, bright. Benches and plants line the sidewalk. There are books displayed in the bottom of the window, flowers painted along the edges, and a huge Pride flag hanging across the top. When the door opens, a man pushes a stroller out, and two kids follow him with books in their little hands.
An older Black woman catches the door from inside and waves goodbye to them. She has short, curly gray hair, bracelets lining her wrists, glasses hanging from a beaded chain around her neck, and she’s wearing a long, flowy skirt with an oversize cardigan.
“That’s Barb,” Theo whispers.
I force my shoulders to relax. She looks kind. Absolutely huggable. She’s probably never met a stranger.
Dammit, I want to be her best friend.
“We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to,” Theo says gently. “I got us a place to stay tonight, and we could just explore Glendale instead.”
Barb’s eyes meet mine through the windshield, and I don’t know what she can read on my face, but her smile hitches wider in response. And I feel that smile urge me forward. “No, let’s go in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I decide, unbuckling my seat belt.
By the time we make it to the sidewalk, Barb has gone back inside and Theo holds the door open for me. Stepping into the bookshop is like walking into a dream. It’s even more magical in person than the pictures online. Cozy, colorful, with the perfect scent of old books and coffee.
