Susanne and two of the café staff walked in carrying trays of champagne-filled glasses.
All of her guests and customers took glasses as Cody led her toward the front of the assembled group. Then he took one step away to give her space to give her speech.
Brooke took in a breath and addressed the assembled group of friends, family, and neighbors. “Thank you for coming today. The bookstore and café have been a dream in the making for many months. It started with the idea of carrying on my stepfather’s kindness in sharing. He believed in helping his neighbors and building up his community. I wasn’t sure where to start, until I heard about the bookstore possibly closing. I always loved coming here as a kid. Books were a way to travel to other places, learn new things, and a way to set my troubles aside for a little while and immerse myself in someone else’s life.”
She glanced at Cody, then Mindy Sue, Julie, and her mother watching her, all of them so proud of her. “Some of you know the last seven months have been difficult. Tragic. I lost someone I loved very much.” She brushed away a tear. “And then the love of my life helped me heal, helped me open this place, proposed, and loved me with everything he has. This place wouldn’t have been possible without you, Cody.” She held up her glass to him. “You believed in me. I will never forget that. I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart.”
There were several sighs and aws from the crowd. A few tears, too. From her friends and mom especially.
“I want to thank all of you for coming tonight, for supporting me. Especially you, Mom. Doing this together…it’s been everything I needed and more.” She turned her attention back to the crowd. “Please, enjoy the bookshop, and café. I hope I see you here often. I hope these places mean something to you and it’s where you come to escape and find each other when you need a good book or a friend to hang out with. I appreciate each and every one of you. I’m so grateful to have you all in my life.”
“To Brooke,” Cody toasted, holding up his glass.
“To Brooke,” everyone echoed.
Brooke sipped her champagne with everyone else before she noticed something in the back.Smoke! Oh God! A fire!
She dropped her glass and ran for her back office.
Cody called out to her. “Brooke?”
The blast and whoosh of a fire extinguisher went off, confusing her. Who was back here?
Maybe someone else had seen or smelled the smoke and rushed to help.
She skidded to a halt in the hallway when she spotted Adam, in the same hoodie and jeans from yesterday, coming out of the office and stopping in the open back door.
“Brooke,” Cody called again, this time closer.
Adam’s eyes went wide when he spotted Cody, and he ran.
Cody spun her around. “Stay back, sweetheart, it could still be burning.”
She turned back to the open back door, and then spotted the fire extinguisher on the floor just inside her office.
Cody rushed past her into the office.
Tony came up behind her with Mindy Sue, her mother, and Julie behind him. “Fire department is on their way. I told everyone else to evacuate out the front.”
“The fire is out,” Brooke said, trying to see around Cody.
He turned and tried to make her back out of the office. “The damage is minor.”
“Let me see.”
“There’s nothing to see.” Cody blocked her view by staying really close to her. His height and the width of his shoulders made it so all she could see was him.
“Cody. Stop. It’s my office. Let me see.”
He cupped her face. “I don’t want you to see it.”
“What did Adam do?”
Cody’s eyes went wide. “What?” He must have been too focused on getting to her to see Adam dashing out the door.
“Adam. I saw him just before you came up behind me. What did he do?”
