Now?
Now it feels important.
I head into the office, crouching down beside the old filing cabinet tucked into the corner. It’s mostly empty—just a few leftover documents from before I took ownership. But there’s a folder at the bottom that I don’t recognize. I pull it out, brushing dust off the cover. No label.
Of course. I flip it open. Inside are old property records, yellowed with age, the ink slightly faded but still legible.
I scan the first page. Then freeze. The name hits me like a punch to the chest. Archer. I stare at it, my pulse suddenly loud in my ears.
“No way,” I whisper.
I flip to the next page. Same name. Different date. Ownership transferred decades ago.
Then again. And again. This place?—
This bookstore?—
It didn’t justhappento be available. It belonged to his family. The realization settles slowly, heavily. Fate. I don’t like that word. It feels too… predetermined. Too out of my control.
But standing here, holding proof that I somehow ended up in a building tied directly to the man I’m apparently destined to be with? It’s hard to ignore.
“Okay,” I mutter, closing the folder. “That’s… a lot.”
I lean back against the desk, staring at the ceiling.
“Universe, if you’re trying to make a point, consider it made.”
No response. Figures. Still?—
The idea lingers. That maybe I didn’t just stumble into Redwood Crossing. Maybe I was led here. I don’t know if I believe that. I’m not sure I want to. But I can’t deny the pattern.
By the time Archer shows up, I’ve had just enough time to spiral into a dozen different theories and reject all of them. He steps through the door like he belongs here. Like he always has. Like part of him never left. Which, apparently, is more true than I realized.
“You’re closing early,” he says, glancing at the half-turned sign.
“I needed a break,” I reply.
His gaze shifts to me, sharpening slightly.
“You okay?”
“Define okay.”
A corner of his mouth twitches.
“Fair.”
I hesitate for a second, then hold up the folder.
“This was in the back office.”
His expression changes instantly. Not dramatically. But enough.
“You found it,” he says.
“You knew?” I ask.
“Yes.”
