Page 24 of Ella and the Enchanted Bookshop

Belle sent another doubtful look at my bare calves between the bottom of the skirt and above my boots, but she didn’t say anything else. Only told me to have fun before hurrying off in the direction of Margaret’s float.

As she ran down the road, I watched her go. Margaret’s float was always fascinating. For as long as I could remember, she had a little flat trailer bed that she covered in little bookshelves. Each bookshelf was loaded with books, and somehow–though no one actually knew her secret–she made the air around her portable “shop” glitter. Floating with the glitter were open books suspended in the air above the tiny shop, along with several colorful teacups and saucers.

Now that I knew more about Margaret, I wished very much that I had the time to go and poke around her little bookshop trailer. But I knew better than to leave my place in line. And knowing Margaret, no matter what I found on or above it, she would just laugh and say that it took lots of concentration or some other silly nonsense like that.

Although, knowing what I did now… I wondered how much of it was nonsense after all. I mean, if she had really given me a book that wrote itself according to the events of my life, what other surprises was she capable of?

As we waited for the parade to begin, I chatted with those who waited around me. There was Tim, who owned his own woodworking shop. He was riding an adult-sized toy rocking horse with motorized wheels on the bottom. And behind me was Francine with her granddaughter. They were going to be riding in the back of her husband’s pickup truck along with a dozen baskets of fruit from their pick-your-own farm’s harvest. I’d known both families for my entire life, so conversation was easy and light–a far cry from my usual conversations at home.

Still, I couldn’t feel at ease the way I usually did. And though I hated to admit it, I knew exactly why. Something was missing.

Or rather… someone.

Was it ridiculous that I was wishing desperately for a certain officer to be there? It absolutely was. I’d only known the man for two and a half weeks, and he lived in another state. After seeing him two weekends in a row, it wasn’t realistic for me to hope that he would appear again this weekend. His base was just over six hours away. Coming to Colorado three weekends in a row was a great way to put some serious miles on his car.

And yet… I still wished he were there.

Why is that? I wondered as we were herded to the middle of the street. Was it because I was starved for friendship? Outside of my sporadic coffee dates with my cousin, I didn’t have much interaction with friends. I didn’t have time. Did I only wish he were here because he provided the chance to talk?

Or was it because he was the one I loved talking to?

I didn’t have time to answer myself because the parade director began to call for everyone to get ready to begin. The parade had begun, and our group was up to walk next.

The rhinestones on my outfit glittered under the streetlights above. I did my best to smile and wave, although I was really beginning to regret the sassy jean skirt I’d chosen over jeans. It was long by jean skirt standards, its hem below my knees, and it was flowy enough that it allowed for a wide range of motion. But the cold had begun to creep in and around my legs, and mounting Nevada while wearing the skirt in a ladylike manner was a true feat of acrobatic talent. Besides, he wasn’t going to be here after all. What was the point?

“Ella! Ella, we’re here!”

I turned at the sound of Jaelyne’s voice, smiling in spite of myself. Jaelyne had loved the skirt when I’d put it on, and the smile on her face now was really what mattered. Especially considering the sour look on Casey’s face and the look of boredom on Harper’s. I waved down at her and blew a kiss.

“Ella! Ella Verre!”

No. It couldn’t be.

I froze momentarily before turning and looking all around for whoever had called my name. It took me a few seconds of searching before I found them. And sure enough, my ears had not deceived me. Asher and his father were standing on the other side of the street, both of them waving and smiling.

A stupid girlish giddiness shot through me as I beamed and smiled back.

He’d come.

The rest of the parade was like floating through a dream. Everyone was smiling. People waved, and I waved back. And the whole time, I was counting the steps to the end of the parade route, knowing that Asher had come.

Unfortunately, he was not the one to find me first after I’d finished the route. I was removing Nevada’s saddle and telling her what a good girl she had been when Casey appeared beside me.

“What was that?” she demanded in a low voice. She was looking at my show costume with disgust. “Where is our company T-shirt?”

“Everyone knows who we are.” I gave her a wry smile. “I thought I’d make us look a little flashy tonight.”

“You look ridiculous!” Casey pinched the fabric of my sleeve between her fingers and gave it a shake.

I gave her a look. “And you didn’t? Back when you rode the competitive circuit?”

“I wasn’t representing someone else’s business! Ella, look at me!”

I’d been looking past her shoulder in an attempt to ignore her, but at this, I reluctantly made eye contact with her.

“What, Casey?”

Casey’s eyes blazed. “If you think you can just run my business into the–”