Page 51 of Kiss and Spell
“But seriously! Thank you for coming out. Eat, drink, and be bookish!”
Everyone returned to their conversations and went for the snack table. Ursula approached the Book a Date pile with Xavier by her side. She rubbed her fingertips together and picked up a stack of wrapped books.
“Are you looking for anything special?” Xavier asked.
“I’ll know what I want when I see it,” Ursula said.
She read the book descriptions to herself while Xavier peeked over her shoulder.
A thief for hire accidentally steals the one thing that might end her career—the heart of a billionaire’s son who stands to inherit his father’s empire.
Ursula pursed her lips. She did like a good romantic caper. “Let me think about it.”
She tucked the book under her arm and read another cover: A lady-knight, looking for a lost treasure, meets a wayward prince hoping to outrun his past.
A scoff escaped her lips. Okay, that description was a little too on the nose for her. She couldn’t look at her butter knife without her stomach jumping in memory. Even more, her dreams were taunting her with the prospect of Xavier’s touch.
“That sounds interesting,” he murmured.
Ursula handed it to him. “That’s all yours, Xavier.”
He took it from her. Ursula helped herself to a quick snack of Swiss cheese and crackers while scanning the table. She read a few more descriptions until she had a tall stack of possible reads in the crook of her arm. Ursula juggled her unread books with the others she wanted to hold on to for safekeeping. They threatened to spill out of her arms, but Xavier was by her side catching any strays that fell. She picked up another book, the description making her heart race.
An imaginative woman wakes up one morning to find herself inside the storybook life she’s always wanted. Talking frogs, bad kisses, and brave knights, oh my!
The cheese in her mouth went sour. It was a copy of her favorite book. The first book she gave away the day after the wedding. She rid it from her life, and here it was haunting her. Ursula dropped it on the table as if it were a lit match. No way. She had no intention of letting herself get pulled back into that story. But her hand hovered over the book.
Maybe fate was trying to tell her to pay attention to the past.
“Do you see something you like?” Xavier asked.
Ursula showed him the book in question. “Maybe.” He quickly read the description written on the paper cover and made a sound of agreeance.
“I don’t know what that book is but it sounds perfect for you,” Xavier said.
This book reminded her that she tried to make her life into a storybook but failed miserably.
She gently placed it back on the pile. “Well, it’ll go home with someone else.” Ursula collected her final selections in her hands. “I’ve got everything that I need.”
Those familiar words felt bad in her mouth, like she swallowed sour cherry candies. The last time she said that sentence, she was less than twenty-four hours from getting jilted. From becoming estranged from her family. From weakening her magic. Xavier picked up a few books from the table and followed Ursula. Eddie stood behind the front counter and cashier area. She waggled her brow at the large stock.
“Looks like someone’s not going home alone tonight,” she said happily.
As Eddie rang up the books, Ursula glanced at Xavier. He blinked slowly as if trying to collect his thoughts. As if he was mentally trying to choose the right words.
“You have something to say, Your Highness,” she said.
Eddie hummed loudly to herself, as if she was getting ready to drown out the conversation.
He licked his lips and straightened. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but you shouldn’t give up on something that makes you happy.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Your face lit up when you talked about stories the other night.”
Ursula licked her lips in thought. Why did he have to do that? Notice things about her. Eddie hummed a bit louder and off key. Ursula listened for a moment. Was that the Jeopardy! theme?
“I get happy around books. It happens to a lot of people.”