Free Frog Hollow (Witches of Sanctuary Book 1) by Savannah Blevins Page A

will always show it.” She pats my arm soothingly. “You’ll see.”
    I try not to look skeptical. Abby sprints from my side ahead of us. She runs halfway down the block, toward a small, two-story brick building with all the lights on. She stands in front of the window, her hand cupped around her eyes, peering inside. She turns, motioning for us to hurry.
    As we walk up, the first thing I notice is the elaborate writing painted on the giant window. ‘Sanctuary Book Emporium.’ I stand frozen as I stare inside at the mounds of books. I know this place, not by sight, but by name. This store belongs to my mother. I remember reading the name in her will.
    A bell rings over the door, and I look up to see Sera holding it open for me. “Come in,” she says, holding out her hand.
    I stumble forward and through the door, my senses completely overwhelmed by the smell of crisp paper and fresh flowers. I take a moment to breathe it in, because if there is one thing I love, it’s a bookstore.
    “What do you think?” Abby asks, swerving between tables of books. “Isn’t it great?”
    I look at Sera as she rearranges a vase of pink and yellow roses on the counter top, and smile. “It’s amazing.”
    And it’s true. It’s unlike any bookstore I’ve ever seen. Small and compact. Dark wooden shelves weave at odd angles along the wall, while other shelves hang suspended in the air. The bay window is highlighted by a platform facing the street. A purple velvet chair and cherry red stool sit on top of it, so people can read while they watch the crowds pass by.
    I’m momentarily startled by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs in the back, until I realize it’s Reid. The torn jeans give him away, because his face is hidden behind three large boxes in his arms. He sets them down in the middle of the floor, wiping the sweat from his brow. “It’s about time.” The scowl is back. Surprise. Surprise.
    My eyes leave his face, down to the plaid shirt that is rolled up above his forearms. It’s sexy.
    Like hella sexy.
    It catches me off guard. I don’t know why. It’s practically a fashion staple in every Starbucks along the California coastline. Reid isn’t a wannabe hipster, though. He’s just Reid. Grumpy. Insufferable. Adrenaline-inducing Reid.
    “I told you six,” Sera says as if she’s singing, deaf to his annoyance. “I’m so glad to see this place alive again.” She bends forward, lifting a yellow rose to her nose.
    Reid softens then, walking over to his mother. “The electricity and water are back on, but updating all the stock and balancing the books is going to take some time.”
    I wander over to one of the giant shelves and run my hand down the side, reading the names of the different genres painted beneath them.
    “Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing Wilhelmina majored in business,” Sera tells him, and I spin around.
    “What?”
    Abby quickly joins me at my side, an all-knowing smirk on her lips. “This is your place,” she says, squeezing my arm. “This is your bookstore.” My mouth drops open. “Surprise!” she adds, throwing her hands out to her side.
    I immediately shake my head in disagreement. “No, it can’t be. I read my mother’s will, line by line. The bookstore wasn’t left to me.”
    Sera crosses the room toward me. “A minor oversight,” she says. “Originally your mother borrowed the money from me to open the store, so she initially left it to me to cover the cost of the loan. But she has long since paid off that debt, and unfortunately we never got around to changing that part of the will.”
    “But that means it still belongs to you.”
    “I want you to have it.” Sera places her hand on my shoulder, comforting me. “I have my own work to do. I don’t have the time to devote to this place to make it what it should be. She would want you to have it.”
    My heart thuds in my chest. The sound vibrates in my ears. I’m completely overwhelmed. I haven’t even