“Good. I’m going to finish getting myself together, then I need to pack up some stuff for the signing and if I have time, maybe write a little.”

“How’s the book coming?”

“Slowly. But it is what it is.”

“Can I do anything for you?”

“Not really, unless you can whip out the last twelve or so chapters of this book.”

“That’s probably best left to the professional.”

“In that case, I’d better get moving.” She put her hands on his chest, went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, giving him a whiff of her clean scent.

It shot through his blood like a drug, ramping up his craving for her. “Yeah,” he mumbled.

She patted his chest and trotted back to the rear of the house. “Make yourself at home.”

“Uh-huh,” he answered. A brilliant response. He shook his head, grinned at his unbridled infatuation with her and went to do another perimeter check.

He might not be able to write the chapters she needed, but he could damn well protect the woman who could.

At a quarter after twelve, the size of the crowd already assembled in the bookstore was astonishing. Roxy peered out the one-way window in Agnes’s office. People were everywhere. Most were in line to buy one of her books, since Agnes had made it clear that supplies were limited and no one was getting anything signed unless they had a receipt for at least one book purchased at Bell, Book & Candle.

Roxy let out a soft whistle. “That’s quite a crowd out there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in one place because of me.”

Agnes nodded as she fastened the locket Roxy had just given her around her neck. “It’s going to be a good signing. Don’t worry about the crowd. Leo will get them organized. He’s got tickets to hand out with the times they’re to come back to get their books signed. That way we don’t have a mad rush of people. After they get their books, that is. The crowd will be spaced out pretty evenly over the event.”

“Well done.” Roxy smiled. “This isn’t your first rodeo, is it?”

“No, it isn’t.” Agnes looked proud and pleased. “But this might be the biggest one.” She lifted her chin and patted the locket. “How’s it look?”

“Perfect.”

“Thank you again. I love it.”

Roxy was about to reply when Alex came in. “It’s a madhouse out there, but everything’s secure. Agnes, please make sure the alarm’s set on the back door.”

“It is,” Agnes said.

Alex frowned. “Don’t you need to check a panel or something?”

“No.” Agnes pulled a thin silk cord from under her green and purple tunic top. At the end dangled a silver disc with some symbols marked on it. “The alarm is magical. Anyone comes through that door and this amulet vibrates to announce it.”

“That is so cool,” Roxy said. The more she knew about this town and the people who lived here, the more she fell in love with it.

Alex’s mouth stayed pressed in a hard line. “That’s great for you, but I’m not going to know if someone comes through there. Do you have a physical alarm you can set?”

“Yes, but I don’t usually set it during the day.”

“Can you make an exception today? For me. And Roxy.”

Agnes tucked the amulet away. “You got it.” She typed in a code on a small touch pad by the door. “There. All set. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get out there and make sure everything’s going according to plan. Leo’s good. But he’s not me.”

“Understood,” Alex said.

“Thank you,” Roxy added.

Agnes left them and Roxy sighed as the door shut.

Alex took her hand. “You feel cold. Are you okay?”

“Nerves.” Which she knew were reflected in her smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“Can I get you something? Coffee? A soda? A shot of whiskey? Anything. Just name it.”

She laughed and shook her head, her smile growing more genuine at his eagerness to help. “Save the whiskey for later, but the caffeine will just make me jittery, and Agnes has water out there. I appreciate the offer, though. And I really will be fine. This is just my process.”

“Nerves, huh?”

“Yep.”

“About the signing or your unknown stalker?”

“The signing. The stalker is your business to worry about. Plus, with the backup you’ve got here, why should I worry? In fact, I hope he shows up so we can put an end to this.”

“I’m glad you feel that way. I’m hoping he shows up too.” Alex glanced out the window. “Jenna and Tessa Blythe just arrived. Pandora and Kaley shouldn’t be too far behind them. Yeah, if this guy shows up, not only are we going to know about it the second he steps through the door, but he’s not going to know which way to turn.”

Roxy’s phone buzzed. “Speaking of Pandora and Kaley, they’re here and Kaley wants to meet me.” She put her hand on the doorknob.

Alex covered her hand with his. “You’re going out there?”

She laughed. “Well, I have to at some point.”

“You’ll be mobbed. Ask them to come back here.”

She held her hands out. “Have you seen the size of this office?” Adding two more people would mean someone would have to stand on a chair. Or the desk. If they could find a spot that wasn’t covered in paperwork.