Rose got a few of her friends from church to say yes. She’d promised them cans of Spotted Cow on the way back.
Fletcher was posting on social to get the word out and build For the Win’s brand as a player. And he was beta testing a new app with ActBlue to keep track of everyone’s contact information—possibly the most valuable part of the operation.
The family-owned And That’s a Wrap just off Main on Washington Street was on board to make boxed dinners with a choice of buffalo chicken salad, ham on cheddar, turkey with muenster, or roasted vegetables and sprouts.
Over at Flour Power, Mimi immediately posted one of the flyers and agreed to make sweet treats for the snack bags.
“I’m thinking Wisconsin-shaped icebox cookies, frosted with royal blue?” Dot suggested.
“On it.” Mimi planned to make lots of extras they could pass out in the greenroom.
That afternoon, Dot thought she’d pop into the Reader Falls Bookshop to try her luck there. She’d been meaning to visit the shop—she loved a good independent bookstore. When she was very young, she’d spend hours in Coliseum Books with her grandmother. She missed that store—and of course that special woman who loved her.
She put theNo Lie with Brian Tyler Cohenpodcast on to listen to while she walked. The topic was beating Republicans at their own game in the culture wars—as it had been for as long as she was listening to liberal podcasts. Her father teased her that she’d never have survived the Rush Limbaugh days.
“Who’s Rush Limbaugh?” she’d asked.
“Oh my gosh. Google it,” he’d said, exasperated at feeling older than his years in that moment.
Mercifully, the weather had given them a break from the extreme cold. The sun shone on blond-brick historical buildings that made up almost all downtown Cedar Falls. In some ways, they reminded her of the Buckley.
She stopped for a moment on the bridge to look at the frozen Cedar Creek under her and admired a mural of Wisconsin history calledFounded 1862that covered the entire side of the best clothing stores in town, Mills and Twills.
Feeling the chill, she moved along and reached her destination. As she opened the door to the bookstore, a little bell rang, and she smelled the moldy scent of old books. The store was warm; a little stuffy, a little dusty. Thick, faded antique carpets covered well-worn hardwood floors, and the building’s original tin tiles lined the ceiling.
The bookcases heaved, and the shelves weren’t level; you had to tilt your head more than usual to read the titles on the spines.
The store was divided with fiction on the right, nonfiction on the left, with a special section for “state and local authors” and the history of Cedar Falls and Wisconsin near the front window. She picked upRaft of Starsby Andrew Graff—she liked the cover. She tucked it under her arm to purchase before she left the store.
Distressed leather couches and chairs were placed all around; seats where customers could sink in and stay awhile. A reading corner for kids was set up in the back. It had colorful beanbags and Bucky Badger held a sign for a children’s reading hour, 4 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays.
Dot noticed a local artwork display on one wall, and a big community board with ads for piano lessons, babysitting, tutoring, and a polar bear ice plunge (Never! she thought.)
She looked around for someone to ask permission from before tacking her flyer up.
A small-boned woman of about sixty with blond hair cut in a short bob and bright blue eyes was standing by the new releases moving books around. She wore a navy turtleneck under a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt, jeans, and lace-up boots that looked like they’d been through a lot.
“Excuse me, do you work here?” Dot used her quiet bookstore voice.
“Not anymore. Spent several years and nearly half of my paychecks on books after high school here, though.” The woman laughed and stuck out her hand. “I’m Grace Taylor.”
“Hi, Grace. Nice to meet you. Dot Clark.” They shook hands. Grace had a firm grip for such a small person.
“Are you new to town?” Grace asked.
“Yes, I’m from Manhattan and working with a Democratic group through the election.”
“Aha. I’ve only ever been to Big Appleton.”
“You’ve never been to the city?” Dot couldn’t believe that. She thought everyone had been to New York at least once. “Oh, you must go. You’d love it!”
“Well, it’s hard to get away with the farm, but I’d like to go one day.” She gestured around the new releases. “And all these books seem to have a connection to it somehow. I’ve read so much about New York I almost feel like I know the place. Seems dangerous. And romantic. And exciting, of course.”
“Oh, it is. It’s... everything.” Dot felt personally responsible to make sure everyone loved New York as much as she did. “Thistown, however, is just totally adorable.”
“Yes. It’s a wonderful place to live. Been here my entire life. We work hard to keep it the way it is. Outside forces are always trying to get their noses under the tent.” She gestured toward the front door at the outside forces. “Anyway, was there a book you’re looking for? Maybe I can help. I still know my way around.”
“I’m definitely getting this book,” she said, holding up the novel she’d already picked up. “But first, I’m wondering if I could post a flyer on the notice board.” She handed one over. “It’s an invitation for a free round-trip bus to the Democratic debate in Madison next week.”