A Novel Love Story

Elsy tries to figure out how to get Ruby and Jake back together, but she can rarely find time to escape Anders in their small town. One day, when he asks her to watch the bookstore, she sneaks out to Sweeties to ask Maya something. Instead of Maya, Elsy meets her older sister, Gemma, the owner of the candy shop and the protagonist of the third Quixotic Falls novel. She learns from Gemma that Maya and Ruby have gone out of town, but Jake will be off helping Junie and Will with the inn tomorrow. Elsy is surprised when she returns to the bookstore and Anders is already there, but he is not mad at her for leaving.

Anders had promised to take Elsy around Eloraton after discovering that she would be staying longer, so they go to many of the places mentioned in the Quixotic Falls books. The two continue to bond as Elsy learns that Anders has a sister and hates self-help books. They sneak into the clock tower to see the city from a different view and hear the bell ring, which makes them both feel like the town seems magical. Anders tells Elsy about living in New York City, and she tells him about how she would run a bookstore if she could do anything.