She folded her arms across her chest. “I was thinking more along the lines of spending some time with a certain handsome author.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “It’s not like that.”
“But you wouldn’t mind if it was.”
“I’m not answering that.”
“Ha!” she nearly shouted. “I knew it! It was written on your face the moment that man walked into this place.”
I motioned for Candace to stop talking when Maddie Brooks, who owned the Honey Bee Sew Shop, walked up with her daughter, Emmerson.
“Maddie, Emmerson, did you find what you were looking for?” I asked as they both set down three books each.
“Yes!” Emmerson exclaimed. “Three new YA books that I’ve been dying to read. I’m so glad you order the new releases, Greer!”
Maddie chuckled. “And I grabbed a few books myself.”
I slid Maddie’s books toward me and looked up at her. “I see someone hit the romance section.”
Maddie winked. “I was in the mood for a romantic comedy. I pulled out that list you gave me, and I’ve been dying to read #1 Crush, by T. Gephart. A girl in my book club also recommended it. Said she never laughed so hard while reading a book.”
I started to ring up the books. “I told you it was a good one.”
Candace stepped up. “Let me take over—I believe you have a lunch you need to get to.”
“Oh, that’s right!” I replied. “You’re sure you don’t want to go?”
“No, go and enjoy yourself. Tell the girls I said hi.”
I nodded, then looked at Maddie and Emmerson. “It was so good seeing you both. Don’t forget, Emmerson, we’re starting the young adult book club next month.”
“I’ve already put the first meeting in my phone. I’ll be there.”
“Good! See you there!” I waved to them and rushed back to my office to grab my things. It would take me less than two minutes to get to The Coffee Pot since it was right around the corner on Chestnut Street.
I slipped out the back door of the bookstore and walked up the alley, turned right on Main Street and then right on Chestnut Street. When I walked in, I spotted Arabella and Willa already sitting at a booth. I walked up and slid in next to Arabella.
“Sorry I’m late. I offered to shut the bookstore for lunch, but Candace had already eaten and just got there. She said hi though.” I smiled at Tess who quickly walked up to take my drink order.
“What will it be, Greer? The usual?”
I sighed. “No. I think I’ll shake things up a bit and order a root beer.”
“Whoa, slow down there, Greer. A root beer? Maybe you should take it easy,” Willa said with a straight face. Arabella quickly looked down to hide her laughter, but her shaking shoulders gave her away.
“Ha ha. Root beer is a big step from my normal water, isn’t that right, Tess?”
Tess shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat, sweetie. I’ll be back to take your orders.”
We all watched as she walked away before I turned to see both Willa and Arabella staring at me.
“What?”
“First a date with a stranger and now root beer? Who are you, Greer?” Willa asked.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Wait, how did you know about the date? No, what I meant was…it wasn’t a date. Just a friendly dinner. And how did you find out?”
“Oh, darlin’, everyone in town is talking about it,” Tess said, placing my root beer in front of me. “And he left your place late last night, apparently.”
When she waggled her brows, Arabella and Willa both started to laugh.
My mouth dropped open and I sat there, unable to form words. Did the whole town know that I had dinner with Hudson last night?
“I’m going to kill my mother,” I said as I reached for my root beer and damn near drank it down like a shot of whiskey.
Hudson
My fingers hadn’t moved this easily over a keyboard in years. The words seemed to flow out of me while I finished up the chapter I was writing. I sat back and looked at what I had just written and grinned like a fool.
“This is fucking amazing.”
My phone vibrated and I glanced over to see it was Russ, my agent, calling.
I reached for it and slid my finger over the screen. “Russ.”
“Hudson, I read what you sent.”
I took in a slow, deep breath before I asked, “And, what did you think?”
“This has got to be some of your best work yet. I think getting out of the city was the best thing you could have done. I love the direction you took this. I’ve got to tell you, I had to get up and make sure all my damn windows were locked.”
I laughed. “Trust me, after I wrote that scene last night, I had to get up and make sure everything was locked. I’m out in the middle of nowhere.”