Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“Where to?” he asks.
“To none of your damn business,” I reply, shooting him a wink. “I’ll be back soon.”
CHAPTER 10
Penny
The breakfast rush has finally sputtered out, leaving the diner in a blessed lull where we can catch our breath. While the kitchen gears up for the lunch crowd and Ruby, our longest tenured waitress, covers the stragglers, I work on tallying receipts and making notes for the next supply stock.
The bell over the door jingles—the universal welcome sound for all Whynot businesses—and I glance up to greet the next customer with a smile, only to have my insides turn to butterflies when Sam strolls in. He’s wearing a black T-shirt with a red flannel that looks too good for how ordinary it is—and an expression that says he’s in need of something important.
“Well, look what the wind blew in,” I say, grinning. “You look like a man in need of pie.”
His smile lights up as he heads my way, plopping down on the counter stool closest to the register. One heel propped on a stool leg, the other stretched long to the side, and yeah… his jeans pull nicely against his muscles.
Sam leans a forearm on the counter, mischief flickering across his expression. “You don’t even know my ailment.”
“Don’t need to because pie is a cure-all for everything.” I grab a clean plate and a knife, slice into the apple crumb that many people swear is the reason half this town stays civil and slide it in front of him. “On the house. Doctor’s orders.”
He lifts a brow. “You a doctor now?”
“Of dessert therapy? Board certified.”
I earn a low chuckle and I really do love that sound. It’s representative of the easygoing nature that makes him so appealing.
Sam digs in, making a sound of pure pleasure.
“Did Derek get in okay?” I ask, grabbing a cup and pouring him some coffee.
He nods. “He did and he’s raring to go. We’re going to work at my house until I can get him checked in at Millie’s.”
Sam had told me a little bit about his agent, including a teasing description of a city boy who will most likely scream if a bug lands on him.
“And what was his first impression of Whynot?”
Sam snickers. “He’s blaming the humidity for killing his will to live and he’s offended I didn’t have bottled water in my truck for him.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Poor man. You better get him a fan and a large glass of sweet tea before he withers away.”
“I’ll put it on my list.” He hesitates, fork tapping against the plate. “So, uh… big news. That’s really why I’m here. That Raleigh signing I told you about?”
“Yeah,” I drawl.
“Sold out,” he says, and I can’t tell if he’s excited or terrified. “Three hundred people.”
I gasp so loudly, Ruby’s head snaps my way from clear across the room. I lower my voice and lean closer toward Sam. “That’s incredible! Give your agent a raise.”
He shrugs, but a slow, bashful smile spreads across his face. “Yeah. Derek says it’s the beginning of everything. I think it’s the beginning of a panic attack.”
“Hey.” I lean further across the counter, my elbows resting near his plate. “You’ve got this. You deserve this.”
He finally looks up at me, and for a heartbeat, the world feels small and very still. “You really believe that?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t. You’ve worked hard for this. You’re stepping into who you’re meant to be. And if anyone can charm a crowd, it’s you.”
He smirks faintly. “You haven’t seen me try to small talk.”
“I’ve seen you try to flirt,” I tease. “You’ll be fine.”
That gets a real laugh, and it hits me low in my belly.
“So, what’s next after the signing?” I ask, still smiling.
“Eventually, a press tour after my next book comes out at the beginning of July,” he says.
I consider these changes to his life and I’m hit with a swell of sympathy. “Life as you know it will never be the same.”
Sam puts his fork down. “It would be different if I lived somewhere else.”
“How do you mean?”
“Like, from a more metropolitan or progressive area. Like Chapel Hill. I wouldn’t think twice about being a public romance author if I lived there. It’s all so…”
“Liberal minded?” I guess.
He nods with a grim smile. “I went by my parents’ place a bit ago to try to tell them.”
“Try?”
He sighs. “Yeah. I chickened out. Walked in ready to tell them and found my mom baking cookies for her church group. When I asked her the occasion, she said they were getting together to organize a petition to ban a list of books at the library.”
“You’re kidding,” I exclaim.
Sam chuckles. “I wish I were. So I sat there and listened to the degradation of moral values because of these certain works of literature, and I literally couldn’t tell her I write books that she’ll probably want on that list. Grown-ass man, and I can’t even tell my mama what I do for a living.”