Page 70 of Crushes and Confections

My smile didn’t fade as I grabbed a quick breakfast from the diner, eating as I put in some work on my latest project. After being in the house for so long, somehow, I had grown to work better with the noise around me and the diner was just noisy enough to help me get my words in. If Claire would have let me put a desk in the back of her kitchen, that would have been perfect.

“There he is.” The French accent was a huge giveaway, and I couldn’t believe they were still lingering around. I didn’t bother to look up, and from the heavy sigh and scoff of indignation, they knew they were being blatantly ignored.

“Don’t disturb my customers,” Beatty snapped ruthlessly.

“We are doing no such thing,” Adrien’s mom shot right back. Someone in the crowd let out a low ‘ooooh’ knowing damn well you didn’t insult the woman who provided the best food in town.

“Did you even want food, or are you here to be a pain in my ass?” Beatty continued.

“That’s how you run your business? It’s a wonder you’re even still running,” Adrien’s dad said with a voice dripping in arrogance. He viewed this entire town as poorly as he viewed his own son.

“I think I’m doing just fine,” Beatty snorted. “Forgive me if I don’t take advice from a man as clueless as you.”

“Clueless?” he growled. It was cut off abruptly as several men, including the Sheriff, were standing between them with arms crossed.

“I can see this entire town is brainwashed. We will be reporting you to the authorities,” Adrien’s mom screeched. She went from zero to unhinged far too fast.

Though she made a damn good villain in a story.

That thought had a low chuckle escaping before I’d realized it and suddenly their anger was turned on me.

“You did this! You corrupted our son with your perverse morals and lack of family values!” She bellowed.

This time I did meet her eyes. Instead of engaging, I simply smiled and held up my hand, giving her a solid view of my ring before wiggling my fingers.

They lost him years ago. It was time they accepted it.

Before she could launch a new wave of annoying demands and insults, she was forced out of the diner as the crowd herded them through the doors.

Hunter nodded his head at me, a gesture of respect that I returned, before taking his seat again. The noise picked up as everyone settled back in and I did the same.

“Here, you deserve this,” Beatty said, sliding over an oversized cinnamon roll. “On the house for having to deal with that bullshit."

“Thank you,” I said. Claire and Riley warned never to turn down her generosity, so I took a bite and told her how delicious it was. Her smile was brilliant before she was waving off the praise and bustling off to the next table.

Thirty minutes later, I was stuffed and hitting a stopping point. The meeting was getting closer and now that it had been long enough for the terrible duo to vacate the sidewalk, I packed up and hurried outside.

They were nowhere in sight and I let out a breath of relief when I walked inside the bookstore. Natalie poked her head out from the storage room before letting out an excited squeal.

“I barely slept, I was so excited for this!” she called out before winding her way around the stacks of books to meet me in the front. “I’ve even recruited some help to rearrange the store so we have plenty of room for a signing, panel, and meet and greet.”

“This is a small town. Would anyone actually come?” I asked. Sure in a big city I might gather some interest by advertising it around town, my books had a big online following. Holiday Hollow was a different story, though.

“Honey, this place will be packed. You’ll be like a local celebrity. Honestly, I’d count my blessings if they don’t make up a new holiday just for you,” she teased.

I groaned at that thought alone. “God, you better be joking, Natalie.”

She raised one eyebrow and we both cracked up, knowing damn well this town wouldn’t hesitate to do something that outlandish.

“So, back to the setup,” she said, pointing out where she’d put a podium, chairs, and a signing table. This morning I was feeling so grateful for everything I had, and here she was making it even more intense. I was having an honest to god signing. Something new authors only dreamed about. Even if this wasn’t the biggest or last signing I would do, I knew it would be the most special.

Natalie was organized to the point of pulling out drawings and a schedule, breaking down the event into minute details. Her backup plans had backup plans. From the clutter in the store and her exuberant personality I hadn’t expected it.

At this point, all I had to do was give feedback on her plans and show up, she was handling the rest. The fact that she turned away my money, stating the entire town was pitching in services to bring it together, was impossible to comprehend.

They were going to spend money to throw this event so easily?

She must have noticed the shock on my face, because she stopped and waved me over to the counter. Natalie disappeared behind it for a second before coming back with a small, black rectangle. It had a simple hook on the back but nothing more.

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