Page 84 of Cinnamon Roll Set Up

Eliza pipes up. “Miles is sneaky. Like someone else I know.”

“I don’t want to make this weird?—”

“I’m more than willing to do it for you.”

Dean smiles down at her before turning his attention back to Miles. “I don’t read a lot of fiction. Booker makes recommendations now and then, and…well. I’m glad I read yours.”

Eliza shakes her head. “We should have rehearsed this. Hemeans your books are hilarious and twisty and impossible to put down and full of super cool characters and a couple of really awful villains who we hope get theirs in the end.”

Dean nods. “What she said.”

“Also, is Aster ever going to get with his second in command or is that just a merciless tease at this point?”

Miles laughs.

“No spoilers,” we say at the same time.

“Talking in unison already? That’s fun.” She bobs her eyebrows at me. “We’re going to go snag the best blankets before Harper and Sam get there. We’re glad you’re here, Miles.”

They grab some snacks and head into the yard on the shortest route to the set of blankets farthest from the screen.

“Can the babies come back and talk to me?” Miles says when they’re gone.

He looks adrift at sea, like his cruise ship sailed away without him, and he’s all alone on the vast ocean on an inner tube. I step closer to his side and put a hand on his chest.

“Are you okay with all this?” This manneedsto be clapped and cheered, but I don’t want to make him actively uncomfortable. I just want him to see how much he’s adored.

“Yeah.” His stunned expression breaks, and his sweet smile peeks out. “I’m…processing.”

“Which part?” Hopefully not the “Welcome to the family” bit Booker accidentally threw in there. Premature much?

“Having readers? Writing’s a lonely job sometimes. I talk to the people in my head and make them come alive on the page, but that’s solo work. I have some online writer groups I’ve connected with and a critique partner I trust. I hear from my editor and my agent now and then, but I’ve mostly been removed from the reader experience. This is…new.”

“Good new or bad new?”

Honestly, he still looks pretty stunned. “Awkward, but really good.”

“Can we please plan a meet and greet at the store? I know you’ve got more local readers who would show up just to say hi and get a book signed. Put yourself out there a bit. Give people a chance to show how much they love you and your books.”

“I don’t know how an event like that will go. I’m used to blending into the background.”

“Well, that’s too bad, Miles Forrester. You are not a background guy.Youare the main character. You’re the star of the show all the way.”

He goes on watching me likeI’mthe star of the show.

“Seriously. And not just because of your career or the bookshop, but because you are the kindest, most thoughtful, most generous?—”

He leans down and cuts me off with a kiss. It’s brief, but his huge smile when he pulls away says it all.

“You’re right. We should have a meet and greet. I need to get my social media started—one platform is probably all I can handle, though. But I should to be out theresomewhereso I can talk to readers. And more writers. Basically, I need to stop trying to do it all on my own.”

Am I grinning up at him like a goofball? Yup. I do not care. “I should probably be jealous that I’ll have to share you.”

He dips his head closer to mine again. “You never have to share.”

Because I can’t have nice things, Sam walks over to interrupt our moment, disintegrating the butterflies bouncing around in my chest. He’s wearing the biggest smirk ever while he loads up a plate with snacks.

“Miles, I think it’s only fair to warn you.” His intro hits an ominous note. “You’ve got a reputation in the family.”

---