Page 36 of Driven Daddy

“Maybe.” He grinned at me as he pulled out his phone. “Though JoAnn will shoot me if I take her baby boy away.”

“I am the eldest, thanks.”

“And the only singleton in your clan.”

“Don’t remind me. My mother already tried to get me to have lunch with one of her friends’ daughters.”

“She doesn’t have enough grandchildren?”

“Evidently not.” I turned onto Barrow Avenue to head into town. “I am glad to see you. I talked to my brother about our printing problem, and he had a maybe idea.”

“Maybe?” Larsen glanced up from his phone.

I explained the local newspaper angle, which took up the rest of the drive to Every Line A Story. Since traffic was congested, I took one of the back streets that opened up into the parking lot behind the café. Saturdays were busy in town, but today looked extra full of tourists. Probably people enjoying the temperate fall day.

Since we were early, we stopped at Brewed Awakening. I figured I’d need some extra fortification for the day. The hum of conversation in the café was higher than usual. I wasn’t a resident anymore, but there was a surprising amount of people who I didn’t recognize inside.

The lines were long, but Macy Gideon, the proprietress, ran a tight ship and was moving people along quickly.

Larsen gave a happy sigh. “I don’t know how this place is better than the city for coffee, and yet.”

“Macy is magic. Remind me to get some beans before I leave next week. Unless you’re not sticking around?”

“Nah, I can do everything remotely here. I have a few meetings with our distributors but Zoom works just as well here as it does in the city.”

We talked about the annoyances of behind-the-scenes business as we waited our turn until I heard a throat clear.

I glanced to my right to see a guy in his late teens standing with his fingers jammed into his pocket.

“Sorry to bother you, but are you Penn Masterson?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, man. I can’t believe it. I mean, I’m going to the signing, but you’re really here. Just getting coffee like everyone else.”

I grinned. “I’m just like everyone else. Just with a few extra weird braincells.”

I was used to talking to fans, but it was generally at conventions or signings. Not out in the wild.

“Um. I’m going to stand in line with everyone else, of course, but I was wondering if I could get a photo?”

I glanced at the line.

Larsen waved me off. “I’ll get your regular.”

“Thanks.”

I stepped out of the line and mugged for the kid, and another three people came up. I tried to take photos with everyone, but the crowd kept getting bigger.

I wasn’t expecting all of this in the Cove. People knew of me, but they mostly just thought I was a weird artist type who came and went. Then again, no one in this crowd were people I recognized.

My face started to hurt from smiling, and I was afraid there wouldn’t be a genuine one in any of the photos. I tried to look for Larsen for help and I found him standing by the door with a grin.

I gave him athanks for the helplook.

He just shrugged and sipped from his cup.

I was jostled as two girls stepped closer to me and another three guys crowded in from the front. Had the signing brought this many people in?

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