Page 154 of One Touch

It was a shame Ethan couldn’t make it. He’d had some last-minute work to finish at the garage but had promised he’d come pick us up when he was done.

After everyone was seated, Marge started with a—luckily family-friendly—reading from the start of the book. I’d hosted a few small events here before, but they paled in comparison to what Marge was doing. Turns out, she was just as accomplisheda reader as a writer. The atmosphere was electric. People oohed, aahed, and laughed as they were introduced to the characters and the world of Lavender Farms.

“And now, y’all,” Marge announced with a twinkle in her eye, “I have a special surprise. Somethin’ I’m sharin’ for the very first time. My next book—book one in the Smalltown Sweethearts series—has been inspired by a real-life romance.”

My eyes widened.

No.

Fricking.

Way.

“And not just any old romance. A romance that’s quite close to home. In fact, it happened right here in Bluehaven Beach.” She was looking right at me as the crowd murmured with excitement. “It’s the story of our lovely hostess, Lily Lane, and her mechanic sweetie, Ethan!”

It was at that precise moment that Ethan decided to make his grand entrance. He was wearing his overalls and covered in car grease.

“Sorry I’m late!” he shouted, pushing open the door and stumbling in carrying a stack of books. Romance books.

When he’d first confessed to me that he was hopelessly addicted to Marge Statten novels, I’d been shocked, but not disbelieving. I had a feeling that deep down, there was a very gooey center hidden away behind all that firefightery gruffness.

He sat in the empty seat next to Ava and apologized for making a fuss.

Even though he was stacked up high with copies of extremely pastel-colored romance books, Ethan still managed to look so masculine it should have been illegal. He’d gotten even more muscular recently. Since qualifying as a firefighter, he had stepped up his workout regime, ensuring that he was ready for whatever emergency came his way. His face was tanned fromthe summer sun, and his blue eyes were deep and alluring and playful as hell.

I watched happily as he gave Ava’s knee a little squeeze, and winked at me.

“As I was sayin’,” Marge said, “my next book will be all about an age-gap romance between a bookish sweetheart and a firefighter-cum-mechanic.”

“Sounds far-fetched,” Ethan joked.

“That’s romance for you,” Marge quipped back.

After a brief Q&A, I set up Marge at the store counter with a pen and a few stacks of books. People queued up, including Ethan. I sidled up to him and gave him a kiss.

“Can you believe she’s writing a novel about us?” he asked, his face as excited as a kid’s. “The maestro!”

“I can’t! It’s crazy.”

“The boys at the station will never believe it,” he said, shaking his head.

The line moved forward.

Eventually, it was Ethan’s turn. I watched, utterly charmed, as he approached Marge’s table. His usual gruff demeanor melted away as he handed over his book.

“This is Ethan,” I said.

“Well, butter my biscuit if it ain’t Bluehaven’s very own Mr. Darcy,” Marge drawled, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Ethan chuckled, a slight blush creeping up his neck. “I’m more of a Heathcliff, don’t you think? Brooding and misunderstood?”

I smiled proudly. Since learning about Ethan’s interest in romance, I’d been introducing him to a few classics, and he’d devoured them with a hunger to learn.

“Bless your heart, sugar,” Marge said, scribbling in his book. “You’ve got a heart of gold, so Lily tells it. And a talent for rescuin’ damsels and their distressed vehicles, I hear.”

Ethan scratched his head. “You heard about that, huh?”

“Honey, that’s the meet-cute in my next book! Couldn’t resist.”

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