Page 39 of Let Me

He grabs my hand, pulling me back to him, right up against his body and all of him engulfs me in a hug.

Oh, I love this feeling so much—love being in his arms.Even if he doesn’t know it yet, I know he’s mine from this point forward.Whatever reservations he has, he’ll just have to get over them.

When he releases me, I go in search of the others.Tabitha and Moriah are sitting on the sofa when I return.

I say, “Hi, ladies.”

“Hey,” Tabitha says.“Girl, you alright?You look flushed.”

“Oh, yeah.It’s a little humid outside,” I tell her.

When I see them with coffee and frappes, I walk over to the coffee counter to order a mocha frappe for myself when I feel Judah’s presence looming behind me.He says, “She’s with the group.Put it on my tab.”

I grin and turn around to ask, “You really opened a tab?”

“I did,” he says, staring at my lips.“Get whatever you want.”

“I’m good with the frappe.Thank you, Judah Westinghouse.”

“You’re welcome,” he says, then leans down close to my ear and continues, “Autumn Pemberton.”

I’m pleasantly surprised by this side of him.I like this more relaxed version.The flirtier version.This is the man I thought I was getting when he gave me his ice cream.I’m glad he finally showed up and showed out.

After I get the frappe, we walk over to join the others.A few more people join us – ones that I’m meeting for the first time.

I ask, “So, what do you all do when you meet up here at the bookstore?”

Judah was about to speak, but Luna speaks up, and says, “We read silently for fifteen minutes and then we discuss aloud what we like or dislike about the book based on the few pages we’ve read.”

I look at Judah and he replies, “What she said.”

“Okay.I can do that.”

Judah sets a timer and says, “Starting now,” and then he sits on the armrest of the chair I’m sitting on and hands me the book he just purchased for me.I crack it open to chapter one and begin reading.The story starts off good.It’s a cute little romance about a woman who owns a bakery and is doing her best to take care of her sick sister.Then in walks a man, suited up, looking like he’s about his business.It’s a romance novel, so of course he’s the mosthandsomeman she’d ever seen in her entire life.I smile at the thought.Things get interesting when the man finds out the woman running the joint is severely shy and really doesn’t have the skills it takes to run a business, but she makes one heck of a cupcake.

“Okay, time’s up,” Judah says.“Who would like to share first?”

Luna stands up and says, “I would.”

Of course she would.

“Ahem,” she says.“So, the book I’m reading is calledA Bride for Mars.Okay, let me lay out the premise of the story.There’s a woman who is called to Mars to be a bride because if the king of Mars doesn’t get married, the inhabitants will all die.The woman is hesitant to go, but I think she’s going to end up falling in love with him.Ooo—I can’t wait to finish this one.”

I smile and then listen as a few other people share their stories.

Judah asks, “What was yours about, Autumn?”

“Skip me,” I say.“Go to someone else.”

“Oh, come on,” Tabitha says.“We’re all family here.Ain’t no need to be shy.”

“Yeah, Autumn.There’s no need to be shy.”

“You’re right.”Sinceheput me on the spot, I’ll do the same to him, inconspicuously of course.Instead of saying what my book was about, I say, “So, my story opens with this woman meeting a man who doesn’t want to fall in love because he’s sick.She’s really feeling him, though, and the author makes sure she lets the reader in on the fact that the woman knows the man is feeling her, too, but she doesn’t think the man will change his mind.So now, she struggles internally.Should she continue to hope and wish that he will change his mind, or should she leave him alone?I read chapters one and two.I’m looking forward to seeing what chapter three will bring.”

“That sounds good,” Moriah says.“I’ma have to read that after I finish mine.But let me tell y’all what mine is about.”

While Moriah is telling everyone what her book is about, Judah leans down and whispers in my ear, “That’s not what your book was about.”

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