Chapter 26
We’ve been unusually busy for a Sunday, and again, there are a lot of readers in town who aren’t planning on being at the event but are here looking for Noah.
However, Noah isn’t around. In fact, I haven’t seen him or heard from him, and I can’t blame him.
Here I was worried about having an affair with a man who was going to leave town, and now I’m just a woman who had a one night stand with a man and then went bat shit crazy on him.
My phone chimes in my pocket and I take it out and check the message. It’s from Katie.
I’m back in town and at the hotel. Meet me here at the restaurant for dinner? Six?
I look at the time, it’s just past three. We close at four on Sunday, which will give me just enough time to go home and change into my own clothes.
I’ll be there , I reply, to which she sends a smiley face emoji.
“Where’s your tenant?” Lily asks as she brings a stack of books from the back room to the counter to add to stock.
I shrug. “Really? You’re surprised he hasn’t shown up?”
Lily grins as she sets down the books. “He just doesn’t realize that your sass is part of your charm.”
I snort out a laugh. Only Lily could get away with saying things like that to me and I’d find it funny.
The lobby of the resort bustles with people checking in for the week, and those heading into to town.
Katie stands at the entrance to the hotel’s restaurant, her phone in her hand, and probably the most casual outfit I’ve seen her in yet—a pair of jeans, a crisp white button-down shirt, a beaded mala around her neck, and three-inch high heels.
I’ve always had a more bohemian style. I look down at my mountain-dweller style of jeans, boots, and a sweater—it is still March in the Rocky Mountains.
With my coat draped over my arm, I walk toward her, very aware that somewhere in this building, Noah has taken refuge away from me.
“Hi,” I say to draw Katie’s attention from her phone.
“Oh, hey, Emma,” she says tucking her phone into the purse. “I got us a reservation. I wasn’t sure how busy they would be.”
“Never a bad idea,” I say as I follow her to the host stand and she gives them her name.
We are seated and Katie orders a bottle of wine and a candied pecan chicken salad.
“I assumed you knew the menu,” she says looking at me as if she might be terrified that she quickly ordered as we were seated.
“I’ll have the same,” I tell the server. “It’s a good salad.”
“I studied the menu online. I hate waiting for servers to come back to the table. You never know if they will.”
I think that says volumes to the difference between small town mountain living and New York City.
“When I was driving up to the hotel, I saw your store window. It looks fantastic. Have you been getting a lot of business with the display?”
The server returns with our wine and fills us each a glass.
“We have had more business. It appears there are quite a few people who came early, but don’t plan to be here for the event. Many of them have heard that Noah is in town, and they are trying to run into him.”
Katie shakes her head as she picks up her wine glass. “Tell me he’s being gracious and not an ass. I hadn’t considered readers clamoring for him.”
She hadn’t?
“He’s been delightful,” I say, but even I hear the choked sound I make with it, so I quickly pick up my glass and sip my wine.
“Delightful. That’s not a word I associate with Noah Carter.”
When I’m with Noah, I see a sensitive man who understands people. Maybe not how to deal with them, but he’s studied them and he knows how they tick. After reading his comments about my romance novel, he understands deep emotion too.
Then, there’s the man I’ve been intimate with. Nothing that night showed me the side of the man that lines up with how Katie views him. He was gentle, sincere, and gracious in his giving.
But I know he has a reputation for a reason. So what makes him different when he’s with me, or in my store, or here in this town?
Katie takes another sip of her wine and eases against the back of her chair. “I just hope he isn’t in your way or giving you any trouble. He’d better be working. His editor has been expecting pages from his new book, but he hasn’t sent over anything.”
I swallow hard. “He’s been putting in a lot of hours,” I say, but there is some truth to when I ask how productive he’s been, he only shrugs. “I’m sure he’ll have something soon.”
“He’d better. He has a lot riding on this book. I mean, the world still wants to hear from him. He sells, but he’s hard to work with.”
I feel as if I’m part of a gossip session I shouldn’t be part of. Sure, if this was a week ago before I’d studied those dark eyes or kissed those talented lips—maybe. If it had been before we’d eaten that brownie and slept on the floor of my store, which only led to us sleeping in my bed—and more.
Again, I pick up my wine and sip as Katie pulls her phone from her purse.
“Let’s talk about the literary event,” she says as she scrolls through her phone. “There is going to be so much going on in the next two weeks. I’m so excited for your store.”
I listen as Katie talks about the different events that will be happening during the week.
Each author will give a talk and do a Q&A.
There will be a panel with all of the authors, and then of course there will be the events at my store.
Each author will do a book signing and a reading.
I have to admit, I’m giddy to see my store filled with people.
I mean, that’s the image in the dream I’ve always had, and now it’ll be a reality.
“I’ll come by tomorrow and we’ll scope out the store for the best layout for the readings.
You might have to move some shelves around, or maybe we can work with your neighbor and use her dining area for seating,” she draws out the last words and makes a note in her phone.
“What’s her name? I’ll reach out to her. ”
“Agnes Packer,” I say as the server brings our salads.
“Right. Since the stores are connected, maybe we can get enough seating in her place and then the bookstore doesn’t have to move anything, and that’ll allow for better sales for you,” she says with a rise of her brows.
“Well, I’m all in for that,” I say, but all I can think about is standing next to Noah as he signs the thousand books I have in my back room.
The thought warms me. But then I think about how I acted yesterday and now I wonder if he’ll want me involved at all.