“I…”
I turned completely around this time with an eyebrow cocked and my head tilted, waiting for him to get out whatever this favor was. While I was curious, I wasn’t going to beg him to tell me.
“I finished my latest book.”
What did he want, a cookie? Or to brag, since I was so damn far behind in my own? “Okay?”
“I was hoping…”
Fuck. “That I’d read it,” I finished for him, the tension increasing in my chest. I should’ve known.
No, you shouldn’t have asked. You should’ve let him leave instead of inviting him back into your life by opening that damn door yourself.
He nodded, wiping his hands down the outside of his thighs.
Well, look at that, he’d been nervous about asking. The man who didn’t seem to have a filter.
“Yes. I know you’re busy with your own writing. And you haven’t—”
I cut him off abruptly. “Do you have a copy with you?”
His mouth opened in surprise, then snapped shut and he shook his head. “I can email it to you. I’d just need your email address.”
“If I give it to you, will you finally leave me alone?”
His mouth thinned into a slash for a split second before saying, “That’s not very nice.”
“When and where did you get the impression I was worried about being nice?”
“I didn’t get that impression. My impression of you is far from nice.”
Damn. That slap-back almost made me grin.
“I haven’t read the rest of the series yet. Will it matter?”
His brow furrowed. “Wait… You’ll read it?”
I released a sigh. “If there won’t be any spoilers for the Peabody books I haven’t read yet.”
“There won’t be. Like the rest of the series, he works on a completely new case in each book.”
I nodded. I did the same with my books, too. Each book in the series could stand alone. You could start at any point along the way and move backward or forward.
“Fine. I’ll read it when I get a chance. Are you in a rush?”
“I can wait since I don’t have it up for preorder yet. But as soon as you’re done reading it, I will.”
But he needed my email.
If I gave it to him, that would be one more way to wedge his foot into the door.
Worse comes to worse, I could open a free email account and use that. This way if he got to be too much of a pest, I could delete the account. “Is your email on your business card?”
“The store email is.”
“I’ll send an email to it so you have mine.”
He smiled.
Actually freaking smiled. A very large, genuinely happy smile.
I once again stopped breathing.
Where he stood in my clearing, the sun had already been shining on him but when he added that smile?
It became blinding.
But my attraction and reaction to him was disturbing.
I forced myself to turn and go back inside.
“Hey!”
Christ on a cracker, what else could he want from me? I already agreed to do something big for him. Something time consuming and would eat into my own writing time. In addition to that, it would turn my love of his books into work, taking away some of that reading pleasure.
With a stifled sigh, I turned back one more time.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
No. I groaned under my breath. “I’d prefer you didn’t.”
Of course he ignored that. “Why don’t you have any pictures displayed of you and your husband?”
Oh hell no. We weren’t going there.
“Have a great day,” I ground out and spun on my heels to go back inside and lock him the hell out.
“That didn’t sound very genuine,” he called out as I slammed the door shut and threw the slide lock.
CHAPTER 9
Chase
I heard the shake, rattle and roll of a truck coming up the lane first. Then the very recognizable bark of an excited dog second.
With a grimace, I took a last glance at my screen and saved my work before closing my laptop and getting to my feet. I didn’t need to go out front to know who was once again trespassing without my permission.
Shit. How could he get my permission first? I’d given him no way to contact me other than in person. He probably thought I purposely didn’t email him when I only just remembered I had forgotten. The reason I’d forgotten was because for the first time since losing Thomas, I actually found myself in a writing groove and was taking advantage of it while it lasted.
Another bout of writer’s block could be lurking around the next corner. That threat made me stay up late and get up early to do nothing but write as long as the words were coming easily.
I was grateful they’d been flowing like a broken dam.
Spending all the time I did outside when the weather was nice, along with the stunning views and peaceful atmosphere must have finally spurred my creativity like I’d hoped it would.