CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

READER FRIENDS

ELLE

Now

A couple weeks later, I am sitting in the back of Twinkle Tales trying to calm down my jitters over the signing about to take place. Rhodes has sent me a video of the long line that's outside the store and all the way down the street…which isn’t helping to ca lm me down.

Calista comes in with a bottle of champagne. She opens it and pours me a glass with a flourish before pouring her own glass. We tap them together.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” she says. “I know you wanted to stay hidden forever and you could have, even after the word got out. But I'm really, really glad you're doing this for me.”

“You're doing this for me ,” I say. “Thank you for being such an advocate of my book and for selling it, even before you knew it was mine.”

“Girl, your book sold itself,” she says, laughing. “I’m just so glad I found it and that the rest of the world did too. And so, so glad you're my best friend.”

“Me too.” I hug her and fan my face, feeling myself getting emotional.

“You ready for this?”

“I think so.”

Rhodes knocks on the door and comes in, looking like a kid. We celebrated his birthday a few days ago and had so much fun, but you’d think today was his birthday for how excited he is. Levi pokes his head around Rhodes’ leg and runs in when he sees me. I hug them both. Rhodes kisses my cheek.

“You look beautiful. Don't be nervous. You're going to do great,” he says.

“Oh, that's easy for you to say,” I whisper.

“Do we have time for a quick surprise?” he asks.

“How quick?”

He pokes his head out the door and motions for someone to come. Tru and Henley pop inside.

“I snuck them in,” Rhodes says.

“Aw, hi guys!” I hug them and then pull back, eyes crinkling. “Okay, what’s going on here? You look extra glowy. ”

Tru holds up her hand and I’m blinded by a gorgeous sparkly diamond. “We’re getting married!”

“Ahhh,” I yell. “This is the best news!” I hug both of them. “Oh my goodness, you guys. I’m so happy for you both.”

“The hundredth time I asked her finally worked,” Henley says, kissing Tru’s hand. “She said yes last night and we were waiting to tell everyone in person. But the guys got it out of me when we got here.” He laughs.

“And I knew you’d want to know right away,” Rhodes tells me.

“Absolutely.” I hug Tru again. “So, so happy.”

She can’t stop smiling and she nods. “Me too. Sadie was there when Henley told the guys, so I just need to find Calista now and tell her the news!” She looks at the clock. “Oh yikes, I think the doors will be opening soon.”

After more words of encouragement and hugs, they go get a seat. Calista leans in long enough to say she’s going to open the doors. I pace back and forth until she calls me out there, and I’m surprised to see all the chairs filled, plus people lined up on either side and as far back as they can fit. There’s a rush of applause when I walk out and Calista starts the event, asking a few crowd-warmer questions. I see people from church and my former co-workers from the chiropractor’s office. Yesterday was my last day working there. Almost all of the cheer team is here, despite the football players in attendance, but Lisa isn’t here, so maybe they’ll be okay. There are a lot of people I don’t recognize too, and based on Calista’s questions, it sounds like many drove here from all over Colorado. One came from New Mexico, which is just shocking. The signing was only announced a week and a half ago.

I expect the Q&A to be a little awkward, but Calista makes it easy, and the readers are so nice. The time goes by fast and it’s mostly questions about the storyline and characters…until the very end.

“So, is it true that this story is based on your life?” It’s a girl who looks too young to be reading my books, and my cheeks burn with the thought of her reading the spicy scenes.

“Uh…well, it’s the story I wished was happening in my life,” I say.

There are a few laughs and I look at Rhodes.

“And then the story that really happened after writing my book is even better.”

That gets applause, and Rhodes sends me a look that makes me excited to get back home. Once the signing starts, I’m not nervous at all. I sign books for hours, smiling till my face hurts and posing for so many pictures. But it's one of the most fun nights I’ve had, especially for any kind of work event. If this is what work feels like, it's exhausting, but so fun. Rhodes keeps coming over to check on me throughout the evening. The guys are here to keep him company and to show their support. They’re so cute standing in line to get their signed copy.

At the end of the night, the crowd thins out and we reach the end of the line.

Becca comes up and says, “Hi, Elle! This is my new friend, Poppy. You can sign her book. You wrote it!”

“Hi, Becca. Poppy! So good to see you again!”

I grin at Poppy briefly before smiling at Becca again. Bowie tried to get her to call me Zoey for the day, but it didn’t take…and I don’t mind one bit.

“Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Becca, but turns out, Poppy and I have already met.”

Becca’s eyes get big. “You know my friend Poppy too? ”

I nod, turning my attention to Poppy. She is gorgeous , with long blonde hair and pale blue eyes, but what strikes me most is how sweetly she smiles at Becca. Becca is one of my favorite people in the world. She’s so lovable, and it seems like Poppy has immediately recognized that.

“But I didn’t know I was meeting Zoey when I met you!” Poppy says, laughing.

“Surprise!” I hold up my hands and Becca mimics me. She’s the cutest.

“Thanks for introducing us again, Becca,” Poppy says, smiling at Becca.

I was charmed by Poppy the first night we met, but now I really am.

“I loved this book.” Poppy clutches the book to her chest, closing her eyes and smiling for a second.

Becca laughs and picks up an extra copy and mimics Poppy. We both laugh.

“Well, thank you so much. I sound like a broken record, but I still can’t believe people are reading it.”

“I will read whatever you write,” Poppy promises.

“Me too, Elle. I read what you write too,” Becca says.

“When your dad says you’re old enough to read these, I’ll give you your own books, okay?”

“Dad, Elle will give me books when I am old enough,” she yells.

Bowie rushes over.

“That’s excellent. Inside voice, please, Becca,” Bowie says quietly.

“Dad, this is Poppy, my best friend, and Elle loves her too. Elle loves me and Poppy.”

I watch as Poppy’s cheeks flush when she looks up at Bowie, but she surprises us both by holding out her hand for Bowie to shake .

“Poppy Keane. It’s really nice to meet you.”

“Bowie Fox,” he says curtly. “Nice to meet you too.”

“Your daughter is delightful,” she says. “And I’m a huge Mustangs fan. Great win last week.”

I stand watching this exchange, enjoying every second. The way Bowie is so stiff and awkward and Poppy is so bubbly and animated with maybe a teensy bit of flirtation laced in there…it’s everything my little romance writer heart adores.

“You are de-lightful,” Becca says loudly, as if she’s trying out a new favorite word. “Sorry,” she whisper-shouts, “you are de-lightful.”

Bowie is not indulgent with his smiles unless it’s directed at his daughter or one of the other kids in the Single Dad Players group. He hands them out freely to them, the rest of us have to earn them. He’s the sweetest man I know, but open and bubbly, he is not. He smiles at Becca now and then is stern by the time he looks at Poppy again.

“I want Poppy to come over for dinner,” Becca says.

Poppy’s cheeks flush again.

“We can’t ask strangers over for dinner, Becca.”

“Not a stranger!” Becca’s voice is rising again. “She is my best friend.”

“That’s very kind of you to invite me for dinner,” Poppy tells Becca. “I’ve already had dinner, but I’m really glad I got to meet you.”

Poppy reaches into her purse and takes out a card, handing it to Bowie. “Maybe Becca would enjoy coming to one of our activities sometime,” she says.

Bowie barely glances at the card. “She’s very busy.”

Poppy laughs. “It sounds like it. She was telling me about her schedule. Whew! ”

“I have time, Dad.”

This time I laugh along with Poppy. Rhodes walks over and puts his arms around my waist.

“What did I miss?” he asks.

“This is Poppy.”

“Nice to meet you,” Rhodes says.

“You too,” Poppy says, smiling at us.

“Poppy and Becca are trying to talk Bowie into some kind of activity,” I say, enjoying the look Bowie shoots my way.

“Oh, what kind of activity?” Rhodes asks.

“I’m an Adaptive Recreation coach for kids at Briar Hill,” she says. “And there are just so many fun things that we do…swimming, track and field, gymnastics, volleyball…flag football.”

“That sounds perfect for Becca,” Rhodes tells Bowie.

“Perfect!” Becca nods. She pats Poppy’s arm. “I like Poppy.”

“I like you too, Becca,” Poppy says, smiling back. She looks at Bowie. “There’s no pressure at all. But it could be fun. One of the first things Becca said when she introduced herself to me over there,” she points toward the front of the store, “was that she can run faster than you.”

Rhodes cracks up. “She’s got you there. You’re fast, but Becca can run .”

Becca smiles at Rhodes proudly.

Poppy shrugs. “There you go. Meant to be.” She looks at Becca. “I’m so happy I got to meet you today.” She glances at Bowie and away quickly, the flush on her cheeks deepening. “And your dad.”

Bowie’s expression doesn’t change, but is that a slight flush to his cheeks that I’m seeing as well?

“Hug!” Becca says.

Bowie’s eyes widen, and Rhodes and I look at each other in surprise. Becca’s incredibly social, but she’s as choosy with her hugs as Bowie is with his smiles.

“I would love a hug,” Poppy says.

They hug and after she walks away, we all stand there watching her go.

“I like her,” I say.

“Me too. I like Poppy,” Becca says.

“And she liked you…” Rhodes tells her. Lower he says, “And did you detect that flirting she was doing there, my man?”

Bowie scoffs. “She was not flirting.”

“Was she flirting, Elle?” Rhodes asks.

“She was definitely flirting.”