Page 6 of The Secret Crush Book Club (Peach Blossom #3)

Five

D ani felt like throwing up. She had almost texted Zoey back twice to say she either changed her mind and wasn’t coming, or something had come up and she couldn’t go.

It was for those reasons she knew she needed to fight through the anxiety of doing something new and show up.

She couldn’t keep hanging around the house alone.

She might go crazy if she continued to stare at the same four silent walls.

Everyone in the house had more of a social life than her, including Jordan.

It was time for Dani to get her shit together and find a little more happiness in her day.

If that meant feeling a little awkward about meeting brand-new people, then so be it.

Zoey had told her not to bring anything, that the snacks and drinks would be taken care of, but Dani would have felt weird walking in with nothing in her hands. She hadn’t reached back out to see if anyone had allergies, so she hoped a peach cobbler would be neutral enough to be okay.

“Where you headed, kiddo?”

Dani was startled to hear her dad’s—Daniel’s—voice as she was walking out the door. He was getting out of his car with a couple of plastic bags. She lifted the cobbler dish in her hand. “Headed to Zoey’s for a book club meeting.” She paused. “Did you need me for anything?”

Daniel shook his head. “Nah. You go on and have fun with your club. I’m going to make me some food and settle in for a quiet night at home.”

Dani kissed him on the cheek when he leaned down before continuing to her car.

She made sure the cobbler dish was secure before throwing the car in Reverse and making her way to Zoey’s.

It didn’t take long. They only lived a couple roads apart, but even though it was a short ride, she still found time to let her anxiety grow.

She should have asked more questions about who was going to be there.

It wouldn’t have changed her mind about making an appearance, but at least she would have been able to know who else was there ahead of time.

All Zoey had mentioned was that there were about nine people—well, ten now, including Dani.

She wasn’t sure if that was a normal number for a book club or not.

The sky was painted in light purples as she turned on to Zoey’s street.

The duplex she was in had once been a large single-family home.

That’s what most homes were in Peach Blossom.

The town only had one apartment complex, with a couple others twenty to thirty minutes away.

Dani knew it was the old librarian’s home that Zoey was renting.

The older woman had retired and promptly made her way to Florida to be with her daughter and grandchildren.

Dani could understand wanting to be with them now that she had more free time.

Dani’s dad had been the same way when he had retired, filling in for Dani in as many school activities for Jordan as possible.

When Dani pulled into the driveway, she had to pause for a moment to compose herself.

She wasn’t sure why she was feeling so unsettled.

It’s not like she didn’t deal with people all day.

She was a nurse. Dealing with people was part of her job, and that included people she wasn’t close to.

But after her mom’s death so many years ago, the Williams clan had grown very close and tended to stick together.

Having two other sisters meant that Dani had built-in friends even as much as they bickered and argued.

It was always sort of them against the world.

Now, with Ava and Grace practically joined at the hip, and Vini becoming a world traveler with Jessica, Dani was finding herself having to make new friends again for the first time in decades.

She wasn’t even sure if she was good at it anymore.

It’s not like she didn’t have friends outside of her sisters, but the past few years she had been busy with helping Vini keep the family business, getting divorced and concentrating on raising Jordan.

Having all that change left her realizing she had been neglecting herself in many ways, leaving her slightly adrift now that the realization had bubbled to the surface.

“Maybe this will be good for me,” she said to herself.

There was no one else around to confirm or deny that statement.

It was becoming a familiar scene, and one she was quickly growing tired of, so she sighed before moving to get out of the of the car.

She didn’t want to make it weird by being seen pulling up and just sitting in her parked car outside of Zoey’s house.

She grabbed the cobbler and walked to the front door.

When she knocked, she could hear muffled voices that continued even after the door was opened.

“Just in time.” Dani smiled and nodded at Tiffany. She recognized the other librarian from the many times she had come in. They hadn’t really talked, given that Zoey was the one in charge of the esports club Jordan was in, but Tiffany was from Peach Blossom, which meant Dani knew of her.

“Hey, Tiffany,” Dani said in greeting before holding up the dessert dish. “I brought a cobbler. I know Zoey said not to bring anything, but it would feel weird if I showed up empty-handed when I don’t even have the book.”

Tiffany giggled before reaching out and taking the cobbler dish. “No way, this is perfect. I remember you bringing a cobbler in for us once before.”

Dani nodded and walked through the doorway when Tiffany gestured for her to come in.

She closed the door behind her, glad for a small moment to prepare herself for being social for the night.

“I did. It was during that library potluck you guys had a couple months ago. I think you were raising funds for new laptops or computers or something.”

“That’s right. There was so much good food brought in, but I still remember that cobbler. We were sad when there wasn’t any left to pilfer, so you bringing us one now is more than perfect,” Tiffany said. She led Dani back through the formal living room and into the kitchen.

There, Dani tried not to let her nerves get the best of her when the conversation that had been going on died down and seven other pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

It was a lot like walking into the classroom on her first day of school.

She recognized some of the faces, given that Peach Blossom was a small town, but when she saw Zoey sitting there with a little smile on her face, Dani felt a profound sense of relief.

Zoey was in that mustard-yellow cardigan that on anyone else would have looked awkward, but on her looked perfect and pillow soft. Large square-shaped black frames fit her face perfectly, and her curly hair was like a soft halo around her heart-shaped face.

“Hey, Zoey. Thanks for inviting me.”

Zoey stood up quickly and walked over to Dani. “I’m so glad you came.” She looked down at the dish in Tiffany’s hand. “Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything. I made snacks and got drinks for everyone.”

Dani shrugged. “I know, but I wanted to bring something. It’s the first time I’ve ever been to your place, so consider it a housewarming present or a thank-you for inviting me to book club.

It’s nice to get out of the house every now and then, and if it’s about books, it’s even better.

” Zoey looked back up at her with a wide smile, and Dani tried to ignore the way her breath caught.

“I agree,” Zoey said. “I know it’s probably a little bit of a stereotype to be a librarian and start a book club, but I couldn’t resist. Tiffany and I tended to chat about books that we were reading anyway, so starting a book club just seemed so perfect.”

“It is perfect,” Dani said. She could almost taste Zoey’s excitement.

It was invigorating to have someone enjoy their work so much.

Not everyone could say that, but with Zoey, it was evident in the way she talked and the way her hands almost fluttered with the words, as if trying to take flight.

When a throat cleared, Dani blinked quickly and realized that she was standing there, staring at Zoey even after the other women had stopped talking.

Zoey seemed to realize the same thing, and she took a step back before turning and gesturing to the rest of the group.

“Well, how about we do some introductions to reacquaint everyone. We have a couple new people, so you aren’t the only one, Dani.”

Zoey delivered that line with a smile, but rather than be relieved, Dani felt a little down.

She had thought she was the only one who had just received an invite, but of course there were others who Zoey probably reached out to.

She was just being friendly. And why was Dani feeling some type of way about it anyway?

She pushed the thought from her mind as Zoey called everyone over to grab some food, and it wasn’t until they were settled into seats in the den that Dani realized she didn’t know how to start conversations with anyone.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know them, she just didn’t know them well enough to know what to talk about.

Thankfully, Tiffany decided to jump in and get things started.

“So, since we have some new faces,” she started, drawing everyone’s attention. “I thought it would be great to start with a little icebreaker to kick things off. Why don’t we go around and tell one interesting fact about ourselves.”

Everyone nodded their heads, and Dani verbally agreed as well. She wasn’t sure what to really say. There wasn’t anything interesting about her. She was a nurse, and she had a kid. That was the extent of her life right now.

“I see some hesitation, so why don’t I start.” Tiffany put her plate down and sat up, looking around the group. “My name is Tiffany. I foster feral kittens, and I am bisexual.”

Dani smiled and clapped politely along with the group. She tried to pay attention when the next person said their piece as well. When it finally came to her, she blurted out the only thing she could think of.

“I’m Dani, and I am going through a quarter-life crisis.” She gripped her glass tightly, not sure what to expect after her proclamation, but when she saw some nods and smiles, her shoulders relaxed just a bit.

One of the other women, Sharon, spoke up. “It’s like that sometimes. When my son moved out for college, I thought for sure I was going to throw a party and enjoy my next phase of life. I am enjoying it, but damn if I didn’t have to reevaluate who I was. Hang in there, girl.”

“Same with me,” another woman chimed in. “When my daughter, Becky, started high school, all she wanted to do was talk on that dang phone with her friends. I swear she’s going to have a hump on her back from leaning over the damn thing so much.”

Dani smiled and lifted a glass. She did feel a little better about divulging things to people who seemed to understand, even if they were just acquaintances she would only see once a week.

When she caught Zoey’s eye, Dani smiled.

The warm grin she got back loosened something in her chest, and Dani was surprised when she relaxed further.

Their gazes locked for a few more moments before Zoey turned and spoke up.

“Well, of course you know me. I’m Zoey and the cofounder of book club. And I have a brother in the army who recently came back from living overseas.”

That was news to Dani. She didn’t know a lot about Zoey outside of what Jordan usually divulged, though his words were usually about something video game related.

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” she said.

“That must be hard on your parents, having him overseas.” When she saw a couple people wince, she wondered what she had said wrong.

Even Tiffany’s normally wide smile dimmed slightly.

“Well, it probably would be, but they’re dead so I’m sure it’s fine.”

Well, fuck. Now Dani knew why some of the others had made those faces. She had royally put her foot in it.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have said—”

Zoey shook her head, halting her words. “No, it’s fine.

You didn’t know, and it’s not something I just casually sprinkle into conversations when people are asking about book recommendations.

” Zoey reached out and touched Dani’s arm.

The palm of her hand was warmer and softer that Dani thought it would be.

“They died a long time ago. It’s just my brother and me now.

He raised me since there wasn’t really anyone else to do it. ”

“Still,” Dani started, thoroughly chagrined. “I shouldn’t have just assumed.”

“The thing is, I sort of have a family as is. And it’s a family I get to choose,” Zoey said with an open smile. “Found families are kind of the best as evidenced by this month’s book.”

Dani appreciated the segue into a new topic. Her gaze was on Zoey as she stood up and walked over to an absolutely massive wall of books. Her eyes widened as she took in all the titles.

“I know,” Zoey said, pulling her attention. “How many books does one girl truly need, right? I just can’t help myself sometimes. But the good thing about being a book collector—”

“Hoarder.”

“—is,” Zoey continued, ignoring Tiffany’s comment, “I usually have excellent book recommendations, and I always have a book you can borrow.” She slid a book from the bookshelf before walking over and handing it to Dani.

Dani reached up to take the book from Zoey, and for a moment their gazes met again.

Dani couldn’t help but note just how pretty Zoey was.

She wasn’t lying before when she said that Zoey’s glasses were cute and perfectly fit her face.

Even from behind lenses, Zoey’s dark brown eyes drew Dani in.

When their fingers brushed, it was like touching a bit of lightning, sharp and invigorating.

Dani had never really felt that sensation before, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

When she reluctantly pulled her hand away, she realized that her cheeks were warm.

It was something she had only experienced a handful of times before, and with a jolt she realized what that could mean.

“Thanks,” Dani said, trying to keep her voice as calm as normal. “How much do I owe you for it?”

Zoey took a step back as if just realizing they were not alone. She shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it. Consider it a ‘welcome to book club’ gift.”

Dani swallowed hard before covering up her reaction with a smirk. “Some people buy flowers. Librarians buy books. Noted.” When Zoey dropped her head, smile still visible, Dani couldn’t help but chuckle at how damn cute she was. Maybe coming to book club was a good idea after all.