“It sucked, but we got through it, and we’re all stronger because of it. When I look back now, as an adult, I’m blown away by how strong my mom was. She never let us see her cry, but I’d hear her late at night in her bedroom.” His brows knitted. “She didn’t just lose a husband—her whole life changed. She was a stay-at-home mom, and after he left, she had to go back to work, so I stepped in to take care of my brothers and sisters. We were all falling apart. I could feel my brothers and sisters pulling away, retreating into their own heads, and all I wanted was to hold us together. I would build obstacle courses in the backyard and drag them outside for competitions. That’s when I discovered that group exercise was like therapy. They hated it at times, but I didn’t care. I had a bigger goal, and it was the most important one I’d ever had. I’d have done anything to keep from losing them.”
Amber felt like a veil was lifting and she was seeing him through clearer eyes. “You learned from your mom how to push past your own grief to help them. That says a lot about both of you.”
“Any big brother would have done it.”
“I don’t think that’s true. Are you the oldest?”
“Yeah. Harrison is two years younger than me. We call him Hawk. He’s a pretty well-known photographer. You’ll meet him at the signing. He’s coming to take pictures.”
“It’s nice that he’s handling your kickoff. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
“Good, because I thought we could all go to dinner afterward.” He must have seen hesitation in her expression, because he said, “Purely business, to thank you for hosting and to celebrate my first signing.”
“A professional dinner. Okay, I can do that.” Even if my nerves are already catching fire. “Why do you call your brother Hawk?”
“Because ever since he was a kid, he’s looked at the world through the lens of a camera, and he always captures the most interesting views. We could be looking at the same thing, and what I see is never as striking as what he captures on film.”
“Tell me about your other brother and sisters.”
“Let’s see. Damon is two years younger than Hawk. He tried my mom’s patience every step of the way after our father left, starting fights, skipping school. I’ve cleaned up more of his messes than I care to remember. But he got through it, and he’s a great guy. He still has a massive chip on his shoulder, but he channels his energy in healthier ways now. He recently took over our grandfather’s business, and he’s pushing it in a whole new direction. And then there are my sisters, Dawn and Andi.” His expression warmed. “They’re seven and eight years younger than me. Dawn is the host of Just Desserts, which is a baking show.”
“You’re kidding. I love that show. She’s amazing. I tried to make the tiramisu crepe cake she made once because it looked delicious, and tiramisu is my guilty pleasure.”
“Tiramisu at your service. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand, as if to shake hers.
She shook her head, but she was sure her amusement shone like neon lights in her eyes.
“Can’t blame a guy for wanting to be your guilty pleasure.”
Ohmygod. This guy… “You wouldn’t say that if you saw the mess I made. I have no idea how your sister did it. There were twenty-five paper-thin crepe layers, and mine came out awful. She could probably make anything look easy. She’s so vivacious, she makes you feel like you’re right in the kitchen with her.”
“That’s Dawn. She can win over any audience.”
“Sounds like she got her big brother’s genes,” she teased.
He brushed his leg against hers, and those butterflies swarmed again. “The only audience I want to win over is you, sexy reader.”
“Stop making me blush and tell me about your other sister.”
“But making you blush is so much fun.” He laughed at her deadpan look. “You want to know about Andi? She’s a lot like you. She’s sweet and careful, and the smartest of all of us.”
“I’ll own up to sweet and careful, at least relative to Brindle and Sable. But the smartest in our family is definitely Pepper.”
“We’ll see about that. Andi is working on her PhD in marine biology, and she’s a research assistant to Sutton Steele, the host of—”
“The Discovery Hour show,” Amber exclaimed. “I know Sutton. I went to Boyer University in Port Hudson, and she was one of my LWW sorority sisters. The Discovery Hour is an LWW show. Wait, so is Just Desserts. It’s on their lifestyle channel. But your sisters must not have been part of the LWW sisterhood, or I would probably know them.” Everyone in Port Hudson knew of the Ladies Who Write (LWW), which wasn’t a sorority, but more of a sisterhood, founded by a group of women who had bonded over their love of writing. They’d rented a house together, and later, three of the founding members had gone on to start LWW Enterprises, a multimedia corporation with offices across the United States.
“They weren’t. I can’t believe you went to Boyer.” His eyes lit up. “I grew up in Port Hudson. My mom worked in the library for years before becoming a professor.”
“I practically lived in the library. Maybe I knew her. What’s her name?”
“Robin. She’s tall, blond, and a talker.”
“I think I knew her. This is crazy. If she’s the Robin I knew, she was taking classes and wanted to be an English teacher. I remember wondering how anyone could work full time, go to school, and raise a family without losing their mind. She told me she had a family, but we didn’t talk specifics. I didn’t even know her last name. We talked about books and our futures, and LWW. She was very mom-like, and supportive of my dream of opening a bookstore.”
“That’s her. She was determined, and she instilled that same determination in each of us. She got her master’s a few years ago, and now she teaches at Boyer.”
“Wow, what a coincidence. I’m sure she doesn’t remember me, but I’m so happy for her. Would you mind telling her that?”
“I’ll do better than that. You can tell her yourself.” He reached for his phone.
“No. Don’t do that. She probably doesn’t remember me, and then it would be awkward.”
“Okay, but she’s got a memory like an elephant. She’ll be happy for you, too, making your mark on the world.”
“It’s hardly a mark on the world. Grace was a playwright in New York, and she adapted our friend’s novel into a screenplay. She and her husband are flying out to LA tomorrow for the filming of the movie that millions of people will see, and Axsel is a rock star with zillions of fans. He’s leaving for an international tour tomorrow, and Pepper is changing people’s lives with cutting-edge medical equipment. They’re making marks on the world. I just own a little bookstore in my tiny hometown.”
His brow furrowed. “What is it with you brushing off compliments?”
“I’m not brushing them off.” She picked up a note card, focusing on that instead of the intensity of his stare. “I’m a realist. I know my store isn’t that impressive to anyone but me.”