Page 59 of Romancing the Orc

“What is it?” Brokk asks, knowing something’s up without me needing to say a word. God, I love that. I love that he truly sees and understands me.

“My friend says I need to get to the town bookstore right now.”

“Is this a publishing thing?”

“No, Hannah’s the mayor not anything in publishing.”

“Then we should go.”

“We?”

“If you think I’m letting you out of my sight for even a single minute until we’re sure the threat from Edgerton is over, then you still have much to learn about orc warriors.”

“Guess it’s a good thing I have you to teach me.” I hook my fingers into the waistband of his pants and grin up at him.

“Minx,” he murmurs, his eyes heating as he looks at me.

I’m in my usual yoga pants and a baggy T-shirt, and he clearly still finds me attractive, which is a relief, because I think I would have started screaming if I needed to wear the hoohaa-hugging catsuit for even a moment longer.

My parents’ cars are gone from the driveway, so I don’t need to feel bad that I don’t know what to tell them yet. My vintage Volkswagen Beetle waits, its mint-green doors opening with the creak of metal hinges. Brokk doesn’t fit in the passenger seat and instead has to half sit, half sprawl across the back.

“Sorry.” I glance at him in the rearview mirror. “It’s not far.”

“It’s okay.”

But it’s not. I immediately start making a new list, adding to the top clothes for him and a car big enough that he fits. I’m not even sure what kind of car that will be. Maybe old Joe from the gas station will have some ideas.

The road winds through heavy forest, finally opening up right as we get to town. We pass adorable gingerbread-trimmed houses and putter down Main Street, going a sedate fifteen milesan hour. I instinctively swerve to avoid the pothole that’s been in front of the ice cream shop for as long as I can remember. The store’s closed down, as are many of the small businesses. It doesn’t matter that the buildings are cute as can be and the waterfall on the outskirts of town is gorgeous—we simply aren’t a hot tourist destination, no matter how hard Hannah tries.

I park right in front of the bookstore, glad the street’s fairly empty. Not many people will see Brokk.

We trot across the sidewalk to the bookshop. The closed sign hangs in the front door’s glass window, but the handle turns under my hand. The scent of books wraps me in a hug, and I chuckle to see that Naomi’s set up a display table full of monster romance, my orc books included.

I wave Brokk inside and point to the wooden bookcases lining the back of the store, murmuring, “Go hide while I explain?”

He nods and disappears just in time.

“Youarein town!” Hannah comes out of the back, her beautiful tan face breaking into a huge smile. Tall and thin and with long dark hair, she looks like a runway model, but is one of the most practical people I’ve ever met.

We rush towards each other and hug, and I swear music should be playing like in a movie. Her arms hold me tightly—she must have been so worried.

“I’m okay. I mean, I wasn’t, but I am now.”

She pulls back and shoots me a puzzled frown. “Why wouldn’t you be okay?”

“Um, the kidnapping?”

“Thewhat?”

I pat at the air with my hands. “I’ll tell you all about it, but something important must be up—you used the Monopoly thing.”

“I got excited when my phone told me you were here. I’ve been trying to get you to come home forages.”

“Sorry.” I wince. “I got caught up in all the book tour stuff my publisher wanted.”

“It’s okay.” She waves a hand. “There’s something we need to tell you.”

“We?”

---