Page 86 of Forever Endeavor

CHAPTER 27

…And Yet Another Two Weeks Later

Billie

Billie checked out of the Madison Pearl first thing in the morning, giving her plenty of time to make the trek to Janus Lake with almost an hour to spare before her appearance. The promise of seeing Sonny at the end of the book tour provided the boost of energy she needed to get through its gruelling schedule. Were his insides twisted like a pretzel over her too? Was his mind equally consumed with visions of rushing into her arms, laying on a big, wet smooch and picking up where they’d left off without missing a beat?

She hoped his heart had grown fonder too, but at the same time, steeled herself in case absence had allowed their connection to cool altogether. If Sonny had moved on as he had every right to do, then she’d have to dig deep to muster a smile and be genuinely happy. It was better not to dream of more.

Aside from the trees’ thinning foliage, nothing had changed on Main Street. The mom-and-pop storefronts, post office, vintage clothing store and the candy shoppe with two Ps and an E were exactly as she had left them. She slowed to a crawl as she drove past the closed garage, rubbernecking for a glimpse of Sonny or any possible sign he was awaiting her return. Would a giant “Welcome Back Billie” banner have been too much to ask?

Outside The Pelican, people were gathered around the entrance flanked by two sandwich boards bearing her likeness.Here Today! NY Times Bestselling Romance Author Amethyst Jayde! In Person!All of these Janus Lakians showed up to see little ol’ her? Gee, was Gary giving away free beer to entice them?

Billie pulled into a vacant parking spot up the street. She fixed her makeup and hair, styled up how Sonny liked. The way it looked the night their non-date became a date at The Pell. She popped a breath mint and grabbed her purse.Here we go.

A pleasant surprise was waiting for her on the sidewalk. “Carmen! What are you doing here?”

Carmen smiled. “Did you really think I’d pass up my chance to see a two-headed Roman god? Not on your life.”

Billie hugged her tight. “Thank you for coming.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. Actually, I probably would have missed it entirely if it weren’t for GPS. You weren’t kidding when you said this place was out of the way. Quaint, but definitely off the beaten path,” Carmen said. “Great turn out today. You should see the crowd inside.”

“Did you happen to notice if…?”

Carmen shook her head. “I don’t think so, Billie. I didn’t see anyone I’d peg for Mister Mustache. I’m sorry.”

Billie’s heart sank. “Oh.”

“Listen, there’s still plenty of folks excited about seeing you, including one Amethyst Jayde super fan named Bernice who baked an entire dessert buffet in your honor and a sweetheart of a guy who goes by Gurpreet.”

The corners of Billie’s mouth turned up into a smile. “Gurdeep,” she corrected. “That sweetheart’s name is Gurdeep.”

“Well, let’s not keep them waiting. Get your fanny in there so we can sell some books.”

Sonny

As he daydreamed of whipping Billie up in his arms and carrying her off to make up for lost time, Sonny forced himself to douse his fantasy with a bucket of cold possibility she didn’t feel the same. Coming back to Janus Lake might only be a professional obligation and not somewhere she would choose to be. He shook off the self-doubt. A stirring this strong couldn’t be all in his head; surely, she had to be feeling a little of what he felt too.

The Pell’s front door opened and Billie walked in. Applause erupted from the standing-room-only crowd, instantly lighting up her hundred-watt smile. Seeing her again stole the air right out of his lungs. Was it possible that she got even lovelier during the past three months?

Gurdeep turned to him. “You good?”

Sonny straightened his shoulders, shrugging off the nervousness weighing them down. “Yeah. All good.”

“So? You gonna go over and say hello or what?”

“I will. Just want to give her a chance to take off her coat and get settled, I don’t want to pounce on her.”

Gurdeep delivered a friendly elbow jab in his side. “Sure you do.”

“All in good time, pal. I got it all worked out.” Sonny thumped a finger on his temple.

While Billie waited in the wings, Gary jumped up on the corner stage and switched on the microphone rigged at a podium. “Good afternoon and welcome to The Pelican. As you know, a book signing isn’t typically the kind of event we host here, but our special guest isn’t just any author. Bill—uh, I mean, Amethyst Jayde, spent some time here this summer and Janus Lake fell in love with her as fast and as hard as she did with Janus Lake.”

The crowd clapped its approval. Sonny watched her face as she smiled and nodded in agreement with Gary’s statement. She wasn’t putting on an act. She looked genuinely happy to be up there. That had to be a good sign.

“Thanks to the support of several people, including Liona Li, who generously sponsored today’s event, and Bernice Hayes, who graciously provided the refreshments, we’re delighted to have Miss Jayde here to read from her new novel. Now, please put your hands together and join me in giving a warm welcome toNew York Timesbestselling romance author, Amethyst Jayde.”

Billie stepped up to adjust the mike and scanned the faces in the audience. With a flash of her dazzling smile, she had them eating out of the palm of her hand. “Thank you, Gary. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be back. I have some great memories and some admittedly fuzzier ones of The Pell,” she said, laughing. She waved to Yvette sitting in the front row, then spotted Cal and Liona and blew them a kiss. “It’s wonderful to see that so many you came out this afternoon. Thanks for making me feel right at home. Once again.”

She fiddled with her notes on the podium, flipping through bookmarked pages as she prepared to speak. Was she nervous? Anxious? Or was it merely a public speaking exercise; a long, dramatic pause intended to keep everyone on the edge of their seats? If so, it was working.

“Um, before I begin, I wanted to share a little about how this book came to be. You see, when I first arrived in Janus Lake, I was still recovering from a broken heart, a trauma that had caused me to stop believing in happily ever after. As you can imagine, that’s pretty critical for a romance author.” She stopped to clear her throat, drew in a deep breath and smiled before continuing.

“When I heard about this town’s mystical qualities, I admit, I was skeptical. It sounded totally absurd. But to quote the Monkees, now I’m a believer. The time I spent here magically opened my heart again and made me realize that yes, there really is such thing as happily ever after. It doesn’t have anything to do with being rescued by a handsome prince or a dashing billionaire, and it doesn’t hinge on the outcome of a relationship. Instead, it has everything to do with finding your own happiness. And thanks to Janus Lake, I was able to do that.”

Billie gripped the podium and focused her gaze on the back of the room when they finally locked eyes. He smiled and she smiled back wide. Their connection was instant and magnetic. Sonny’s heart lurched joyfully in her direction as they shared a lingering moment. He was lovestruck and she was clearly flustered, judging by the deep blush coloring her cheeks and how long it took her to find her place again.

“A wise man once told me that love saves, and he was absolutely right. He also reminded me that even though not every love story gets a happy ending, we shouldn’t give up on trying to find one that does.” Billie smiled down to Cal. “Those words not only resonated, they’re woven into my latest work, which is about a woman who goes in search of her happily ever after, only to discover it in the unlikeliest of places.” Billie shuffled her notes, moving them aside as she prepared to read. “And so, without further ado, please enjoy this excerpt from my new novel,Forever Endeavor.”

---