Page 11 of Love Under Review

Danielle knew that tactic all too well. She pulled on her shirt and jeans before walking out with the dress draped over one arm. “I know I don’t have a job at the moment, but I doubt I’ll be sticking around here long enough to make it worth it.”

She could date him, but then she’d be left with that same old guilt once she had to pack up and leave for another assignment. There had always been plenty of that as her mother tried to smile whenever Danielle had to jet off to some new country. But would she be able to handle it from someone not directly related to her?

She handed the dress to the young assistant of the dress shop, grateful that the dress fit well enough to avoid the pins and needles part.

“Sage Creek isn’t the worst place to be, Dani. You might find yourself surprised by how life can be here.” Becca must have seen Danielle’s eye roll because she waved her hands in front of her. “I know there’s a lot that goes into you being you, but maybe give it a chance for a couple of weeks. Take a break. Work on something you’ve wanted to do or finish for a while but haven’t had time for because you’ve been so busy. It might be the real passion you’ve been looking for.”

Danielle stared at her friend, the words tumbling around in her brain. “Says the girl who’s got her entire year planned out.”

Becca tipped her head back and laughed. “Yes, but I’m not you. Maybe something different will be good for you. And anyway, Colton has been getting me to be more spontaneous. I even let you cross things off my pre-wedding-activities list. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me?”

The two of them laughed as they walked out the door. The sky was dim, filled with gray clouds and the threat of rain.

“I sure hope this storm leaves before Saturday,” Danielle said as they walked toward Main Street.

Throwing her hands up, Becca said, “Well, at least we’ve still got the rec center reserved. It would just mean so much more if we could say our vows by the pond.”

Danielle rolled her lips in, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Love had never been big for Danielle since everyone she’d known, aside from her mother, had left her at some point. She’d get through this wedding and hope that by some miracle she’d get hired on again, even if it was somewhere she had to work her way up again. Distance from the deeper feelings kept her safe, balanced even.

After saying goodbye to Becca, she walked slowly up Main Street, thinking about her best friend’s advice. It had been at least two years since she’d released the last of her cozy mysteries. Maybe it was time to continue the series.

Chapter 7

Wednesday rolled around, and Liam had already dropped Cari off at school. Since business tended to be slower on Wednesdays, he usually opened the store later, getting most of his errands run.

They’d been able to video chat with Kara the night before, and although she appeared weak and tired, Cari had talked of nothing else since. Liam just hoped all the surgeries and procedures would be worth it, that Kara would be able to come home and recover. She’d been there through so many of his harder moments, and the thought of losing her wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on, for himself or for Cari.

After grocery shopping and taking the mail to the post office, Liam walked over to the newspaper. He’d seen in the last issue that they were looking for a copy editor and was interested in the position. It had been a while since he’d done anything like it, but with a minor in English and having worked on his college newspaper all four years, he hoped it was like riding a bike, maybe with a few courses to brush up.

“Hey, Clyde. How are things today?” he asked the chief editor sitting at the front desk.

“Another day at the office. Lucy had an appointment this morning, so I’m trying to cover the phones while she’s gone. I have to say, she does a better job than I do. How that gal manages to work here and at the bridal shop and still keep everything together is beyond me.” He leaned forward, rubbing his thumb and pointer finger over his forehead. “I haven’t been able to get any work done with all of the calls coming in. Most of them are for a cat that was stuck in the tree for an hour. Three people have called to ask if we’d send a photographer over to take pictures while the fire volunteers rescued it.”

Liam laughed and nodded. “I guess it’s good that nothing too crazy happens in this town, right?”

Clyde shook his head. “Something a little more exciting than a stranded cat would definitely make my job a little more enjoyable. What can I help you with?”

“I saw the ad that said you were looking for a copy editor. I thought I’d apply.” Liam stuck one hand in his pant pocket, keeping eye contact with the man in front of him.

Clyde’s eyes squinted a bit, his pointer finger tapping along his lips. An awkward pause settled between them, and Liam glanced around, wondering if he’d missed something.

“Sorry, just got lost in thought. I have an application you can fill out, and we’ll see if you’re qualified.”

Raising his eyebrow, Liam asked, “You have that many people wanting the job, huh?”

The larger man had stood and turned toward another office, but he stopped and faced Liam. With a wide smile, he said, “What qualifications do you have, then, son?”

Liam listed off his time as the business manager and copy editor for his high school paper, then as the chief editor for his college paper. The minor in English he threw in as a bonus, and the man’s eyes grew wider with each announcement. As an investment banker, he hadn’t used those skills as much, which meant he would need to find an online class or two to enroll in.

“Well, Liam, you’re hired. The gal we had before is out on maternity leave, and she said she probably won’t be coming back if we can find someone to take over. You can get started today. Let me run and get the job description packet for you from my office. Will you watch the phones for a minute?” The man turned before Liam had time to give him an answer.

Taking a seat, Liam interlaced his fingers and rested them on the back of his head. The thrill of something else to keep him occupied during the slow times at the bookstore made it all the sweeter.

The door opened, and as Danielle walked in, he dropped his arms, slamming his funny bone on the desk. He grimaced, the odd sensation flowing through his arm to his fingertips.

“Are you all right?” Danielle walked up to him, resting her purse on the top of the raised desk.

“Yep,” he said through clenched teeth. The pain was easing up, and he tried to smile.

---