Page 26 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
While Bronte disappeared back up the stairs, Jonah made quick work of the dishes, the sound of the start ofRecipe for the Unspoken—book two—in his earbuds.
After adding a few more logs to the fire, Jonah poured himself another cup of coffee (if he wanted to get sleep, he should probably lay off the coffee), and settled on the couch. Leaning back, he let his eyes close as he listened to the second book in the Pike Family Saga.
As he lost himself in the world Bronte had created, Jonah wasn’t sure why he’d thought the first book had been boring. He should try to read it again. Maybe there was something to knowing an author before reading their book.
Whatever the cause, he was excited to read—or listen to—more. As he drifted off to the warm cadence of the narrator’s voice reading Bronte’s words, he decided he would ignore the fact that, in a little over a week, after he talked with his dad about not taking over the clinic, everything could change. Either with his dad, with Amy, or both.
His day of reckoning would come, but today was not that day.
ChapterSix
DateDecember 18
Days until Deadline19
Words to be written81,255
Bronte chewed on her thumbnail as she watched Jonah finish up the last pages ofUnraveling in the Pineson his phone. It was amazing how fast a person could read a series when they switched back and forth between listening to the audiobook and reading the Kindle ebook. He’d read book two and almost finished book three in two days. He shouldn’t have told her he was almost done with the third book. She wouldn’t be able to think about anything else until he’d given his critique and moved on to the fourth book. Not like it mattered though. She’d only managed to write a couple thousand words since yesterday.
Jonah smiled as he scrolled through the pages on his phone. He didn’t look like a man who hated what he was reading…
Laying his phone on the counter, he looked up at Bronte. Why did she worry what he would say? Hundreds of thousands of people had read the series and loved it. Why did it matter what one hunky, tattooed G.I. Joe thought of the books? He wasn’t even her intended audience.
Still, she couldn’t stop herself from asking. “So? What do you think?”
Jonah just stared at her.
She was starting to think she had something on her face. Maybe there was someone standing behind her? She made it all of three more seconds before she turned to look. Nope, just the Christmas tree in all its twinkly-lighted glory. And yes, she had to admit that Aubrey from the ferry had been right. Christmas lights did make things more magical. “What? Was it that bad?”
“Bronte, this is brilliant. You are amazing. I loathe the day that I ever told you this was sad.”
She wasn’t sure why that made her heart flutter. “Seriously? You liked it?” Why did it mean so much to her that he liked the series?
“I didn’tloveit, but that’s because I prefer books with happy endings. But your writing is brilliant, and you have a way of just pulling the reader into the story and trapping them there. I still think you can write the next book giving everyone a happy ending.”
And there it was. Bronte rolled her eyes. “Not real life.”
“Who’s to say it can’t be? Why can’t real life have a happy ending?”
“I told you. That just hasn’t been my experience.”
Bronte stacked her things.
“I know you’re currently writing the last book, but can I read what you have so far? I really need to know what happens next.”
Bronte’s head was already shaking back and forth. “Patience,” she said, and she couldn’t stop a grin from spreading on her face. “You still need to read books four and five.”
“Can you at least tell me what’s going to happen between Theodosia and Josh?” He leaned over, resting his elbows on the counter. “They get together, right?”
She should break it to him easily, right? How was the hero and heroine getting together at the end of the book a happy ending? Maybe she could do one of those open-ended endings where it was open to the reader’s interpretation.
What was she even talking about? Three days with someone, and she was deciding to change her entire plan for the end of this book? Who was she even turning into? She narrowed her eyes. “Read the next book.”
“They don’t, do they?” Jonah bent his knees and threw his head back, looking up toward the ceiling. “Bronte!”
Bronte threw her hands in the air. “What? I feel like it would be too much of a nice, happy bow for them to end up together at the end of the series!”
“You’re killing me, Smalls.”
