Page 176 of Will Bark for Pizza
“Nervous?” Alyssa teased.
“Hell yeah, I am.”
“Good,” they said in unison. Husker looked up at them, seeming to agree.
I hoped they were right. Because after Kira closed the bookstore today, I planned to bring her up and show her. I planned to tell her I was falling for her and didn’t want to sneak around anymore. I wanted her to be my girlfriend.
I wanted to tell her that I loved her, but I didn’t want to move too fast, too soon. I was sure about her, and that was all that mattered to me. I would wait as long as I needed for her to meet me in the middle.
“What do you think, Husker?”
Husker tilted his head at that sharp angle, and we all laughed.
“I think that means he approves,” Alyssa said.
“Or he just wants the treat in your pocket,” Aspen added.
Husker perked at the wordtreat. I didn’t know if I’d ever met a more food-motivated dog in my life. After Ishowed Kira her new writing loft—and broke it in if she so desired—I’d take us out for pizza. Her, me, and Husker.
“Here you go, buddy,” I said, extracting a treat from my pocket. One of many I had stashed for the day. I waited for him to finish chomping before I clicked the leash back on his collar. “Now, let’s go support your mom on her big day.”
FIFTY-EIGHT
KIRA
I don’t knowwhat I was expecting when we turned onto the main strip downtown, but a packed line three blocks long for Brenda’s Book Nook was not it. The string of people stretched clear past Gift Shop Alley, all the way back to Bert’s Shirts.
“Are they?—”
“All here for you, babe.”
I covered my agape mouth with both hands, stunned at the sight. Certain I was dreaming. Maybe I overslept but no one had bothered to wake me because not a single fan showed up.
“There’s a reason Carlos gave the town council a heads-up about the event so everyone could prepare for this influx of people. You’re not just saving the bookstore today. You’re helping all the local businesses, too.”
“Me?”
“Yes you. You don’t hit the top ten in the entire store andnotdraw a crowd,” Lila pointed out.
My pulse doubled, then tripled. Panic threatened to undo me before Lila even turned into the alley. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Even if I was terrified to face them, I had to do this.
For Mom.
For my hometown.
“You’re one hundred and ten percent certain on the release date for Mateo’s book?” Lila asked as she put my Jeep in park.
“Yes.” I didn’t have to think about that one. I wasn’t finished with the first draft yet—those two main characters were really damn horny for one another, but my readers loved the sex so I didn’t pull it back—but I was confident enough in the story to stick to the date I chose. The words were flowing easily. My editor was booked. My cover was already designed. Everything was falling into place for an early fall release.
I hoped it helped the bookstore stay in the black during the quieter winter months.
“Let’s do this.”
We slipped inside the back door, and I made my way for the designated author signing area. One we planned to keep set up all year round. Lila already had a schedule booked out three months in advance for guest author signings. But today, it was all mine.
A banner taller than Luke advertised Diana Davenport as the vampire romance queen. There were purple balloons, a table filled with stock, and more swag than I thought possible for the readers to take home with them—bookmarks, stickers, magnets. Lila had truly thought of everything.
My eyes landed on the cookie cake in the center of my signing table. One outlined in dark purple frosting that read: ‘HAPPY COMING OUT DAY DIANA DAVENPORT!’
