Page 59 of Where You Go (Whisper Lake 5)

“I came to get my book signed.” He held up his copy of The Duke’s Destiny. He’d preordered several copies. Six, to be exact. He’d bought a copy for himself, and copies for Chrissy and her friends, Jessa, Brynn, Ali, and Sara who were all in an unofficial book club. The five of them were fans of Harper Rose. Jessa found out that Liv was Harper Rose only after Liv had been in town and Jessa had done her hair for the wedding.

Liv’s head was still shaking as she glanced behind him. “You waited in line? Why did you wait in line?”

“To surprise you,” he smiled as he leaned over the table and pulled her in for a hug. It was brief but he loved smelling the floral scent of her hair, feeling the heat of her breath on his neck as she sighed and melted into him. He didn’t want to let her go, but he knew that he needed to move along in the line. There were still many readers that needed their book signed.

When he stepped back her eyes lifted to his. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”

When he opened his mouth to speak, he’d planned on telling her that he would wait for her to finish up so they could catch up after the signing, what came out was, “You are so fucking beautiful."

A blush rose on her cheeks as her smile widened. He wanted to tell her right then and there that he loved her, that he wanted to be with her for real, but this wasn’t the place. She was there as Harper Rose, not Olive St. Claire.

Sensing that his compliment had left her speechless, he held up his copy of The Duke’s Destiny. “Are you going to sign my book?”

“Oh, um, yeah. Of course.” She sat back down, opened the front page, scribbled something, then closed the cover and pushed it back to him. “Are you heading back? I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be but I’d love to—"

“I was going to hang out until you’re done.”

Her smile widened and the void that had been in his life for the past two months was filled. “Oh, okay. Good.”

He wanted so badly to lean down and kiss her, but again, this wasn’t the place. So instead he picked up his book and moved away from the table. As soon as he did, another group of six women took his place all singing the praises of Liv’s writing. He was watching her in awe when he felt himself being yanked by the arm into a storeroom.

The yanker closed the door and turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “You must be Hot Cop.”

“You must be Rasha.”

She crossed her arms. “I am.”

He smiled. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“That brings up a good point. You’ve known Liv for two months. Why is this the first time I’m meeting you?”

“I’ve been trying to give Liv space. You know, she has a lot on her plate and she just got out of a relationship…” The words in his mouth tasted like excuses. Which after how nervous he’d been today; he was beginning to think they were. The truth was, he was scared that she didn’t feel the same as him. “…and I didn’t want to overwhelm her.”

“And now...”

“And now I’m ready to overwhelm her.”

Rasha smiled revealing a deep dimple in her left cheek. “You know, I never liked Jordan.”

Grady waited, thinking that she would elaborate. He’d wanted more info out of Liv but she was fairly tightlipped when it came to her ex. She never bad mouthed him, which he thought was admirable and a great quality as a human being but made him feel a little insecure that she might consider going back to him. They did have a decade of shared history after all.

When Rasha didn’t continue, he gently prompted, “Not a fan, huh?”

“Jordan cared about one thing and one thing only, Jordan. But, from what Liv says you care about your mom. Your nieces and nephews, your sister, and I think you care about her.”

He almost said that he loved Liv but he thought she should hear that before her friend did. “I more than care about her.”

“Good. Then here you go.” Rasha handed him a plastic card.

“What’s this.”

“It’s the key to the hotel room I got for Liv and me. I think my babysitter called so I have to go home early.” Rasha winked at him. “Enjoy. Do everything I would do.”

She left and Grady found himself standing in the back of the bookstore alone holding his book and a hotel key. Nerves were swarming through him like angry bees in a hive. He’d never been anxious about telling a woman how he felt, but Liv was different.

She was it. She was the one. She was his one.

What if she didn’t feel the same as he did? The weekend they’d spent together had been great, but it wasn’t strange that she hadn’t declared her undying love for him, she hadn’t even known him.

Now she did. They talked every day. If she didn’t want something real now, it was personal.

He knew he was overthinking this, but he couldn’t help it.

He just wished he knew what she was feeling, thinking. Maybe there was a hint in her inscription. He opened the cover.

To my real life Duke, you are better than any hero I could ever write. XO, Liv

It wasn’t her undying love, but he’d take “real life Duke” and “better than any hero she could have written” as a good sign. A very good sign.

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