Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Tomorrow then,” she said with a wide grin plastered on her face.
A soft chuckle escaped. “Again, I really wish I could. I’m excited to see Addie, but tomorrow is dinner at my parents’ house.”
She frowned. “Oh. Well, why don’t you send me a day that works for you, and we’ll plan it.”
I glanced around and noticed people watching us. With a smile, I said, “Will do. Tell everyone I said hi.”
Waving, she replied, “I will. I’ll be sure to let Adelaide know I saw you!”
“See you later, Barbara.”
“Bye, Gannon!”
I turned only to find Mr. Hall standing there.
“How’s it going, Gannon?” he asked with a smirk on his face. Damn old man was worse than a bunch of church ladies, and I’d always suspected he was the author of the gossip column in The Seaside Chronicle.
“Afternoon, Mr. Hall.”
“Having dinner with the Bradleys, are you?” he asked as he walked next to me, his basket bumping into mine every so often.
“Um, not this evening, no.”
“Tomorrow?”
I turned to look at him. “No. I politely declined due to other engagements.”
His brow lifted, and I cursed myself. Fuck. I bet that would turn up in the gossip column, but totally switched to something like ‘Gannon Wilson turns down dinner with ex because he’s engaged.’
“Listen, it was nice talking with you, but I need to get going. Enjoy the rest of your day, sir.”
Mr. Hall winked at me. “Oh, I will.”
Yeah, I’m sure you will. Writing lies about me in that stupid column.
No one knew who wrote the gossip column that came out every Thursday in The Chronicle, but it was a big deal here in Seaside. It was one of those things everyone pretended to hate, but they couldn’t wait to get their hands on the newspaper to read what was going on. Of course, no one wanted to read about themselves in the column, just other people. I was positive that column alone was the reason most folks in town still got the paper delivered.
As I was checking out a short time after, the cashier, Laney Reynolds, flashed me a wide smile. “I hear your ex is back in town, and you turned down dinner with her. Is it true you’re angry she dumped you?”
I stared at her, positive my mouth had dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry…what?”
“Dinner, with Adelaide. You aren’t going because you’re angry with her. You’re still mad she broke your heart.”
I scrubbed my hand down my face as I exhaled. “Okay, first off, I declined a dinner invitation from Barbara. I have plans and can’t attend. And I am not mad at Adelaide. We’re friends, and we broke up amicably.”
“A-ha. Okay, well, guess I heard the story all wrong.”
“Yes,” I said, pushing my debit card a little too hard into the reader. “You did.”
It wasn’t thirty minutes later that I got a text on my phone. I pulled it out and groaned when I saw who it was from.
Olivia: You’re back with Addie?
“Fuck my life.”
The next morning, I woke up to my doorbell ringing. I wasn’t the least bit happy when I rolled over to see it was only eight o’clock.
The doorbell rang again, followed by knocking.
“Hold on!” I called out, even though I knew they couldn’t hear me. Once I got to the bottom of the steps, I yanked the front door open and yelled out, “What?”
Brody held up his hands and laughed. “Damn, dude. I thought you’d be up by now.”
“It’s my day off, Brody. I like to sleep in.”
“It’s after eight, that is sleeping in.”
It was then I noticed he was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and The Seaside Chronicle in the other.
“Oh hell, it’s Thursday,” I mumbled as Brody handed me the paper.
“Congratulations, little brother, you made the gossip column.”
“I knew it! I’m telling you, old man Hall is the writer of this column. I ran into him at the grocery store yesterday after Barbara asked me to come over for dinner.”
Brody sat down on the sofa and took a sip of his coffee.
I pointed at the drink. “That’s not for me?”
Looking down at the cup in his hand and then back to me, he laughed. “Why in the hell would I bring you coffee?”
I shrugged. “Because it’d be a nice gesture.”
He rolled his eyes. “Tell you what, you read the column while I make you some coffee.”
“Oh sure, all you have to do is stick the pod in and push a button. You know as well as I do The Maine Bakery has the best coffee in town.”
“They sure do,” he said with a wink before he stood and headed toward the kitchen in the back of the house.
A few years ago, I had purchased a historical home that was built in 1901, so nothing was open concept. It was on my to-do list to knock down a few walls, but it wasn’t something I was in a rush to get done. Something kept holding me back from doing any major repairs. Maybe deep down I was hoping Addie would be here and be part of those decisions.