In just 2 weeks DON’T MESS WITH MISTLETOE goes live, so, of course, today’s teaser is from that!
(I swear, I’m a marketing genius – LOL Lol LOLOLOLOLO!)
The kitchen light was on as he came through the back door. Since he’d been the last one out the night before with his mother, he knew it had been off.
Had Winston arrived early?
Quietly, he pushed the door open enough to peek beyond it.
Surprise knocked the cautious adrenaline from his body. Even facing away from him, Michael recognized Julia Maryland seated at the table, a cup in one hand, a book on the tabletop in front of her. Clad in a faded pink, terrycloth robe, her hair spilled around her shoulders in a chaos of untamed waves. He hadn’t seen it down yet, since she’d worn it in a knot on top of her head while she’d waitressed.
Why was she sitting in the diner kitchen at four-thirty in the morning, drinking what he assumed was a cup of coffee, in her robe?
Michael pushed the door open all the way and in a quiet voice, said, “Julia?”
It was as if he’d shouted. She shrieked, jumped up, and dropped the book in her hand all in one jerky motion. Thankfully, she had a better grip on the mug. Swinging around to face him, her free hand flew to her chest.
She hauled in a jagged breath. “You scared the heck out of me.”
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“Amy gave me a key.”
“To the diner? Why?”
Julia placed the mug down on the table, landing it with an audible thud. It was then he noted how fiercely her hands shook.
“Not to the diner,” she managed to say after taking another breath. She lifted her hands to hug them around herself. “To the apartment. You don’t need a key to get in here from there.”
Confusion made him say, “The apartment? Upstairs?” which, he realized as soon as he said it, was a stupid question, because there was no other apartment but the one above the diner. “Why?”
She nodded. “I’m staying there.”
He shook his head. “You’re staying in the apartment?”
Another nod, then a head tick with a question. “You didn’t know?”
“No. I intended to move in tomorrow. I thought it made more sense I be on site if I’m running this place for a few weeks than staying out at the house.”
“Oh, I’m…I didn’t…know. Amy said since it was empty I could…” she flipped her hand in the air. “I’m sorry.” She bit down on a corner of her lip. “Does your mom know you were planning to stay here?”
“Yeah, she does.” He shoved the keys in his coat pocket then shrugged out of it. He’d told her he was going to be moving in after Thanksgiving. Had she somehow forgotten? With everything going on, it was a distinct possibility. But he didn’t think she had. Amy Charles’ brain was stronger than a computer’s memory board. Once something was input, it was never erased.
The question was, why hadn’t she told him about Julia using the space? He had a sneaking suspicion and it had nothing to do with it having slipped her mind. With an internal headshake, he chastised his mother for her matchmaking busybody-ness.
“I’m sorry,” Julia said again, twisting her hands together.
With a quick glance at the wall clock, he said, “Don’t be. If she’s letting you use it I’m sure there’s a good reason,” he put his hand up in the air when she opened her mouth again. “One I don’t need to know about.”
Intrigued? I hope so, Hee hee..
Watch the trailer here:
Add it to your Goodreads want to read list here: Goodreads
Preorder your copy here: DMWTM
Enter my Goodreads giveaway here: Giveaway
Peggy Jaeger, Author 