Joy filled Emily’s veins to be home again with her mom in Willow Creek, Georgia, for a healing summer in a unique, circular little village encompassing a spring-fed lake in the center. It relieved her to be out of the relationship with Bill, who worked at the same marketing agency in Atlanta but always made belittling remarks about her.
Emily strolled into the Whispers in the Shadows bookstore, her favorite place to spend time, and catch up on the town gossip from childhood friend Hazel, now married with two small boys. Hazel always said her books whispered to her, thus the name for the store.
“So good to see you again, Hazel,” Emily said as she hugged her friend.
“You too. We’ll have a fun summer — tons of new releases to catch up on. And look, I expanded into the adjacent old ice cream shop. I’m fifty percent larger and have a new helper, too.”
She looked over the racks. Puzzled, she whispered to Emily, “He likes the rear shadows,” then yelled, “Hey Lucas? Lucas Green?”
A mellow baritone voice answered, “Back here, Mrs. Martin, straightening the historic section. Our customers sure make a mess.”
“Look here. I want you to meet my best friend, Emily Caldwell.”
When he shuffled into view, Emily’s lips parted, and she inhaled deeply. She didn’t want to act too surprised, but there was a hunk of a trim man towering about six-foot-two, wearing a black cowboy hat covering a shaved bald head. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, faded jeans, and boots. The most striking feature was bulging white teeth sticking out over his bottom lip like Bugs Bunny, and not just the front two, but all the upper teeth, ruining an otherwise handsome face.
“I’m real pleased to meetcha,” he said in his mellow voice with his eyes widening. “I’m a veteran a bit down on his luck, and Mrs. Martin was kind enough to give me a job and rent me her loft upstairs.” He held out his hand. Emily took it. Something electric and warm traveled up her arm into her body — a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I’m happy for you, Mr. Green.”
“Please call me Lucas.”
“Okay.” She began looking around the store and over the stacks. Don’t stare at the teeth. “Do you read some of these novels?” she paused, “Lucas?”
“Sure. I read Grisham, Sparks, Patterson, Connelly, Baldacci, and some romance authors.”
“Me too,” Emily said. “Maybe on a lunch break, I could make sandwiches. We could sit on the pond benches and discuss stories. I write some, too.”
“I’d shore like that. Pick the day,” Lucas said.
“I will soon. Nice meeting you, Lucas, and seeing you, Hazel. Got to run some errands for Mom. Bye, all.”
