Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
The thought lands like a spark in dry grass. I stare at him, mind whirring.
I can write anywhere.
I could be with Penny.
I don’t have to stay in Whynot to keep the small-town author charm that’s been part of my branding.
The ache in my chest twists, turning into something else—energy, maybe. Purpose.
“You’re serious?” I ask.
“Dead serious.” He lifts a shoulder. “And who knows… maybe your romances will get even better with love fueling you.”
I lean back, imagining it—waking up beside her, writing in the mornings while she’s at work, having dinner together at night. A normal life.
A shared one.
But it would mean leaving Whynot. My parents, my friends… they’d be left behind. The town that’s part of my identity. The thought of it feels like I’d be cutting off my right arm.
Ah, but what I’d gain in return.
Penny.
“Hell,” I say quietly. “It’s perfect.”
Derek grins. “You look alive again.”
“I am alive again.” I pull out my phone and start tapping at flight apps. “I’m going to go see her… tell her the news. Of course, she hasn’t exactly invited me to move in with her, but that’s semantics, right?”
Derek groans. “Slow down, cowboy. You’ve got press in Atlanta tomorrow and the next day, then we fly to Pittsburgh.”
“Reschedule something,” I say, scrolling through flights.
“Fuck,” he mutters, but to my surprise, he starts flipping through the calendar on his phone. “I’ll move up the second interview in Atlanta, and if you get the late flight, you can head to Washington that night. Then you’d have to take an early flight the next morning to Pittsburgh, but we can make it work.”
I nod, already picturing it. My fingers fly over the screen, looking at options. “Perfect.”
“You gonna give her a heads-up?”
I shoot him a sly grin. “Nope. I’m making it a surprise. Otherwise, I know she’ll try to talk me out of it. She knows how important Whynot is, so I need to see her face-to-face so she understands she’s more important.”
Derek laughs, low and incredulous. “That’s either the most romantic or most idiotic plan you’ve ever had.”
“Probably both.” I raise my beer in mock salute. “To idiotic romance.”
He clinks his glass against mine. “To you, my friend—New York’s newest bestseller and Washington’s newest tenant.”
It takes me no more than five minutes to book my flight. The musician onstage starts another song—a slow one, about finding your way back home. The crowd quiets, and the melody fills the gaps in conversation.
For the first time since Penny left, my chest doesn’t ache. I switch over to text and type out a quick note to her. Miss you tonight.
She replies before I even set it down. Miss you more.
Not for long, I think.
CHAPTER 24
Penny
As I step off the Metro, I acknowledge that this city is exhausting. My feet hurt, my hair’s gone flat, and my brain’s still stuck in work mode. DC hums around me—horns, sirens, and the soft whoosh of the train doors closing—but all I can think about is how far I feel from home.
It’s been a long day, the kind that blurs into fluorescent lights and back-to-back meetings. Still, I did something meaningful today. Not glamorous, but good. I spent half the afternoon meeting with a small agricultural co-op from western Virginia, walking them through grant paperwork so they could expand their produce program. One of the farmers—a young woman named Marla—teared up and said, “You have no idea what this means to my family.”
That?
That’s the kind of thing that lights me up inside. It reminded me of why I chased this career in the first place—to bridge the distance between Washington policy and the people it affects. But tonight, walking the last few blocks toward my apartment, it doesn’t feel as bright.
Because every time I do something that matters, I want to tell Sam about it. I want to share it with the most important person in my life.
He’d listen. He’d grin, proud and warm and maybe tease me about “saving the world, one soybean at a time.” But he’d mean every word and I miss that.
I miss him.
Sure, we talk every night. Sometimes we fall asleep on FaceTime, his voice fading straight into my dreams. But even with all the calls and texts, the distance stretches like an old rubber band—tight, tense, ready to snap.
And I don’t want that to happen. I’ve come to realize that this connection I have with 1ySam is the most important thing in my life, and I can’t waste another minute being away from him. So, I’ve taken matters into my own hands, and I feel relief deep in my gut as a result.
What he doesn’t know—what nobody knows—is that I made a decision yesterday. I told my boss I’m not taking the promotion, and I gave my two weeks’ notice. Last night, riding high on the new future facing me, I began packing my small apartment, starting with my kitchen. I ran down to the local newsstand, grabbed ten newspapers and came back to start wrapping plates and glasses. I felt accomplished and excited for what the future holds. The boxes in my kitchen are stacked like little soldiers, waiting for orders.