“I can renew it though, yeah?”
She pouted. “Sure, but the whole idea is that you actuallyreadthe books you check out from the library. Not use them as paperweights collecting dust.”
“I just can’t seem to get myself motivated to pick it up,” he admitted, clenching his teeth. “It’s a little daunting.”
“I get that. A new book always is. But that’s the exciting part. It’s a brand-new beginning.” She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “You know what you need?”
He shook his head.
“You need some accountability. An actual reason to turn those pages.”
“Got any ideas?”
“I do.” She smiled, a plan already at work behind her eyes. “You need to join a book club.”
“I’m not joining a club with a bunch of women to discuss a romance novel. Hard pass.”
“It doesn’t have to be a bunch of women. It could just be one other person. You just need to be motivated to get through the book. You need someone to check in with. Someone to discuss the story and to make sure you stay on track,” she said, then looked right at him as she added, “It could be me.”
A spasm seized him, making him choke on a cough. He punched a fist to his chest. “You?”
“I’ve wanted to read the book you checked out since it was available on pre-order. I can see if I can get my hands on another physical copy, but if not, I’ll just download the digital one for my e-reader,” she said. “And if we read it together, I think it might keep you accountable, and give you a reason to actually get through it.”
Lance was beginning to rue the day he went into Dr. Franklin’s office.
“How about this?” she said, sensing his hesitation. “Read the first three chapters today whenever you have some downtime at work, and tonight we can meet up to discuss it. It’ll have to be after Laney goes to bed, but I should be free around seven-thirty if that timing works.”
Lance wasn’t about to squander an opportunity to spend time with Sarah, even if the thought of discussing a romance novel with her filled him with all sorts of anxiety.
“I can do seven-thirty,” he agreed. “Want me to come by the cabin to pick you up?”
“That would be great. I’ll double check with my parents to make sure they’ll be at the house when Laney’s down for the night, but I think tonight is their boardgame night, so they should be around.”
“It’s a date,” Lance blurted before he could stop himself.
To his delight, Sarah responded with, “It’s a date.”
And her grin and her expression suggested that it might actually turn out that way.
Lance’s eyesstrained as he guided his truck up the winding road toward the Hart’s cabin. While he didn’t feel physically tired, his eyes were exhausted from the hours of poring over the pages of that dreaded romance novel. It didn’t seem fair to speak negatively about it, though. After all, the book had managed to surprise him, capturing his interest from the very first page.
It was a sweet story about a Nashville country singer and his four-year-old son, setting out on the road to forge a new path after a toxic ex forced him from his career and hometown. Lance was actually excited to see where the story might go, but only three chapters in, he couldn’t predict the outcome.
Apart from merely reading the material, Lance also spent some time online, researching exactly what went on during book clubs. Usually there was some sort of guide filled with questions to lead the group in discussion. He’d jotted down a handful of prompts and hoped they would be enough to get the ball rolling.
He also knew there was food involved, so he’d called ahead and made a reservation at Timber Creek Bistro, one of the few upscale dining establishments in Snowdrift. He thought about giving Sarah a heads up, but even though the restaurant was on the fancier side, in a mountain town, dress was always casual.
Still, when he pulled up to the cabin and Sarah opened the front door, decked out in a floral print wrap-around dress and burgundy sweater that pulled out the colors of the individual petals, his heart did a little blip.
“Wow.” He gulped. “You look amazing.”
“Unfortunately, the outfit I was wearing before this ended up with Play-Doh all over it, so I figured I should change.” Hereyes met his. “I’m glad you like it, even though I do feel a little overdressed for a book club.”
“I actually made a reservation for us at Timber Creek, so you’re perfect.” He meant the outfit, but probably more than just that.
Sarah’s mouth curled into a soft smile. “You look great, too.”
He’d tried. He’d actually had four different outfits picked out and had to resort to FaceTiming Holden to reach the final verdict. Ultimately, he went with a pair of dark jeans, his boots, a blue and green flannel shirt, and a navy scarf that Holden assured him matched even though the blues were slightly off.
