PG Forte: One of the stories I'm working on at the moment is The Name Game, which is due to release on January 24. Here's a brief excerpt.
“I have a question,” Kristy said, looking as happy as Carly with the change of subject. “That ham sandwich was amazing. Was that a citrus mayonnaise you used on it?”
“Lemon aioli,” Carly grinned in response. “And please be sure and tell your brother that you enjoyed it. He and your cousin gave me a bit of a hard time, over that sandwich.”
“My…brother?” Kristy looked puzzled. The other women exchanged blank stares. “I don’t understand.”
Way to go, Carly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed. But we were talking about the bakery and…I guess it’s really not that uncommon a name, is it?”
“No, it’s my family’s bakery,” Kristy corrected. “You weren’t wrong about that. I just don’t know where my brothers come into it.”
Carly turned to Gwyn. “You mentioned I’d been recommended to you, and I just thought…?”
“Oh! No.” Gwyn shook her head. “Sorry, I should have said. You’ve done work for Weidman and Steiner—you know, the caterers? They’re my guys. We’re partners. They’re who recommended you.”
“Oh, okay.” As she tried to parse this new information, Carly found herself instinctively glancing toward Brenda for an explanation. “So, they’re partners at the inn, as well?” That had to be what she meant, right? Because the last Carly knew, Weidman and Steiner were married to each other.
“Ye-es,” Gwyn hedged. “Actually. That, too. But—"
“But that’s not what she meant,” Brenda finished for her.
As the cousins shared a smile, Carly felt a pang of envy. She and Taylor used to share looks like that. They understood each other without words as well. She missed that. So much.
“Also, the ghosts like you,” Gwyn said.
Brenda groaned as she lifted her eyes to the heavens. “Really? You’re just an open book today, aren’t you? But I thought we agreed to keep that particular subject to a need-to-know basis?”
“Yes, we did,” Gwynn agreed. “And I got the impression they needed her to know, for some reason.”
“I’m a little confused,” Carly said—which was a massive understatement. “Who needed me to know what…exactly?”
“The ghosts,” Gwyn told her. “And I’m not actually sure what they want you to know. That part wasn’t as clear. Maybe that they exist? Maybe that they like you, or that they’re the ones who approved you for this project? I keep trying to encourage them to try automatic writing, because they’re frustratingly vague most of the time.”
“Ghosts,” Carly repeated carefully.
Gwyn nodded. “The hotel is haunted.”
“Allegedly haunted,” Brenda said.
Carly shot a helpless glance in Kristy’s direction. “Don’t ask me,” she said with a shrug. “I know I’ve experienced things there I can’t explain otherwise. I mostly try not to think about it.”
Gwyn smiled at Carly. “I’m not sure why, exactly, but I get the impression that they may have decided you’re one of the geese.”
“I’m a…geese?”
“One of the wild geese that the hotel is named for,” Brenda explained. “Were any of your ancestors from Ireland, do you know? Any Walshes on your family tree?”
“I don’t think so?”
“Shouldn’t that be goose?” Kristy asked.
Gwyn shook her head. “No, it’s a collective noun. We’re all geese.”
“I know we all are,” Kristy continued to argue. “But individually…?”
“Individually we’re still geese,” Gwyn replied. “I mean, I’m not a goose. Are you a goose?”
“I think, technically, I’m just marrying a goose. Which would make me…goose adjacent, perhaps? Or…no, that doesn’t work either. Because wouldn’t he be a gander?”
“So, Carly,” Brenda said, clearly attempting a change of subject. “I see you brought boxes with you. Do you need some help? Or do you have a crew coming to break stuff down for you?”
“No, it’s just me,” Carly replied. “And, thanks, but I don’t need any help. I’m a one woman show these days. However, I really should get to it, before I lose the light. It was nice talking to you all.”
“Oh no, don’t go,” Gwyn said. “You have plenty of time. It won’t be dark for a while yet; and the guys will be here any minute. I’m sure they’ll be happy to help. Besides, I’m curious. How do you know the DiLucas? And what to either of them have to do with your sandwiches? Not that either one of them were ever short on opinions no matter what the subject. No offense, Kristy.”
“None taken.”
* * *
He knows what to do to save her business. She knows what he needs to fix his life!
Atlas Beach is experiencing a retail renaissance—and Carly Meyer is determined to be part of it. But she and her sandwich shop, The Lunch Box, are struggling to stay afloat.
Luckily, help is on the way thanks to the Chamber of Commerce’s innovative mentoring program—partnering successful Atlas Beach business owners with some of the newer start-ups.
Too bad the mentor assigned to her is the delectable—and highly annoying—Tino DiLuca.
Tino knows exactly what’s been hurting Carly’s business and—exactly how to fix it. But his number one solution, changing the name of her signature sandwich, is the one thing she’s not prepared to do.
Release Date: January 24, 2022
Pre-order now: https://books2read.com/u/boaKv1
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