Page 37 of Whisper Sweet Nothings
Somehow, I doubted it.
And shame on me for wondering what type of lover my boss was.
He responded with a thumbs-up emoji, and we started walking to the Honey Biscuit Café.
“Winnie!” Melody came to a stop and looked up. “A snowflake just landed on my nose.”
The snow started to fall, and I chuckled. It had been cold these last few weeks since we’d returned from Paris, and everyone was shocked that it hadn’t snowed yet.
And here we were, walking down the sidewalk hand in hand, both of us smiling as the snowflakes fell all around us.
“This really is the best Fun Friday,” I said. I pulled the door open as my uncle Oscar hurried us inside.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite girls,” he said, hugging us both. “Do you want your favorite booth?” he asked Melody, and she shook her head yes.
“Did you get your words today?” he asked me, and I was grateful that he understood this profession that I’d chosen. Hell, he’d been the one to encourage me to do it.
“I wrote five thousand words, so it was a good day,” I said.
Melody gasped. “Five thousand words is lots of words, Winnie.”
“It’s a good writing day, that’s for sure.” Uncle Oscar winked at me. “Proud of you, Winnie girl.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you bothering these gorgeous girls?” Aunt Edith teased as she walked over and gave me a hug.
“Nope. Just asking if she got her words today and taking their order.”
“We’re going to have two hot chocolates, extra whipped cream and sprinkles, and a couple of cookies.” I helped Melody out of her coat as we settled in the booth.
My uncle said he’d go let the kitchen know, and my aunt chuckled as he walked off. “I think that man is living vicariously through you these days. He misses writing, even if he won’t admit it.”
“He should start writing again,” I said, knowing that it was his passion.
“After he made the decision to retire, he just said he was done with it.”
“He’s so talented. He could just write for fun, if he doesn’t want to do it as an actual profession anymore.”
“That’s a good idea. I think you could probably talk some sense into him.” Aunt Edith shrugged before heading back to the kitchen.
“I wants to be a writer someday like my Winnie.” Melody smiled up at me, and my chest squeezed.
“You can be whatever you want to be.”
“Mrs. Groucher says you can’t be whatever you wants to be.” She shrugged. “Josh Barker said he wanted to be a candy cane, and she said he couldn’t be one.”
“Well, he could make candy canes if he wanted to.” I chuckled. “And trust me when I tell you, Melody Chadwick: You can be whatever you set your mind to.”
“I want to be just like you, Winnie.” She leaned her head against my arm just as my uncle set our hot chocolates down with a big plate of cookies.
“I think we’re going to need one more hot cocoa, Oscar,” a deep voice said, and I turned to see Archer approach.
“Daddy!” Melody shouted. “You came to Fun Friday?”
He raised a brow at me in question, and I replied with a look that said I’d fill him in later.
We’d started communicating like this around Melody.
