Page 2 of Blood Sugar

Gathering up my courage, I slipped from my seat and closed the distance between us. He watched my progress with mild curiosity, his brows raising a fraction and his mouth pulling up. My stomach swooped but I forced myself to keep walking.

“Hey,” I said, hating how my voice pitched higher from my nerves. “Come here often?”

The cheesy pickup line earned me a chuckle.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

Eyes the color of melted chocolate flicked over me, assessing my cap-sleeve top tucked into a long pleated polka-dot skirt—“grandma clothes,” my mom used to complain. But I thought I looked adorable, and he seemed to like it, because his lips curved into a smile as he met my gaze.

Clearing my throat, I folded my hands behind my back, twisting my fingers together to offset my nerves.

“Well, I’m new to town, so if you’re a local, I’d love to ask you a few questions,” I said. It was true, and the excuse gave us an easy topic of conversation.

“Sure,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Rowen.”

“Sadie,” I said, taking it.

His long fingers curled around mine. The contact sent a flutter through my stomach, and from the way his pupils expanded, he felt the same.

I wet my lips, already imagining what his blood would taste like and how warm his skin would be under my lips—bad Sadie! A handshake was not an invitation to bite him!

He pulled out the barstool beside him, and I hopped onto it, smoothing my skirt.

Giving him my cutest smile, I said, “So tell me, what are the best parts of Pumpkin Hollow?”

Rowen’s smile widened, showing soft dimples in his cheeks. His posture relaxed and his hand settled around his mug.

“Well, you’ve been to our downtown,” he started.

“Obviously.” My nose scrunched as I grinned back at him.

“But there’s more than just this fine establishment. There’s the diner, which just reopened, the tea shop, the bookstore, and the bakery. Have you been to any of them?”

“I popped into the bakery the other day. Delicious muffins.”

My cheeks warmed at the reminder of my interview, but I didn’t want to jinx the new job by telling a stranger about it before I even started.

“Yeah, it’s pretty great,” he murmured, letting his breath out in an audible exhale. I couldn’t determine what his wistful expression meant, but he blinked and seemed to refocus. “Definitely check out the diner. It’s my new favorite.”

“Will do.”

“And the weekend after next is our annual Pumpkin Festival. There will be street vendors, a brewing contest—oh, and there’s a broom race. It’s a good time.”

“That sounds fun.”

“Maybe I’ll see you there,” he said, meeting my eyes and glancing down. He was adorable.

“Anything fun I can do this weekend?” I asked.

“The cathedral up on the hill is open to the public on some weekends. And we have really great hiking. Do you like being outdoors?”

“Um, yeah!”

Well, I used to.

With my new sensitivity to light, I hadn’t ventured out into nature. The forest at night still freaked me out, even if I was more than human myself now.

“Maybe we should go hiking sometime,” he suggested, and maybe it slipped out without his permission, because he pressed his lips between his teeth, his dimples showing, like he regretted his words.