Sarah's brother, Andrew, surprised all of them the next Saturday with a visit. Jack watched as Sarah fell on his neck, crying, and the folks at the lounge surrounding them cheered. Andrew was there with his girlfriend, a tall Asian girl named Mira. She was quiet, sitting in a corner and looking about the place with a satisfied smile.

Yes... She must have taken it all in and loved it.

"Hey! You!" Sarah called to Jack in a happy voice. He stood straight from leaning against the counter. "Come meet my brother!"

He went to them, delighted to be deemed that important. The embrace had ended now, and both of them were seated at the table with Mira. The other diners had gone to their seats.

"Drinks for everyone, on the house!" Andrew called out loudly to the room as Jack pulled up a chair and joined their table of three.

The cheers in response were loud enough to raise the dead. The waiters on day duty brought out bottles of beer. Friendly chatter filled the lounge with a buzz, and Jack felt cocooned in all of it, safe and secure in this "privileged table" he had been invited to.

As the waiter served their table, Jack couldn't help but steal glances at Sarah. She gazed at her brother with adoration, her chin resting on her hand in a dreamy gesture. Jack had never been looked at like that by anyone, and he longed for it from Sarah. In that moment, he knew he would do anything to earn her love. His mind was consumed by thoughts of her, and he didn't care how crazy or foolish he may seem. She had cast a spell on him, and he was willingly caught in its enchantment. Her peaceful presence was unlike any woman he had ever known, and he couldn't explain why. But that didn't matter to him; all that mattered was being near her. The mystery was part of her beauty, and Jack was content with not knowing the source of it. He was falling in love with Sarah, and there was no turning back.

"Andrew," she began as their drinks were placed before them, "this is Jack Harper. THE Jack Harper." She had a hand on Jack’s shoulder, patting it for emphasis while she looked at her brother, waiting for the dawn of recognition on his face.

"Oh hooo!" Andrew said with something that sounded like an exhilarating cough of shock. His eyes widened, and his palms stretched toward Jack as he half turned in his seat to face him. "It IS you! Gosh, yes! Your hair looks longer, and the jaw isn't cleanly shaven like it is in your cover photos, but it is you. The same intelligent, keen eyes and handsome looks."

Jack was surprised, "You know me?" It felt unreal that he did and had such good things to say.

"What?" Andrew zapped his gaze to his sister and back again, jerking his thumb at Jack. "What is this man talking about? Sarah and I have read all your books and talk about them all the time."

"Is that so?" Jack turned inquisitive eyes toward Sarah and watched as a blush crept into her face. "She didn't tell me she had read them much less that I was a family topic."

They all laughed, and Jack found the space to join in.

"You were pretty popular in New York," Mira said, shocking Jack with how low her voice sounded. He would never have guessed. "The bookshops had your works everywhere."

"Wow!" His ears tingled. "I wish my manager had been more concerned with telling me things that happened outside LA than pestering me about getting a particular haircut."

"The hair suited you, man," Andrew said.

"You think so?" Involuntarily, Jack touched his hand to his elongated hair and then to his beard stubble. "Thanks."

"So, what brings you to this little town?" Andrew inquired with curiosity. "It's a charming place filled with wonderful people, but I never would have expected to have a chance encounter with a famous author right here in my family's business. Are you here for research or something else?"

Panic immediately consumed Jack. He was at a loss, unsure of how to answer or what to say. He didn't know if it was acceptable for him to share the things he had discussed with Sarah, even though they were her family. They were waiting for his response.

Sarah interjected, placing a comforting hand on his. Grateful, Jack looked at her as she spoke, "He just needed some time to rest, Andrew. You understand how draining the creative process can be."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Of course," Andrew replied, nodding in agreement along with Mira. "And you came to the perfect place. The fresh air and natural beauty of Lily Corner would have to be rejuvenating for you."

"But don’t you get bored here?" Mira asked, her tone curious. "It's such a change of pace from the city. What do you even do for fun?"

"That was the point of coming here, actually," Jack replied, grateful for the path Sarah had already paved in the conversation. "A complete break from everything. And honestly, I’ve been enjoying it. Drago’s daily crowd has been all the excitement I could ever need."

"Yeah, right!" Andrew chimed in with a laugh. "Never a dull moment with them!"

"Friendly people. Peace. Quiet contentment. It’s so different from the life I’ve known," Jack continued, his voice more reflective now. "It’s a stark contrast to the chaos and noise I’m used to, but somehow, I feel content here. Grateful, really, to have found this simple, peaceful world."

As he spoke, Jack realized he was almost talking to himself, forgetting the others were still listening. When he finally paused, the group had fallen silent, as if struck by the way his words flowed like prose.

"Well, they didn't know it, “ Mira broke the silence. “but they were lucky to have a celebrity dwelling among them for however long. If you were in New York everyone would be freaking out!"

Jack laughed nervously and pushed back a straying lock of hair. "I was trying not to associate myself with that tag anymore," he admitted.

"Why?" Andrew asked, sounding horrified.

Jack shrugged. "I just don’t think I deserve it, that’s all. I might be some people's bestseller, but I’m not mine... not yet." He paused, suddenly wondering if he’d said too much. Could he even back it up if they started asking questions? Could he explain himself?

"Because not everyone’s a fan of erotic fiction?" Mira asked calmly. Jack glanced at her, and she held his gaze, as if daring him to say one more self-deprecating thing.

The words that almost came were sharp: Because too many people, sitting on their moral high horses, dismissed it as not real writing. But that wasn’t the truth. Not really.

He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came. He wanted to say something that sounded right, something believable, but the truth wouldn’t let the lie pass his lips. It stuck there, heavy and unmoving.

Lately, the truth had been harder to evade. It was either face it or stay silent.

And silence, for now, was safer.

Sensing his hesitation, Sarah gently placed her hand over his. "Every writer wants to outdo their best work," she said, smoothly rescuing him. "They can’t afford to settle, or they become complacent and irrelevant. A creative’s best thing is always the next thing."

"Hmmm," Andrew commented. "That makes so much sense."

Sarah looked at Jack with admiration in her eyes, and he returned the gesture with a grateful smile. Her hand gently squeezed his, and it was one of the most meaningful gestures she had ever given him.

Automatically, Jack knew he would have to talk about this self-sabotage with her, but it would be better with her than with anyone else. She wouldn't pressure him to say more than he wished to say.

And, when it really came down to it, he could just tell her, yes, you are right— All

I meant by what I said is what you explained. A writer is always looking for the next best thing. It isn't that deep.

He wouldn't look into her eyes as he said it so that he could conveniently evade saying the fact she would want to know.

Talking about his writings would mean talking about the other things...those things not that normal...not that human. Those things that would show her the darkness that he was enrobed in. The dark things that would make her run away.

"Speaking of things to do," Sarah quickly continued, changing the topic before the silence got too obvious, "you know the Country Dance is this Friday, right?" She was grinning at them from ear to ear. Jack relaxed; the attention rolled off him.

"It's this month?" Andrew asked with excited, wide eyes.

She nodded grinning broadly

"What's that?" Mira asked, mirroring the exact thing on Jack's mind. "This 'Country Dance' thing?"

"Well, it's a social event we have here at Lily Corner four times a year. We dance, eat, and be merry. We've been so consistent and creative with it that some folks even came to attend from the city. I am sure you will enjoy it."

"I am not really a social events person per se," Mira said, not surprising Jack at all. "But I don't think it would kill me."

"Yeei!" Andrew said excitedly, clapping his hands. They all laughed. "I wouldn't want to dance with any other girl there. You know that."

"Oh... Get a room!" Sarah jested.

They laughed and began to drink.

Jack felt a little like family.