It’s #BookQW and my hero can’t understand her ‘gloom’.
This is a word that does not appear in many of my lighthearted novels! I had to check five before I found this one. More from chapter 6:
“Tonight has already been lost.” Luna let out a long sigh. “Papa let some pushy old barnacles on the Fest planning committee persuade him to put the lighthouse on the tour.”
“That’ll be fun to see. I haven’t been up those circling stairs since I was small.”
“Exactly.” A gloomy edge clung to that one word, and before he could reason why, she added, “And our home.”
What was the problem exactly? “I suppose it’s a historical building? Folks like those on the Fest tours.” But she didn’t answer. “Does this have anything to do with why I’ve never been invited in?”
She crossed her arms. “Our place is a mess. Now we must spend the days beforehand cleaning.”
Ah, that was the problem. She felt she couldn’t do anything else but help her family. Salm flexed his shoulders, releasing their tension. “I’m a fair hand at that. Let me help.”
She shook her head again, and it felt like the current had ahold of him and would drag him under. He didn’t understand why she didn’t want his help, and clearly more questioning wouldn’t get her to explain.
“Answer me this,” he said carefully. “Do you still want to be seeing me? I do nae mean this week. I mean, at all?”
Her head swung around. “Aye,” she said firmly.
His breath released. “Thank the Blessed Orb. I have to assume that’s not our magic talking, since neither of us had it out this time.” He captured her hand again. “I want to see you, too. It’s a precious chance to get to know each other better.” He moved in, but she leaned back.
“This is not how I want you seeing me, amid my family’s horrible inability to maintain a home. You’ll only come away knowing what the rest of the town already believes—that Jonah didn’t do right by raising his daughters on his own.”
Salm laughed. “Be assured, I have absolutely no issues with this daughter.”
She gave him a light shove with a bit of spark in it, and he laughed harder.
~~~
If you’d like to lift yourself from the gloom, pick up Keepers of the Sea Cliffs!
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