Ad copy

“Sugar, I adore you too. But you can’t follow me everywhere. It’s inappropriate for you to be here right now.” Charlotte Landry paused and tipped her head at the sound of the deep male voice coming from the west side of her grandmother’s bar. The guy didn’t have a Louisiana accent. If he had, it would have been obvious on the Sugar. That was one of the best-drawled words down here—especially when combined with a playful smile. There was no reply from “Sugar,” but this sounded juicy. Why was it inappropriate for her—or Charlie supposed Sugar could be a guy—to be here? Was she—or he—an ex? Was Sugar a secret fling, and no one could see them together? Charlie knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but it wasn’t as if she’d snuck up on this conversation. She’d been across the street at her grandmother’s house, using the bathroom since the bar bathroom had a line seven deep, and was on her way back to the party. “We simply can’t be together every minute of every day. We’ve talked about this.” The man’s deep voice was low and calming even as he delivered the news that Sugar wasn’t welcome here. Charlie felt her eyebrows lift. Ooh, Sugar was a little needy it seemed. She—or he—felt they needed to be together constantly? Charlie took a few steps closer to the corner of the building. She probably shouldn’t listen in, but as much fun as the wedding reception was inside, the moonshine, wedding cake, music, and Cajun tall-tales weren’t going anywhere. There was always more food, booze, and b𝐮llshit with that group inside. She could spare a few minutes. “You also can’t bring your friends with you when you’re st𝐚lking me,” the man said. Charlie looked around. Had his st𝐚lker brought an entourage? Was it for a flash mob? Or for a k𝐢dnapping? Really, neither would’ve surprised her here in Autre. Which was one of the things she loved about this town. The definition of cr𝐚zy was different here than anywhere else she’d ever been. And not exactly frowned upon. She also wasn’t afraid to admit she was willing to stick around for a flash mob. Or a k𝐢dnapping. She would, of course, call for other people to come out if it turned out to be a k𝐢dnapping. Okay, or a flash mob. So it wasn’t as if the guy was actually going to end up stuffed in a trunk of a car. She was just waiting to see which of those scenarios she was dealing with. “Don’t you think it’s time to go home?” the guy said to his stalker. “Come on. I’ll take you.” Oh, good, he was a nice guy. Even if Sugar was harassing him, he was still willing to be sure she—or he—got home safely. D𝐚mmit, did this mean Charlie needed to follow them? In case the k𝐢dnapping happened away from the bar? Or what if Sugar had a h𝐚tchet and duct tape waiting for the guy back at her place? Or, maybe worse, what if Sugar waited to sing and dance for him in her living room? Charlie would miss the whole performance. Now she was invested. She was going to have to follow them. Crap. She really wasn’t dressed for traipsing around in the dark. Or the light. Her Valentino Garavani Rockstud ankle-strap pumps were perfection. And not at all comfortable for any kind of distance walking. But she really didn’t want to miss the flash mob. Surely it was going to be a flash mob, right? Or a striptease. At least. Charlie decided if she were going to do a flash mob for a guy she stalked to a wedding, she’d choose Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”. Obviously. “Come on, Sugar,” the man said. “Let’s get you home.” Charlie literally had her fingers crossed for the first strains of Taylor Swift when she heard the stalker reply for the first time. “Behhhh!” Charlie jumped, then frowned. Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that. She peered around the corner of the building. There was a man sitting on the back step of her grandmother’s bar. And he was surrounded by goats. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, by Erin Nicholas! Available in 📱𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝, 📚𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 🎧𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 (narrated by 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬 and 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞!)