Sunday, January 18, 2026

Cherry Red Excerpt

He leaned against the wall. “I’d love to sample your shakes.” Noah grimaced and shook his head. “I’m sorry. That sounded worse than it was meant to be.” 

Warmth flushed her cheeks, and silence filled the space between them. 

“This might seem like a strange question, especially since we’ve just met, but would you be interested in joining me for a coffee?” Noah rested an arm on the bar. 

She glanced down at her jeans and black T-shirt embroidered with the company name and logo of a cluster of red cherries. In a room full of women all dolled up in fancy dresses, why would this incredibly handsome man ask her out? “I appreciate the offer, but…” 

Noah raised a brow. “You don’t like coffee, or me?” 

“What? No. I mean, yes.” She took a second to collect her scrambled thoughts. “I like coffee. I don’t hang out with firefighters.” Not that he was a real firefighter. Did impersonators count in her list of men to avoid?
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