Page 17 of Hot Girls Read Book Club

“That’s me! Hi!”

“I’m Becca,” the blonde says, extending her hand. “And this is my best friend, Rachel.”

The brunette beside her waves. “Please tell me we’re not the first people to actually show up for this thing.”

“Technically, no.” I laugh, thinking about Jax.

“Oh?” Rachel raises her eyebrows in question.

“There’s one other regular attendee, aside from me.”

“Only one?” Two lines form at Becca’s brow.

“He’s very committed. He should be here any minute.”

The women laugh as we drift toward the front door.

“I saw the group on Facebook,” Becca says. “Honestly, I didn’t think we’d ever have something like this in Bellewood. I’ve read romance religiously since high school, so this is really cool.”

“That was exactly my thought when I started it.”

“You said one regular attendee, but you’ve had a lot of other members show up periodically, right?” Rachel asks.

I hum noncommittally, glancing at the stack of notebooks visible on the table in the community room through the front window.

“Well,” Becca beams. “We’re here now, and that’s all that matters. Every group has to start somewhere!”

For the first time since seeing the RSVPs on the Facebook event, I relax and allow myself to believe this might actually work. Maybe the Hot Girls Read Book Club is finally going to be a real thing.

The familiar rumble of an engine rolls across the parking lot. My head turns automatically, though, I don’t even have to look to know it’s Jax. I’d recognize the sound of his truck anywhere.

A smile spreads across my face before I can stop it. The truck settles into its usual parking spot near the edge of the lot. I lift a hand and wave at Jax.

“Who’s that?” Rachel squints to look in that direction.

“Oh. That’s Jax.”

Both women immediately whip their gaze toward the truck. Something unspoken passes between them—a look that says more than words ever could. It passes quickly, and most people probably wouldn’t have noticed. Unfortunately, things like that don’t slip past me.

“You know Jax?” Becca asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Yeah.” I smile. “He’s our other member. It’s actually super funny. He stumbled into the first meeting by accident a couple of months ago and never left.”

The truck remains parked, engine off, and I can see Jax sitting behind the wheel through the windshield. Probably checking his phone or tying up loose ends at the garage.

Neither of the women laughs at my story about how Jax joined my book club. They exchange another look, and my smile falters slightly.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Becca says quickly.

Rachel bites her lip, glancing at her friend warily.

“No, what?”

“It’s just…” Rachel shrugs. “I wouldn’t have pictured someone like Jax joining a book club.”

I laugh. “Trust me, neither would he.”