Autumn Nights

AUTUMN NIGHTS WILLOW ASTER CONTENTS A Note from Willow Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Epilogue Acknowledgments Other Books by Willow Aster ASL Learning Resources Copyright © 2022 by Willow Aster ISBN-13: 979-8-9861179-6-6 Cover by Emily Wittig Designs Proofreading: Christine Estevez All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. To my deaf friends who make it way too easy for me to cheat with sign language—thank you, and please don’t give up on me! A NOTE FROM WILLOW Thanks for purchasing Autumn Nights! I hope you’ll fall in love with these characters! Four sensitivity readers helped me with a deaf character who is central to this story. Since there are varying thoughts on how to properly write sign language in fiction, please know I tried to study them all thoroughly and leaned heavily on the advice of my sensitivity readers, but any mistakes I've made are mine, and I hope you will trust my heart that I really tried to get it right. American sign language—ASL—is a language with its own syntax, grammar rules, and structure that's different from written and spoken English, so some phrases may jump out if you're not accustomed to communicating with someone in sign language. To make it clear while reading, here's a little info about what to expect formatting-wise. Because the deaf character in this story can speak and read lips to an extent, most of the time any dialogue is spoken and signed, and on the page, it looks the same as most spoken dialogue—quotation marks around the dialogue, no italics. Occasionally, I describe what the signs look like, but not always, and then there are times when conversations between the characters will be in sign language only and that will be in caps and italicized. I hope that helps! Love, Willow 1 WEDDING BLUES Autumn I set the bouquet of flowers on the bar and try to catch my breath. It’s been the most beautiful day, the most beautiful wedding, the most beautiful bride and groom, in the most charming place I’ve ever seen. We’re on a beach in Nantucket and last night we stayed in a house that surrounds a lighthouse. We had the place to ourselves last night and today and I’ve made sure to investigate every inch of the place—the house is a dream in design and elegance. I even love my dress, a feat in itself. It’s in a shade called Desert Rose and is the prettiest dress I’ve ever worn. All of this romance in the air would normally make me nauseated. It’s not that I’m not a believer in love, but I leave the sunshine and unicorn idealism to my sister—speaking of the most beautiful bride—while I’m more of a dark underbelly, see life as it is kind of girl. I swallow down the lump in my throat. I’m so happy for my sister Summer and her hottie movie star. I’ve been rooting for them since the day I met Liam Taylor, so it’s not sadness or jealousy that I’m feeling, but immense satisfaction and gratitude that one of us got it right. My phone buzzes in my jeweled clutch and I pull it out, turning off the sound and rolling my eyes when I see that it’s Dominic. Again. I shove it back in my purse and turn when I hear a low whistle. “Do texts always make you angry or is this a special occasion?” the guy asks. Calling him a guy feels like it lessens him somewhat. It’s the tall, sturdy like a rock, hunk of a man that I noticed when I walked down the sandy beach aisle as maid of honor. He’s hard to miss with shoulders so broad he could probably lift a car or some other such foolishness. He’s so not my type. Summer says I go for the starving artist types that look like they could either have a drug habit and need to eat…or both. She’s not wrong. I once accidentally put my ex’s jeans on, and they fit…only he’s eight inches taller. Dominic is said ex and he’s decided that since I’m done with him, he wants me now. Which also seems to be my type. “Special occasion,” I say. Hunka man grins and his hazel eyes sparkle in the sunshine, his perfectly straight white teeth with obnoxious full lips that are like pillows such a contrast with his boulder man body. “Remind me not to get on your bad side,” he says, his eyes falling to my lips, and I feel shaken and stirred. As much as I don’t want to feel either shaken or stirred, coming out of a string of bad relationships and even worse first dates, the last thing I need right now is my nether regions to wake up over anyone. I turn back toward the bar, and he sits beside me. I’m surprised the stool doesn’t break in half with the pure muscle he’s throwing down. “Are you related to the bride?” he asks. “Summer is