Sign Me Up

Sign Me Up Dulcie Dameron © Copyright 2023 Dulcie Dameron All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe reproduced in any form or by any electronic mechanical means, includinginformation storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from theauthor, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Author’s note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and situations, while possibly inspired by real life events, are a product of my imagination. Any similarities to real people, places or things are purely coincidental. Character mentions of celebrities do not necessarily express the author’s personal beliefs. Cover Design done by: K. Leah Edited by: Jennia D'Lima Kissing a Kent Brother Sign Me Up Spoke Too Soon Flirty Little Secret Dedication To my sister, Jamie, who I promised to name my future child after. Here's to hoping you'll accept a fictional character as a namesake instead of one of my real-life kids. Because that ship has sailed. Contents A Note From the Author 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 26. Chapter 26 27. Epilogue Chapter Want More From Dulcie? Fun Facts Special Thanks About the Author A Note From the Author D ear Reader, Thank you for picking up this book! I'm humbled and honored that you've chosen to take this journey with me. I feel it's important to note that our MMC, Parker, is a deaf man living in a mostly hearing environment. As an author, I've tried my best to research and do my due diligence to make his character as nuanced as the deaf community itself, but I'm sure I've probably fallen short somewhere. As a hearing person, I can't even begin to understand what it's like to have a sensory difference like this, so inevitably, I won't get it all right. This book was read by sensitivity readers who are immersed in deaf culture or have deaf relatives, so just know that I've taken their thoughtful insights and suggestions into consideration for this story as well. There are many interactions between Parker and Jamie, a hearing person, where I don't explicitly mention her or him signing to each other. Just know that Jamie is always trying to communicate with Parker through what Sign Language she knows as well as speaking (unless otherwise noted), while Parker's dialogue will be in italics. It would have become extremely redundant to the reader if I had to continuously use dialogue tags such as "she said/signed" or "he signed." So for flow of the story, I've added this note to help you during those interactions. I hope you love Parker and Jamie as much as I do! XO, 1 Jamie For the love of all that’s good and green in the world, please make it stop. How many more times can I offer up this silent prayer while being held prisoner by none other than Les Jenkins, the Treemont Gazette’s very own encyclopedia of useless things? A hundred? A million? Is there a limit? Waiting for the copies of the press release I just completed to be printed out, I brace myself against the corner of the office copier while Les drones on and on. You’d think with a name like Les the guy would understand the concept of less being more. But nope. He doesn’t get it. Not even a little bit. I’d like to think I’m a patient person, but this is the fourth time Les has trapped me at the copier this week. And it’s not that he’s a bad guy, but if boring was a person, it would be him. Not to mention his brown suit and pale-yellow tie combo mixed with his signature fried bacon smell remind me of the interior of a Waffle House. Ew. Doing my best to resist taking a deep breath lest I inhale the scent of dirty diner, I bolster my mind for the rest of this titillating conversation. If this is anything like Tuesday’s copier meetup, I’d better settle in and buckle my seat belt because this guy has proved he can go on for a surprisingly long while. Last week, his riveting discussion on the mating habits of marmosets lasted so long my coffee got cold. Today, it’s bird calls—or something like that. Finally, as if God Himself has smiled upon me, a tall, dark, familiar figure saunters up behind Les, bringing with him a whiff of expensive, delectable cologne that subtly overpowers the lingering smell of fried bacon. Parker Kent, my work bestie and now lifeline, gives me a smirk with one eyebrow raised. His light green eyes sparkle with a hint of humor that I can’t fully appreciate while being held captive by Les. As usual, Parker’s the perfect blend of cozy and professional, with his mussed-up hair and baby blue dress shirt that’s open a bit at the collar—so much so that I have to pump the mental breaks when my mind begins to romanticize his effortless good looks. He’s my friend. We’re friends. It’s platonic. Les hasn’t noticed Parker’s presence and keeps spinning some tale about a bird that lives in the northwest region of the state. I widen my eyes and blink dramatically at Parker, telling him without words to please sacrifice himself on the copier conversation altar for the sake of my sanity. “So, you see, Jamie,” Les says, snagging my attention as he swipes the back of his wrist across his glistening forehead, “Avian vocalizations are a grossly understudied subject in general, therefore, you can’t just assume that every two-syllable call you hear is your average warbler. It could very well