Rewriting Monday
by Jodi Thomas.

Berkley paperback, 343 pages. 2009.
Contemporary. Texas.

she never intended to stay in this town, but -

“When he came up for air, she pulled away. ‘We can’t do this, you know.’ 

‘You’re right. It’s not proper.’ 

‘No. That’s not it. You don’t have a lock on your door and if I kiss you like that again I’m going to want some skin-against-skin action. How’s it going to look when Audrey opens the door and sees us? We’d probably give her a heart attack.’ 

He smiled. ‘Skin against skin?’ 

‘Shut up,’ she said. ‘We can’t get physical and I’m not quitting. This is not starting out to be a great day. Maybe we should just agree to stay as far away from each other as possible until after five.’ 

‘All right.’ He gave in. She was a born street scrapper and he was no match for her. ‘But tell me one thing, does loving ever come into this physical thing you do?’ 

She shoved her hair back. ‘It never has, and don’t go making this attraction we feel more than it is. I’m just passing through and you’ve got roots miles deep in this town.’ 

She walked to the door. ‘Last night, after spending the evening with your family, I decided we were just going to be friends. I guess you set me straight on that point.’ She winked at him. ‘But what we have will be outside the office, and it’ll be just for fun. I don’t do strings.’ 

He saw it then, the crack in her armor. The soft spot in this tough city girl. She kept it simple because she didn’t want to be hurt. No one could get close. No one could matter to Pepper Malone. ‘Okay, we play by your rules, but you’re going to miss me when you leave.’”

 

Arriving in the dusty, small town where her great aunt lives, Pepper Malone counts the few dollars left in her pocket and applies for a job at the local newspaper office. Pepper had been a hot-shot reporter in Chicago until a story about her former boyfriend’s shady family upset them and she was fired and had to leave town. She doesn’t intend to stay long, but bit by bit she comes to know the people and those she works with and bit by bit she sees there is a problem brewing with threats and small acts of vandalism aimed at the paper. Her boss, Mike McCulloch, whose ancestors started the paper, she finds nice looking, but a complete opposite of herself. Before she realizes it, she has established some roots despite herself, but still warns Mike that she is good for a one-night stand, but nothing long-term. Then the threats become more.

 

I adored this story! Sure I know that Thomas always writes really good stories, but this seemed like just another nice, sweet tale at first – nothing special. Wrong! It has depth and wonderful characters you grow to love and real drama that sort of sneaks up on you. Its terrific reading and I urge all to read it.

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