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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Family
- Published: 05/10/2025
Over and above
Born 1945, M, from Farmersburg, United States.png)
I stood up and stretched. The last customer just left. The owner of the bookstore came up and shook my hand. “How many books did you sign?” He asks me smiling.
“Fifty-five. Feels like a thousand.” I said, shaking my hand, trying to get some circulation back into it.
“We’ll keep ten on the shelve.” He looked embarrassed. “Would you mind signing them?”
“No, of course not. Would you like fifteen? You can send them back directly to me for a refund if they don’t sell.” I said, setting back down.
“Thank you. That would be great. “He seemed relieved. By the time I left the bookstore it was 9:30. I returned to my room at the hotel and ordered room service. I took a shower and called my wife. In the middle of the call, there was a knock on my door. “Hold on, honey. That gorgeous blond from the book signing is here.”
She laughed. “Tell her I said hi.”
“Will do.” I said.
I was late getting to the door. The waiter called out. “Room Service.”
“Please put it over here.” I said, indicating the end of the bed. I gave him a tip.
“Thank you. Please let us know when you finish.” He said, going out the door.
“Yes, I will. Thanks again.” Then he was gone.
“Sounds like that gorgeous blond just left.” My wife said, laughing. “I will let you eat your dinner. I love and miss you.”
“I love you too. Two more and I’ll be home.”
I ate most of the food and called room service. I set the table back in the hallway as per their instructions.
At eleven, I turned out the light and tried to quiet my mind. Two more cities, two more bookstores, and then I was home. This tour ended. I couldn’t wait.
The next morning, I started the roadster and exited the hotel’s parking garage. It was a gorgeous day with a temperature in the 70s and climbing. At 10 AM I put down the top. I mapped out my route to stay on the back roads away from the interstates. My wife called at noon. She said she missed me and was out buying ingredients for chili. She had stayed home. If she had it to do over, she would be with me. The book tour was fun meeting all the people. Hearing how my book had changed their lives. But after the first or second day, it just became lonely.
My wife was not just my friend, but my encourager. She kept me going when I wanted to quit. When the writing was not going well, she made suggestions that changed my direction. In other words, she made life exciting.
I pulled into a state park at noon and parked at the inn. I put up the top and locked the car. At their restaurant, I ate a good meal and went to the nature center. Back at the inn, I visited the store and bought a silly hat for my wife. It was in the shape of a duck with the duck’s bill as the bill of the hat. Written across the front were the words, “I quack for you.”
A week later, I was in my office typing on my keyboard. A new book in the works. The roadster in the garage and my wife in the house. I swore the next time I left for a book signing, she would go with me.
“Fifty-five. Feels like a thousand.” I said, shaking my hand, trying to get some circulation back into it.
“We’ll keep ten on the shelve.” He looked embarrassed. “Would you mind signing them?”
“No, of course not. Would you like fifteen? You can send them back directly to me for a refund if they don’t sell.” I said, setting back down.
“Thank you. That would be great. “He seemed relieved. By the time I left the bookstore it was 9:30. I returned to my room at the hotel and ordered room service. I took a shower and called my wife. In the middle of the call, there was a knock on my door. “Hold on, honey. That gorgeous blond from the book signing is here.”
She laughed. “Tell her I said hi.”
“Will do.” I said.
I was late getting to the door. The waiter called out. “Room Service.”
“Please put it over here.” I said, indicating the end of the bed. I gave him a tip.
“Thank you. Please let us know when you finish.” He said, going out the door.
“Yes, I will. Thanks again.” Then he was gone.
“Sounds like that gorgeous blond just left.” My wife said, laughing. “I will let you eat your dinner. I love and miss you.”
“I love you too. Two more and I’ll be home.”
I ate most of the food and called room service. I set the table back in the hallway as per their instructions.
At eleven, I turned out the light and tried to quiet my mind. Two more cities, two more bookstores, and then I was home. This tour ended. I couldn’t wait.
The next morning, I started the roadster and exited the hotel’s parking garage. It was a gorgeous day with a temperature in the 70s and climbing. At 10 AM I put down the top. I mapped out my route to stay on the back roads away from the interstates. My wife called at noon. She said she missed me and was out buying ingredients for chili. She had stayed home. If she had it to do over, she would be with me. The book tour was fun meeting all the people. Hearing how my book had changed their lives. But after the first or second day, it just became lonely.
My wife was not just my friend, but my encourager. She kept me going when I wanted to quit. When the writing was not going well, she made suggestions that changed my direction. In other words, she made life exciting.
I pulled into a state park at noon and parked at the inn. I put up the top and locked the car. At their restaurant, I ate a good meal and went to the nature center. Back at the inn, I visited the store and bought a silly hat for my wife. It was in the shape of a duck with the duck’s bill as the bill of the hat. Written across the front were the words, “I quack for you.”
A week later, I was in my office typing on my keyboard. A new book in the works. The roadster in the garage and my wife in the house. I swore the next time I left for a book signing, she would go with me.
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