Dumplin' (28 page)

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

..................................................................

I stick around long enough to hear that Millie—our little Millicent!—is second runner-up. She holds her bouquet of roses and gives the perfect beauty queen wave. I don't stay for the crowning of the winner. I don't need to.

As I'm walking out to the lobby with the bottle of sparkling cider from Lee and Dale clutched in my fist, I see Mitch standing around with a bunch of guys from the team. They won their game last week, so they're going to state on Thanksgiving Day.

It's Patrick Thomas who notices me first. “Back for more?” he asks. “Couldn't handle getting dumped?”

Mitch shakes his head, his expression resigned. “She's not the one who—”

I lift my hand to stop him. “No one thinks you're funny, Patrick.” I tell him. “Don't you get that? No one is laughing. Not even your friends.”

Patrick frowns for a second then shrugs before turning back around.

Mitch nods once. I linger for a moment, offering a faint smile.

The audience inside the theater erupts with applause as I turn to leave.

I walk the three blocks in my dress and heels. I love this dress. I want to always look at it, hanging in my closet, and remember this night in November when I stepped into my own light. Wind pushes against me, sending the fabric in ripples as I move down the streets of my little town.

The bell rings above my head as I push the door open to find Harpy's busy with all ten people in Clover City who didn't attend the pageant.

“Whoa,” says Marcus as he hands a customer their receipt. “Lookin' fresh, Will.”

At the sound of my name, Bo rounds the corner with a red sucker dangling from his cherry-stained lips.

I set the sparkling cider down on the counter.

He pulls his apron down from around his neck so that it hangs from his waist. His lips split into a broad grin. “Willowdean,” he says.

I sigh.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

..................................................................

JULIE MURPHY
lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cats who tolerate her. When she's not writing or trying to catch stray animals, Julie can be found in a library smelling old books and manning the reference desk. Her acclaimed first novel is
Side Effects May Vary
. You can visit Julie at www.juliemurphywrites.com.

WWW.EPICREADS.COM

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

..................................................................

Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

DUMPLIN'
. Copyright © 2015 by Julie Murphy. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

www.epicreads.com

978-0-06-232718-5

EPub Edition April 2015 ISBN 9780062407993

15  16  17  18  19    
XXXXXX
    10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2 1

FIRST EDITION

Australia
,

HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

www.harpercollins.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Canada

2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor

Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada

www.harpercollins.ca

New Zealand

HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand

Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive

Rosedale 0632

Auckland, New Zealand

www.harpercollins.co.nz

United Kingdom

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF, UK

www.harpercollins.co.uk

United States

HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

195 Broadway

New York, NY 10007

www.harpercollins.com