Pity Please by Whitney Dineen 💕 New Release Blitz and $50 Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (RomCom)

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I’ve always worshipped my best friend’s older brother, but he never noticed me.

Until that one day …

She had a foolproof plan. He thought his future was sealed. Neither of them imagined life would take them down a different path …

Allie

I never planned to live in Elk Lake again, but here I am. I was going to get married, have a great family and career, and then I’d get my happily-ever-after stamped on the passport of my life.

But Brett cheated and got his mistress pregnant with quadruplets. Karma was my consolation and believe me when I tell you, I couldn’t have been more satisfied by the outcome.

Just as I was busy with my fresh start, Noah Riley walked back into my life. I’ve always worshipped my best friend’s older brother, but he never noticed me.

Until that one day …

Noah

What coach gets demoted after taking their high school basketball team all the way to third in the state? Me, that’s who.

I could have gotten any other job in Chicago, but my anger and hurt pride caused me to accept a position at my alma mater. That’s right, I’m the new basketball coach of the Elk Lake Crappies. Don’t think the irony is lost on me.

My goal is to make a splash with my new team, and then have my old school beg to hire me back. Of course, I won’t accept until there’s an appropriate amount of groveling, along with a substantial pay raise.

When I moved to Elk Lake, I never expected to run into my sister’s best friend from childhood.

Who knew Allie Rogers would make me reconsider my dream?

Noah stands up and reaches his hand out to help me up. Yet once I’m standing he doesn’t let it go. Instead, he holds on tightly and leads the way out of the restaurant. The cool autumn breeze wafts past, and I’m suddenly full of so much optimism and possibility I’m nearly blown over. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this sure about something, I almost forgot how good it feels.

As Noah and I walk across the street to my apartment, he still doesn’t let go of my hand. Instead, he turns to me and declares, “We both have a lot ahead of us.”

“I suppose that’s true,” I agree.

He surprises me by saying, “I like you, Allie. I like you a lot. Not only are you a nice person, but you’re generous and caring. You’re the whole package.”

I’m not sure where he’s going with this, but I’m certainly enjoying the props. Especially as they’re coming from my childhood heartthrob. “Thank you.”

“I’m probably moving back to Chicago, which makes what I’m about to say completely out of line.”

Looking for some levity in the moment, I ask, “Are you propositioning me?”

“No,” he says. “But I would like to kiss you. I’d like that very much.”

Chills race up my spine and into my extremities. I’ve fantasized about this, and not just once or twice, either. A million times.“I’d like to kiss you, too,” I tell him in a breathy voice.

Still keeping the distance between us, he says, “I know I shouldn’t but …”

Instead of letting him finish his sentence, I hurl myself into his arms and plant one on him like I’m performing a lifesaving resuscitation. Everything about this moment feels right. From the softness of Noah’s lips to the warmth of his arms around me. We’re a perfect fit and I never want him to let go of me.

Our kiss goes on for what could be seconds or lifetimes. I don’t really know because all sense of time has flown and has taken any common sense I once possessed with it.

Kissing Noah Riley is everything I ever dreamed it would be. My teenage self had no idea how great it really is. Good thing, too, because I probably would have set up camp on his doorstep had I known.

Noah eventually breaks our contact to take a deep breath. If it was up to me, I’d die right here in his arms. “Wow,” he says. “We should have done that sooner.”

“When?” I ask. “When I was fourteen and you were seventeen?”

He shakes his head. “Probably not then. But I would have definitely gone for it the summer you and Lorelai graduated from high school.”

I love this feeling of ease between us, so I tease, “When I was eighteen and you were in your twenties?”

He looks down at me with such tenderness, I wonder how I ever survived without him. “I might have waited until your college graduation just so it didn’t look pervy.” After a beat he asks, “Can I kiss you again?”

My chin barely lifts before we’re once again locked in each other’s arms. Even though I know nothing long term can happen between us, that doesn’t keep me from relishing every moment of whatever this is.

When our connection finally ends, I tell Noah, “That was very nice, thank you.”

He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Thank you.” His hot breath sends ripples of pure ecstasy through me. “What are we going to do about this?” he asks.

“About what?” Playing dumb seems like the way to go.

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Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017