Life is going well for Chiara Bellini, the petite, proud owner of Café Chiara, except that too many of her East Texas clientele insist on seeing her as Pocket, just a sweet country girl who serves good food when she isn’t trying to keep her accident-prone gramps and neighbor Wes out of the hospital.

The old timers’ latest misadventure and the simultaneous arrival of Adam Trent, Wes’ world-traveling engineer-nephew threatens Chiara’s dreams of elevating her business and social standing. Especially when high school coach Hank Kahler accuses Chiara of two-timing him.

As gossip spreads, a conversation is overhead that threatens to do more than keep Chiara from expanding her business, she could be forced to shut down completely.

A witty, warm, contemporary story that is affectionately reminiscent of Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward humor and satire, proving that even in small towns, reputations are fragile, truth is negotiable, and with the help of a special man, a determined woman can outwit the rumor mill.