Page 101 of Falling for Autumn Again

Dessie hurries for the back door and then the front, opening them both up wide. We spend the next ten minutes clearing away the smoke. Though I have no idea how long Autumn’s house is going to smell like charcoal toast.

“What happened?” Dessie asks after we’ve reconvened in the kitchen. Her hands are on her hips, reminding me of when Autumn and I were kids staying too late on the farm, only to be discovered by Dessie.

“I burnt a crepe,” Autumn says, crossing her arms over her chest, a creased line finding its way between her eyes.

“Hmm…” Dessie wrinkles her nose—yep, probably not the greatest thing to hear from the chef you’ve hired. “Looks more like you set the thing ablaze and tortured it for a time.” Her eyes drift to the sink where the black pan and decimated crepe sit.

“It won’t happen again. I’m good at crepes,” Autumn assures her. “I promise.”

I’ve seen Autumn’s bistro menu—there is a whole crepe section. It’s no wonder she’s a bit defensive.

“I know that. What in the world were you doing that—” Dessie’s eyes travel from Autumn to the sink then up to me. “Oh.” Her mouth forms a tight O. “I see.” And while we’re old friends, Dessie’s soft blue eyes travel from my head to my toes as if she’s seeing me for the very first time. “I see. I see.”

“Oh, geez.” Autumn covers her eyes with one hand.

“We are officially back together,forever,” I say as if this is explanation enough.

“Well—” Autumn starts.

“Nah. We are.” I wrap one arm around her small frame. “We got talking and forgot we were cooking.” Just like when we were kids—we,becausethere’s no you or I—if we’re going down, we’re going down together.

“Talking?” Dessie’s lips pucker and her eyes turn to slits. “Right.” She claps her hands. “Well, we’ll just make sure Ezra’s never back in the bistro kitchen totalkto you, sweetheart. It’ll be fine.”

“Good idea,” I tell her. Which only gets me a smack to the chest from Autumn.

“Well,” Dessie sings, hands on hips. “I guess I’ll go and let you two get back to yourconversation.” She snickers and Autumn groans a little beside me.

We follow Dessie to the front door, my arm around Autumn—I’m not letting her go.

“Bye, Dess. See you tomorrow,” Autumn says, every word sounding like an apology.

“You sound so guilty,” I whisper, my lips at her ear. My arm around her tightens. Yep, I don’t see a reason for my arm to be anywhere else ever again. I like it right where it is.

“That’s because I am guilty,” she says, peering up at me.

“Oh, Ezra!” Dessie shakes her head, one foot out the door. “How’d things go with your dad? Don said you went to visit him. I came to ask but got distracted.”

“Wait. You went to Mav’s? I thought the plan was to never see him again. We avoid him. That’s what you said.” Autumn unhinges herself from my side—though my arms have decided that’s exactly where they want to live from this moment on. She stares at me, her brows lowered.

Dessie’s lips fold in on one another. She winks, though it isn’t friendly—it’s apologetic. “You can tell me later.” And then the little snitch is gone.

“Ezra. You went to Mav’s?” She’s completely removed herself from me now. “You said we’d stay away from him. That we’d never see him again as long as we could help it.”

“I did,” I say, no way out but through.

She shakes her head, a small scoff falling from her lips. “How—how could you do that? Why would you?”

“I needed closure. I know what I said. And I meant it. But Autumn, I needed to tell him a few things.”

“You needed an excuse to get me angry, to get me talking. You know Mav always gets me riled.” She paces in front of me, her ears turning red.

Okay—she’s got me there. I’ve done that before. But not this time.

“I never planned to worry you with this. Seeing Mav was my thing and it’s—” Okay, her face tells me I am saying all the wrong things.

“When?” she says, and her tone is so accusatory. But I’m not letting anything stand in our way. Not again. There won’t be things unsaid, miscommunication, or a ten-year gap ever again.

She can be mad at me all she wants. But she will get over this. And we will be fine.

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