Page 13 of Roughing It

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. What is this magical place?” I’m laying it on a little thick, but being extra nice will offset how I look. Plus, this might be the cutest place I’ve ever been that serves pastries and coffee.

The younger girl answers, “This is my aunt’s place, The Bee and The Bean. Why are you here?”

Clairy scolds, “Waverly, mind your manners, or I’ll call your mom.” To me, she says, “What Wavey means is, how can we help you? Coffee? Baked goodies?”

I fixate on the pastry display, indecision and regret running through my mind. What am I doing? It’s day one, and I already wish I was back in Austin.

In my lonely apartment.

With my lonely life.

No. Nope. I need this. And carbs. One more perk of this adventure? Leaving the packaged meal lifestyle behind.

“If you’re torn, I recommend the sea-salt croissant with a drizzle of honey. It’s one of our most popular items.”

“Sounds fantastic.” I surprise myself by meaning it and answering in my normal voice.

Waverly studies me. “You sound different. LessAlexis Rose-y; it’s better.”

“Uh, thanks. Do you and your aunt want to grab a selfie?”

The cute gray-eyed teen shrugs.

Clearly, she’s not my target demographic.

Clairybustles around packing my pastry and a coffee to go before slipping into frame with her niece and me. Once we finish taking pictures, Clairy thrusts a massive bag into my arms.

“What’s this? Not one croissant.” The heft alone tells me there’s way more than a single treat.

“I figure anyone willing to spend a month alone with Hudson Brooks deserves all the carbs she can eat.”

At my bewilderment, Clairy lays a warm hand on my arm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that. Hudson is great, really. Everyone in town loves all three Brooks brothers. Bo and Gray, Hudson’s younger brothers, have been talking about you for over a week. They’re excited about what this could mean for their business.”

Bo and Gray are excited, but surviving Hudson requires pastry. Interesting. I flick my eyes to Kirk and find him pink-cheeked and looking anywhere but at me. Yeah, that’s not suspicious. What have I gotten myself into?

Fixing my face, I beam back at her. “Oh, no. It’s fine! I only have the company’s name. Peak Adventures. Kirk here forbade me from doing any Googling. He’s a real taskmaster.”

Kirk’s snort lessens some of the tension in my shoulders. Clairy grins at him. “Yeah, he looks like it.”

I wave at both Clairy and Waverly. “Bye, ladies. It was nice meeting you. Thank you for the bonus pastries! DM me so I can tag you in our picture.”

With that, Kirk and I slip back into the quiet of the rented car.

As we pull away, I glare at him. “What’s wrong with him?”

Hands up, Kirk gives me his best puppy dog eyes.

“Nuh-uh. Spill it.”

“You trust me, right?”

“You know I do.”

“Then believe me when I say he’s nothing you can’t handle.”

Of course, I can handle the mystery man. I can handle anything life throws at me.

We pull up in front of a cute, westward-facing A-frame office. The Peak Adventures sign displayed front and center is bathed in a mixture of oranges, purples, and reds as the sun sinks behind the not-so-distant mountains. Like everything in this quaint town, it’s picture-perfect, which suits my needs.

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