Page 123 of Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance

“No, I didn’t castBarbie.” Heat starts to rise to my face. It’s always complicated explaining how our process works.

“What aboutGuardians of the Galaxy?” Gina asks. Then her eyes go wide. “Did you discover Chris Hemsworth? Was he grateful? Who have you met? Who is the biggest star?”

“Let the girl be,” Grandmama says. “I get all the gossip first, at my cottage, for lunch today. Now back to work!”

Everyone disperses.

I don’t know what to say. I guess I should have expected this would happen at some point.

Randy sniffs. “I didn’t realize you were such a big deal.” He heads toward the main building.

I have to hurry to keep up with his long, rapid strides. “I’m not. I’m really not. Zachery is a much bigger deal.”

“You mean that man who slept in the room next to you? Who ate breakfast with you when you were barely dressed?”

“Wait. What?”

We go inside the building, and I let the door close behind me. The lights are out, and it’s dim inside, bins of unsold merchandise scattered across the floor.

Randy whirls around. “That first morning. You came in there with barely a stitch on, ready to have breakfast with that man. You thought I forgot?”

“He’s a coworker. You’ve known that since we met.”

He frowns. “I know it. But you just said he’s a big deal.”

“In the industry. Not to me.”

Randy taps his foot a moment. “All right. I get it.”

“I was the one who wanted to travel. He came along to make sure I was okay, like a friend would, like a brother.”

“But he’s not a brother.”

Oh, if he only knew.

But I press on. “He did a lot of my work for me so I could be with you. I could never have done so much with the tree farm if he hadn’t helped.”

“His car was gone this morning.”

“Yeah, he left. He’s gone back to LA.”

“So, you don’t need a brother anymore.” He seems to be calming down.

I hold on to the back of the chair I sat in the first day, when I made the ribbon wreaths. It already feels like ages ago. “Exactly. Once he saw I was well situated here, he went back.”

“You’re thinking about staying here in Glass?” He steps close enough to take my hand.

I let out a sigh of relief. We got past this moment. Maybe soon I’ll ask him about his living arrangements.

His thumb slides over the back of my hand. “I’d like it if you did.”

This is it, I guess. The moment where the script is complete. The intention to follow my happily ever after will be stated. The swoony music will rise. We’ll have our biggest, best kiss, and roll the end credits.

INT. HANOVER TREE FARM RETAIL BUILDING—DAY

Randy, 28, leans in—

“I have a meeting in LA,” I blurt. “Next week.” I don’t, but I probably will. If the director wants me, I’ll go. Might as well put it out there.

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