Page 58 of The Fiance Dilemma

More laughter left me. “Are you for real?” His face said no. His eyes said yes. “Yes,Mattsie-Boo,you’re the only one who gets my kale chips.” He smiled. “No one else likes them though.”

“Fools. All of them,” he said, his expression filling up with… something that told me he was about to do something crazy. Something—

He wouldn’t do now.

Bobbi’s unmistakable blond bob jutted out from one of the stands already assembled around the barn. She was on her phone, her hand slicing through the air.

“Bobbi’s here,” I said just as she spotted us. “Ugh. She’s also coming this way.”

Matthew’s expression hardened, and he stepped back just as the woman in question appeared in front of us.

“This is chaos,” Bobbi announced, locking her phone. “You should fire your event planner.”

I sighed and adjusted my blouse sleeves in an attempt at not appearing as bothered as I was by the comment. “It’sorganizedchaos. And there’s no event planner to be fired. Our midnight farmers’ market is organized by Green Oak’s Special Events and Parades Committee.”

Bobbi arched her brows. “Excuse me, what?”

“Our Midnight—”

“No,” Bobbi interjected. “This is supposed to be a dinner. A welcome party. For Andrew. Why am I hearing the wordsMidnightandFarmers’andMarket?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I felt Matthew stiffening, so I made sure to sound appeasing. “Because you asked me to organize it. And this is Green Oak’s welcome party for Andrew. And there’s nothing more Green Oak than our famous midnight farmers’ market. So…”

“So this is not what we talked about,” Bobbi scoffed. “Did you not read the description I added to the planner?” She pitched her voice down as if reciting something from memory.“Casual dinner to celebrate Andrew’s return and launch wedding preparations.Ideally, should match wedding theme. Preferably in a local restaurant. Alternatively, with catering service that showcases the town’s cuisine. Objectively, a smooth reintroduction of father of the bride into community with mingling potential.It’s clear enough.”

I swallowed. “Well, I’m afraid I’ve gone a little rogue.”

Dark scowling eyes held mine for a tense moment. “Is this rogue thing supposed to explain why the barn looks like a rainbow hurled all over the place? Who runs this committee? I need to talk to them.” Her expression hardened. “Is it Roberto?”

“I’m in charge,” I told her with a smile. “I’m chair, deputy chair, secretary, and treasurer of the committee. And I think the barn looks fantastic. And hey,” I added, pointing at the spot above the ladder. “We’ll have a welcome sign for Andrew. And a sitting area for whoever wants to eat any of the amazing local produce, so technically, almost everything you asked for is here. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

“You played me,” Bobbi stated.

“You played me first,” I countered with a little scoff. “You sprung this thing on me. In front of Willa Wang. And I’m a little done with being ordered around. Maybe it’s time you see how we do things in Green Oak, you know?”

Bobbi’s eyes narrowed. “I’d be annoyed if I weren’t a little impressed.” She tilted her head. “No. I’m definitely annoyed. You don’t play Bobbi Shark.” She glanced at the man to my right. “And what are you smirking about, Blondie?”

“Just quietly happy. Seeing my woman handing you your ass, is all.”

My brows shot up. “That is not what I’m doing. I’m not handing anyone any ass. I promise.”

Bobbi appraised us—or maybe me—for a few seconds. “Okay,” she finally said. “Do it your way.” She turned around. “I can do the same.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I would never dare to call myself witchy, but I had a way of knowing when something was about to go awry.

It usually started with a sign. A freshly done nail that split right before an important event, or a pull on a dress minutes before leaving the house for a date. Silly things that could happen to anyone. Things that are objectively fixable but made you pause to ask:Ugh, why tonight of all nights? Why right now?

Tonight, it had been the zipper of one of my ankle boots. They were lilac, and new, and I was pairing them with jeans and a matching cardigan covered in daisies. I’d been saving these boots for a special occasion and decided they’d be my lucky pair. But one didn’t snap the zipper of their new lucky charm. That’s why I’d shook my head, determined to deny this was one of those signs. And then my tummy dropped.

And I was talking aroller coaster, takes your breath away for a seckind of drop. Exactly the one that always, always followed these little omens.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Matthew said, offering me a raspberry from the box he’d just bought at one of the midnight farmers’ market stands.

I declined with a sigh. “Do you believe in magic? Juju? Premonitions? Ghosts? Fate? The power of manifestation? The yeti?”

Matthew pondered the question. “Oh, absolutely.”

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