Page 70 of Falling for Mr. Grump, the Big City Billionaire

And I feel my face go full tomato, which is not helping with the wholedenial of my feelingssituation. I try to refocus on my chopping, but it’s pointless. Because every little laugh, every smile from him has my heart doing ridiculous things.

“Skye!” Zoey’s voice pulls me back to reality as she hops up to the counter, a look of pure mischief in her eyes. “Don’t think I didn’t see that smile. Spill, who’s got you blushing like a sixteen-year-old?”

I shrug, but my cheeks are flaming. “Oh, please. You know exactly who.”

She gasps, smacking my arm. “No! Tell me that this isn’t aboutMr. Grumpy Billionairehimself?”

I give her my bestmind your businesslook, but it’s no use. “Alright, fine. Maybe he sent me a text.”

“Or two. Or three.” She snickers. “Girl, you’ve got it bad.”

I roll my eyes, even though she’s not wrong.

Not wrong at all,my brain whispers, and I shove it aside before the feeling settles.

Because that would mean actually admitting to myself that I’m seriously falling for him. And I’m not ready to face what that means yet.

Instead, I finish up my prep work and push through the crowd to the stage in the center of town square. There, local artists and musicians are starting up, and I can see folks crowding around, everyone from the youngest kids to the oldest Seaside Cove regulars.

It’s perfect.

The festival, the people, the energy, it’s everything I love about this place. And the way the town looks today, all dressed up with flowers and banners and little touches of charm? It feels like a dream come to life.

I catch sight of the mural Mrs. Delmar helped paint last year, a colorful collage of Seaside Cove’s history, and I can’t help but feel that warm pride again.

But again, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket.

Troy:I’ll be there soon. Got a surprise for you.

A surprise? I don’t even know what that means, but my cheeks are back to tomato-red, and I feel the biggest, stupidest grin spreading across my face. I tuck the phone away, trying to calm my racing heart.

And in that one moment, I feel it - all the walls I’ve built up around my heart slowly starting to crumble.

The crowd’s bustling around me, laughter and music filling the air, and I’m doing my best not to keep glancing at my phone.

He’ll be here soon, I remind myself,he said he’s got a surprise. Which, knowing Troy, could mean anything.

I turn back to my food truck, trying to focus on stacking plates and organizing everything for the afternoon crowd, but my heart is in my throat, doing all kinds of ridiculous flips.

Who would’ve thought that the town’s “big corporate threat” would turn out to be the same guy who makes my stomach do somersaults just from a text?

Skye, you are being ridiculous.

Just then, I catch a glimpse of him across the square. He’s not wearing a suit and hasn’t for a while now. He looks perfect in a pair of jeans and a fitted dark shirt, his sleeves rolled up. The man looks like he’s stepped right out of one of those romantic movies where the brooding guy finally realizes he cares.

But it’s his smile that really does me in—soft, genuine, and entirely aimed at me.

He weaves through the crowd, holding something behind his back, and my curiosity practically bursts out of me. He stops just in front of me, eyes glinting with a mix of excitement and mischief.

“Alright, Bellamy, what’s the big mystery?” I try to keep my voice casual, like my pulse isn’t racing.

Without a word, he brings his hand forward, revealing an old, slightly worn photo frame. Inside is a beautifully faded picture of Seaside Cove’s main street, probably from the 1950s, with vintage cars and shop signs.

I’m speechless. It’s like a piece of Seaside Cove’s heart, captured in a single image.

“It was my mom’s,” he says softly, looking at the photo like it’s something precious. “She grew up in a small town like this one, loved everything about it. And one of the many small-town pictures she had stashed away was this one. When I realized it’s actually a scene of Seaside Cove I thought it might feel at home here.”

I swallow, the words thick in my throat. “Troy… this is beautiful.”

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