Page 87 of Unlocking Melodies

The pan chose that moment to emit an ominous sizzle, and Jimmy finally admitted defeat, dumping the whole thing in the sink with a splash that definitely violated several laws of physics.

“Sarah's?” he suggested, turning in my arms with a grin that made my heart do complicated things.

“Probably safer for everyone involved.” I pressed a kiss to his temple. “Though we should probably shower first. You've got...” I gestured vaguely at the impressive amount of what might have been flour in his hair.

His smile turned mischievous. “Shower together? To save water, of course. Very environmentally conscious.”

“Of course. Purely ecological reasons.”

What should have been a quick cleanup turned into something considerably longer, involving significantly more laughter and stolen kisses than actual efficiency. By the time we finally made it to Sarah's, my hair was definitely not up to its usual corporate standards, and Jimmy's shirt was buttoned slightly wrong.

The diner's bell announced our arrival with what felt like extra enthusiasm. Sarah took one look at us and immediately started grinning.

“Well, well,” she said, already pouring coffee without being asked. “Look who finally made it to breakfast.”

“We tried cooking,” Jimmy explained, settling into what had become our usual booth.

“I can tell.” She eyed my decidedly uncorporate appearance with poorly concealed amusement. “The smoke signals were very creative.”

“Does anyone in this town actually work?”

“Multi-tasking is a small town skill.” Sarah set down plates we definitely hadn't ordered yet.

Through the window, I caught sight of what had to be at least four different people pretending to be extremely interested in their morning paper while obviously watching us. The town's surveillance game was evolving, though their subtlety still needed work.

“I'm pretty sure Riley's writing a novel about us by now,” Jimmy commented, reaching for the coffee with the desperation of someone who'd faced morning kitchen warfare and lost.

“Please, he's already got a three-book deal.” Sarah topped off our cups with a knowing smile. “Mrs. Henderson's negotiating the movie rights.”

The normalcy of it all - sitting in a small-town diner, trading jokes about our extremely invested audience, watching Jimmy try to pretend he wasn't stealing bacon from my plate - felt like some kind of miracle. The weight of last night's conversation was still there, but it felt lighter somehow, balanced by the simple joy of this moment.

“You know,” Jimmy said thoughtfully, “Current Jimmy might be terrible at cooking, but I think he's getting pretty good at other things.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain dignity while he continued his stealth bacon theft. “Like what?”

“Like knowing when to let go of perfect plans and just enjoy the moment.” He smiled, and my heart did that stupid skipping thing again. “Even if those moments involve minor kitchen fires and an entire town's worth of betting pools.”

Before I could respond, Mrs. Henderson herself bustled in, making a beeline for our table with what looked suspiciously like wedding venue brochures tucked under her arm.

“Oh good, you're both here!” She settled into our booth without invitation, because personal space was apparently another big city concept that didn't translate to small town life. “I've been thinking about color schemes...”

Jimmy caught my eye across the table, his expression a perfect mix of amusement and horror. And in that moment, surrounded by Sarah's knowing smiles and Mrs. Henderson's enthusiastic wedding planning and probably half the town's not-so-subtle observation, I knew with absolute certainty that this was exactly where I belonged.

As we walked through town, a new sign caught my eye: “Paws and Purrs Cat Cafe” decorated with painted paw prints and, unsurprisingly, what appeared to be Mrs. Henderson's signature fairy lights. A memory flickered - Jimmy talking about wanting a cat someday between piano pieces.

“Want to check it out?” I asked, gesturing to the storefront where half the town seemed to be gathered for the grand opening.

Jimmy's face lit up in a way that made my chest tight. Before he could respond, we were swept into what had apparently become Oakwood Grove's social event of the season.

“Finally!” Nina called from her position near the front of the line. “We've been waiting for you two to show up.”

“The whole town's been conspiring,” Liam explained, grinning as Caleb tried to maintain order in what looked like a very enthusiastic queue. “Figured you'd want to be here for the opening.”

“The whole town, huh?” I raised an eyebrow at the suspicious number of familiar faces. “I'm sure this has nothing to do with Sky's betting pools.”

“Actually,” Jake chimed in from where he was supposedly providing 'official security', “this one's on Riley's spreadsheet. Something about 'romantic milestones involving furry companions.'”

The cafe's owner stepped out, and I had to blink twice. The guy looked exactly like a certain superhero, complete with broad shoulders and those signature glasses. He introduced himself as Clark Danvers with a warm smile that somehow made everyone feel instantly welcome.

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