Page 66 of Falling For You

More between us.

We hadn’t even slept together, and I felt closer to him than anyone I’d ever been with.

After a week…

Granted, we’d spent nearly every day together in some form.

It was the perfect day for wandering through town, grabbing coffee at the coffee shop, or taking a walk by the lake.

It would’ve been incredible with Owen.

But instead, he wasn’t responding.

I chewed on my bottom lip as a knot of worry tightened in my gut.

Something seemed off.

Had I done something to upset him? Things had been going so well between us. I couldn’t stop thinking about our hayride a few days ago—how he’d caught me when I slipped on the floor.

The way we’d laughed.

It had all felt effortless.

Natural.

And now, nothing?

The clock ticked toward noon, and I couldn’t stand it any longer.

If he wasn’t responding to my messages, I would find him myself.

I was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Simple as that.

Buttercup Lake wasn’t a big place. I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair and slipped it on as I headed out the door. His hotel was only a few minutes away.

He couldn’t hide in a town this small, after all.

The brisk wind skated over my cheeks as I walked to my car. The familiar scents of woodsmoke and fallen leaves filled the air. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

Maybe he was just swamped with work. I knew he had a lot going on with his business, but it wasn’t like him to go completely silent. My concern for his well-being was growing with each passing moment.

As I drove through the winding streets of Buttercup Lake, I couldn’t help but notice how peaceful everything looked.

The small shops lining Main Street, the pumpkins sitting outside the grocery store, the new bakery with its glass cases full of fresh apple pies.

This was the kind of town where people knew each other’s business, and if you weren’t careful, secrets didn’t stay hidden for long.

My only worry was that Owen had plenty of his own.

I pulled up outside the hotel where he was staying. The hotel was quaint, with dark wooden beams and flower boxes hanging from the windows. It had recently expanded but managed to keep the small-town charm. I exited the car, and my boots crunched the leaves underfoot.

The lobby was cozy. A fire crackled in the hearth, and conversation murmured from the lounge nearby. I approached the front desk, where Jessie stood, thumbing through areservation book. I went to school with her in high school, and she had always been sweet.

I was hoping to use it to my advantage.

“Hey, Jessie,” I greeted her, trying to keep my voice light despite the anxiety churning in my stomach. “Have you seen Owen today? He’s staying here, right?”

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