Page 45 of Falling for Love

“The old element-of-surprise trick,” I joked. “I’ve got plenty more where that came from.”

“I can’t wait to see.”

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

The silence stretched out between us in a way that felt comfortable and full of possibility, but I refused to let myself think like that. It was too soon.

But as I watched him laugh again as his fingers traced the words on the mug, I couldn’t help but think that maybe—just maybe—letting him in wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Chapter Ten

Liam

The lingering haze of whatever bug I’d caught from Hayden was finally gone, and I felt like a new man.

Not just better—invincible.

I could stand up straight without my head spinning, my appetite was back, and leaving my house no longer felt like an impossible feat.

But it wasn’t just my germ-free life putting the bounce in my step this morning.

No. Today was all about Red Barn Cider.

I’d found it—the perfect building to house my dreams.

It wasn’t just the location or the layout, though both were exactly what I needed. It was the potential. The moment I stepped into the place, I could see it.

The future.

My future.

I’d spent the better part of the morning planning logistics, crunching numbers, and sketching out ideas for renovations.

The goal? I had to open in time for the fall harvest season.

The thought was ambitious, borderline ridiculous, but doable.

What struck me the most was that there was only one person I couldn’t wait to tell about it: Evie.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care about my family’s opinion.

I knew Violet and Fifi would be thrilled for me. Beck would be excited to have a new place to hang out in town, and my parents would be proud.

But the thought of seeing Evie’s face light up and hearing her ask questions that pushed me to consider details I hadn’t thought about yet just… mattered.

A lot more than I wanted to admit.

I glanced at my watch as I climbed into my truck and breathed a sigh of relief.

Buttercup Lake’s coffee shop was only about fifteen minutes from my place, so I’d be early for my coffee date with Evie.

I could grab a good spot where we could talk without distractions. Things were finally headed in the right direction.

Shoot. Neither of us canceled on each other, so that had to count for something.

As I pulled onto the main road, the excitement in my chest grew. Buttercup Lake had a way of pulling you in, like something out of a snow globe that came to life. The town wasn’t big, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in charm.

The main street was lined with old brick buildings with shopfronts painted in warm, welcoming colors.

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