Page 6 of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
‘It’s just a trivia night, Annie.’
‘A trivia night on the same night as my Baking for Beginners class! He planned it like that!’ She glowered at the man across the room and Jeanie followed her gaze. The trivia-planning, town-ruining man in question was tall and handsome. Not like farmer handsome, but definitely attractive. Dark hair, bronze skin. His smile was more of a cocky smirk. What was in the water here? Were all the town’s men sexy? Was that the dream of Dream Harbor? Jeanie couldn’t say she was mad about it.
‘You act as though we haven’t known Mac since kindergarten,’ said Logan.
Annie frowned. ‘That’s exactly the problem. You remember how mean he was. He stole your chocolate milk every day of second grade! You of all people should understand!’
Logan let out a low laugh, a soft puff of air. ‘I’m over it.’
Annie crossed her arms over her chest. ‘Well, I’m not.’
She finally glanced in Jeanie’s direction, who smiled and gave a small wave.
‘Oh, my gosh! You must be the mysterious new café owner! I’m Annie, owner of The Sugar Plum Bakery. Nice to finally meet you.’
‘Am I mysterious?’ Jeanie asked, sneaking a glance at Logan. His face was grim, but he didn’t offer up an answer. ‘Nice to meet you, too. Your bakery smells delicious every morning.’
‘Then, come by! Oh, and also, I usually deliver scones to the café on weekend mornings. Spare me the greeting you gave Logan.’
Jeanie’s cheeks heated in embarrassment, but Annie was laughing like it was all in good fun.
‘It really wasn’t personal––’ she started to explain, but Annie waved a hand to cut her off.
‘If I saw this big oaf skulking around the back alley and I didn’t know him since birth, I’d probably try to hit him on the head, too.’
‘I don’t skulk.’
‘You were a little skulk-y,’ Jeanie added.
Annie jabbed a finger at Logan. ‘See, you do skulk. I like her,’ she said, pointing at Jeanie.
‘When is this damn meeting going to start?’ Logan’s voice was an adorable mix of exasperation and despair.
Hazel patted his knee with her still-mittened hand. ‘You know Mayor Kelly never starts on time.’
‘Why do you call him that? Just call him Dad.’
Hazel shrugged. ‘He’s at work. I’m trying to be respectful.’
Logan rolled his eyes, but Jeanie couldn’t help the smile on her face. She liked these people already. She liked this town. She liked this grumpy farmer. Was it too much to wish that she could fit in here? That Annie could actually like her, that the book club might ask her to join, that Hazel might introduce her to her dad, the mayor?
The pressure to make things at the café work was building. But if Jeanie had made sure Marvin was ready for his weekly meetings with billion-dollar investors, then surely she could run a small café. Right?
ChapterFour
Logan had always thought hell would have fire and brimstone, but it turned out hell was a town hall meeting sandwiched between the woman he had been trying to forget since this morning and one of his nosy best friends. Every time he glanced at Hazel, she waggled her eyebrows at him in a way that made him very uncomfortable – and every time he looked at Jeanie, she smiled up at him like she was having a wonderful time. What had he gotten himself into?
He didn’t know why he’d told Jeanie about this damn meeting, or more importantly why he’d agreed to come. She’d just looked so flustered this morning, so confused. And tired. She was in over her head and, really, he was doing the town a favor. The Pumpkin Spice Café was the only decent coffee shop in town. If she didn’t get it up and running soon, people might have to resort to drinking the watered-down, burnt stuff they served at the gas station near the highway. Or they might just go full zombie and start eating each other’s brains for breakfast. If you thought about it that way, he was a hero.
Annie had taken over pointing out all the key players in the town as she unwound the world’s longest scarf from her neck, her blonde hair flying wildly around her head.
‘So, the guy up front with the hideous green tie is obviously the mayor.’
‘Hey! I got him that tie.’
‘Sorry, Haze, but that color is atrocious.’ Annie shrugged. ‘Anyway, the woman next to him in the power suit is the deputy mayor and our old principal. Her name is Mindy, but I will never not think of her as Principal Walsh.’ Annie lowered her voice and leaned closer to Jeanie. ‘She’s terrifying.’
Jeanie giggled. Logan ignored the way the sound curled up inside him and settled in.
