Page 31 of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
But that was completely different than this.
This was him trying to sort out his feelings before making a big mistake. Like last time. In front of the whole damn town.
‘That’s not what I’m doing.’
His grandfather finally looked away, giving him a slight nod. ‘Alright. If you say so. Just don’t let that woman keep you from trying again.’
That woman. Grandpa refused to say Lucy’s name since she left, and insane as it was, Logan appreciated this show of solidarity.
‘I won’t,’ he assured him, even though he knew that was exactly what he was doing. He was just tired of his pain being town business, however well-meaning they were. Maybe he just wanted to hurt in private this time. ‘Better get going.’
His grandfather grunted in agreement, pushing away from the truck. ‘Give whatever you don’t sell to Annie. I want more of those pies.’
Logan smiled. Grandpa had a notoriously sweet tooth and he’d been trading apples for pies ever since Annie opened the bakery.
‘Will do.’ He hopped into the cab and gave his grandfather a wave before pulling out, more confused than ever about what to do about Jeanie.
Unfortunately, catching a glimpse of Jeanie as he pulled into the town square where the market was held, did nothing to help him figure it out. She was laughing with Annie as they struggled to get her tent up, the wind catching the fabric and forcing the women to wrestle it into submission. Her hair was loose today, and it flew around her face with the wind as she laughed.
A few dark clouds crossed the sun, casting the square in shadow. The sunny day was quickly taking a turn, but the weather didn’t usually stop people from shopping. If you waited for a perfect day in New England, you’d never do anything. The weather could swing from summer to fall in the course of a few hours, which seemed to be what it was doing right now.
Logan hopped down from his truck and strode over to where Jeanie was currently standing on her tent, a victorious look on her face.
‘There, at least it won’t blow away,’ she said with a grin, still not noticing Logan coming up behind her. She looked different today, the work clothes he usually saw her in, were replaced with jeans and a colorful cardigan. She looked comfortable.
He decided not to take it as a sign that she was settling into her place here. A woman was allowed to change her clothes without it being some sort of declaration of her intentions.
‘Might work better to keep the rain off, if it’s over your head.’
Jeanie turned around with a start. ‘Logan!’ Her cheeks flushed pink. ‘Hi.’
‘Hi.’
He held her gaze, the air crackling between them. He hadn’t imagined it. Every time he saw her, he felt it. This buzz under his skin. It was back, electric and real, like the storm brewing overhead.
‘Hi, I’m here, too!’ Annie cut in, waving a hand in his face. ‘Your best friend since the dawn of time. Hi, there.’ She grinned as he turned to look at her like she already knew exactly how he felt about Jeanie. Which also meant she’d know all about it when it fell apart. He prickled at the thought.
‘Hey, Annie. Need some help?’ He gestured toward the defeated tent.
Annie put her hands on her hips and stared down at the fabric beneath Jeanie’s feet. ‘I don’t know if it’s worth setting up.’ She glanced at the sky. ‘Do you think Pete will cancel?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe he should take a nap and see if anything comes up.’
Annie slapped his arm. ‘Don’t be mean.’
‘The man makes decisions based on dreams, Annie. Don’t pretend like it’s normal.’
His best friend shrugged. ‘It works out most of the time, Logan. I mean look at you and Jeanie and the ghost. Problem solved.’ Another smirk.
‘Yep. Problem solved.’ He moved around to the side of the tent and helped Jeanie straighten out the side. The whole thing was really just a metal frame with a blue vinyl roof. It was literally called an ‘easy-up’ which at the moment seemed misleading, but it was standard farmers’ market gear. Pete had spent some of the town budget one year to order these things in bulk.
In the current conditions, Logan was a little worried they might take flight. ‘You got something to weigh this down with?’ he asked, busying himself so he didn’t have to look at either woman, Annie’s knowing glances or Jeanie’s bright smile. More storm clouds built inside him, hot air mixing with the cold off the water. Unsettled.
‘We can use these.’ Jeanie had the little sandbags that came with the tent to attach to each corner. It should hold if things didn’t get too crazy out here. Annie’s tent was already up and seemed to be doing okay shielding her pies and muffins from the elements.
‘That should do.’ He took the bags and worked his way around the tent, securing each post along the way. Annie and Jeanie chatted away like old friends while he worked. The sound coasted over him, warm and peaceful, in direct contrast to the weather and his churning insides.
‘Let’s put this here, and here are the little signs to label the drinks,’ Jeanie was saying as she organized her table. Was it weird that his heart kicked with pride to see her using some of his gourds to decorate around the drink carafes? Yep, definitely weird.
