Page 70 of An Unexpected Everything
Ruth patted my hand and giggled at Ms. Patty. “You’re right. Look at me, gossiping again. Thank you so much. And I hope to see you soon.”
Ms. Patty met my gaze and rolled her eyes before she took Ruth away, leaving me slightly stunned.
She threw so much out there without even thinking, and yet it felt like she was reading my mind.
“Oh, Isabella!” Harper said as she came forward, her hands full of bags from her bakery.
“Oh, Harper, let me help you with that.” I reached forward and took a few from her hand, and nearly fell over. “What do you have in here?”
“Every single baked good I could possibly think of,” Harper said with a grin. “Joshua was supposed to meet me here to help, but he got stuck in traffic at the Bend.” The Bend was the main part of Cage Street that branched off of the highway. It had the only main bridge to get into the area without having to come from one of the other smaller roads. With Aspen Creek River on the west side against the mountains, and the main peak on the east side, Cage Street was really the best way to get into the town. The resort itself was by the main peak, right at the edge of Cage Lake. While it was technically in the town zone, therefore taxes and other incomes could help with the town, it was almost a different town all on its own. I knew that the Cages owned it, but I had never even been there. The town spoke of it like it was one of the multiple towns that fed into each other, but it was like it was a whole different species.
“Anyway, I’m handing these over to the graduation committee, that way they can do what they need to. And then I have to go back to the cafe, set things up for the afternoon off, and then go get ready for the walk.”
“I really love how each of you guys are taking time out to be part of this.”
We walked over to the admin center that was situated next to the welcome building right when you entered the town on Main Street. There seemed to be a large drop-off for everyone to put their donated or purchased goods and the administrators and committee members would bring it over to the school area. It seemed that they had everything well in hand, very efficient, and had been doing this for years.
The fact that I was starting to learn people’s names, and they knew me as well, startled me. I didn’t even know all of my neighbors back in my apartment, let alone saying hello to them other than with a small smile. But no, walking down Main Street was an event in itself.
I recognized many people as they were helping with the committee, and there were still a few tourists walking through the streets. I knew some of the businesses would be closed during the graduation time, but others would be catering to the tourists themselves. Such as the gift shops, but all in all, it was starting to feel so familiar I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I went back home.
I ran my hand over my chest not liking that feeling. Because home didn’t really feel like a true word anymore.
Because Weston wasn’t there. But he hadn’t asked me to stay, and we hadn’t discussed what would happen next. So I wasn’t quite sure what I was supposed to say at all.
A man with a dark beard and wide shoulders bumped into me, and I nearly fell into Harper.
“Sorry,” the man grunted as he kept moving, and I blinked.
“Who was that?” I asked Harper, but she shrugged.
“He’s one of the off-gridders,” Hudson answered, and I jumped, not having realized he was there.
“Where did you come from?”
“I was at the hardware store,” he said, pointing across the street. “Don’t worry about him though, he is grumpy, but he at least apologized.”
“You have off-gridders?” I asked.
“Yes, they live off the grid, down the trail near Hudson’s place actually,” Harper said with a grin.
“And contrary to what Dorian says, I’m not joining the camp.”
“There’s a camp?” I asked, convinced I was being played.
“You learn something new every day about Cage Lake, don’t you? Don’t worry. The camp’s nice. They just tend to do things on their own without wanting to deal with people.”
“The fact that Jefferson is walking down the street means he’s probably headed to the graduation.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Hey, Cage Lake is Cage Lake. You sort of just assimilate.” And with that, Hudson went to his truck, leaving me standing there next to Harper.
“I really don’t understand him,” I said after a moment.
“Nobody does. That’s why we love him.”
I raised a brow, and Harper blushed.
