“I had no idea they were telling them.” Lila blew out a breath, trying not to think about what went on when she wasn’t there. Working split shifts so she could open and close meant she missed plenty.
They left Pleasant Beans and headed for the festival grounds in Old Town. No sooner had they set up the booth and startedbrewing coffee than Grandma and Irene arrived, with a young couple in tow, carrying a cooler between them.
“Let me help you,” TJ said, leaving the booth to meet them.
Grandma looked around, eyes wide, and grabbed Irene’s hand. “Isn’t this great? Sort of reminds me of the Clear Creek Pie Festival.”
Lila glanced up. “I’ve never heard of that. Was it something held a long time ago?”
“You could say that,” Irene said, then nudged Grandma.
Grandma followed her gaze down the street. “Oh, well, look at that, there’s the museum.”
Lila didn’t bother looking; she knew it was nearby. “Have you visited the museum since you’ve been back in town?”
They exchanged a look, then Grandma blurted, “We have more pies! Come on, Irene, let’s fetch them.” The two turned on their heels and hurried off toward the parking lot.
TJ laughed at their hasty exit. The young couple chuckled too. “Hello,” the man said. “We’re the Petersons, Jeff and Samantha. We’re passing through and staying at the inn. We love it here.”
“The town grows on you,” TJ said. “Are there more pies to get? Do they need help?”
“No,” Jeff replied. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned staying at the Clear Creek Inn, it’s that the old folks running it don’t need help. You should see them tear up and down those stairs. Must be something in the water.”
Lila lifted pies from the cooler and set them on the front display. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” Samantha said. “They’ve got more energy than we do.” She squeezed her husband’s hand. “Well, we should be going. We have some place we need to be. Grandma and Irene said they don’t need a ride back, they’d rather walk.”
“Thanks for your help,” Lila said. “Enjoy your stay in Clear Creek.”
“We will.” The Petersons waved and left.
Lila spotted Grandma and Irene returning, each carrying a couple of pies.
“Everything’s going to be fine, Lila,” TJ said gently beside her.
Her heart melted at his tone. “I… I know.”
Warm hands settled on her shoulders, turning her toward him. “Relax. You’re fine.”
“It’s just… ever since I started working with Grandma and the others, I’ve felt off-kilter. Now that things are more manageable, I… feeleven moreoff-kilter. It doesn’t make sense…”
“It makes perfect sense,” TJ said. “You’re just getting used to them. They’rea delight, though, you have to admit.”
“I know, but everything still feels… discombobulated.”
“You’re out of your normal routine,” he said. “It’s to be expected. How do you thinkIfeel?”
She smiled. “All right, fair point. Still, I don’t like being unsettled.”
He stepped a little closer. “Can I help in any way?”
“No, I don’t see how.” Of course she couldn’t tell himhewas the problem. The fact that he’d soon be leaving, and that she was growing more attached every day was at the heart of everything. But she couldn’t admit that.
“I’ll get a handle on it,” Lila said. “Now let’s finish setting up and get to work. People are starting to pull into the parking lot.”
He looked past her and smiled. “All right, then.”
Together they made a few adjustments to the decorations, fetched the other pies from Grandma and Irene, and put the ladies to work greeting customers. Some recognized them from Pleasant Beans.
