The next morning, Lila wished she could hide under her pillow. Between Grandma and Irene’s golf cart joyride and TJ trying to dance with her, she’d had enough excitement for a while. Unfortunately, coffee didn’t brew itself.
She got up, dressed, ate a quick breakfast, then drove to Pleasant Beans. Slipping through the front door, she paused, surprised the air was already rich with the comforting scent of roasted beans and vanilla syrup. Everything was quiet. Too quiet.
That is, until TJ’s voice drifted from the back room. “Good morning, Miss Comfort,” he greeted as he came up the hall.
Her heart did a ridiculous skip. “Um, morning.” She busied herself with straightening napkins and tried not to look at him. “You’re here early,” she said.
“So are you,” he pointed out with a grin, and nodded toward the parking lot. “I was trying to get things ready to take back to the festival grounds, including those pies we dropped off here last night.”
She smiled and tried not to sigh. Of course he had to sound cheerful. Worse, he looked entirely too awake for someone who’d spent last night dodging old ladies in golf carts. Shethought of the way TJ had stayed with her, standing guard like the golf-cart granny duo were some hideous beasts about to attack.
He flashed her that same crooked grin that made her forget what she was supposed to be doing. “Sleep okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said. “Um, you ?”
“Like a log.” He chuckled and leaned against the counter. For a heartbeat, everything felt too familiar. Good grief, she must be getting used to his company and was becoming far too comfortable with him.
Grandma bustled in through the front door, bright-eyed as if nothing had happened. “Lovely morning! Oh, and I made muffins!” She held up a basket. She lowered it and looked them over. “My, my, don’t you two look cozy.”
Lila dropped the stack of napkins in her hands and quickly bent to pick them up. “We are not cozy!”
Grandma hummed as she went behind the counter, smiling knowingly at them. She offered TJ the basket. “Muffin?” She winked.
TJ took one as Lila grabbed a rag and ran it over the counter even though it didn’t need wiping. “I’ll put these napkins away and get the shop ready to open,” she said quickly.
Maybe if she stayed busy enough, she’d stop thinking about how close she’d be to TJ working in the booth all day. Her heart fluttered at the mere thought. Oh, good grief. How was she going to survive this?
It wasn’t long before the shop was ready for customers. Lila and TJ loaded boxes into his rental car for the second day of the Harvest Festival. Between Grandma’s muffins and Irene’s pies, they had enough to feed half of Clear Creek.
TJ shut the hatch. “All right, ready for round two?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Lila said, forcing a smile. She just hoped she survived it.
When they reached the festival area in Old Town, the air smelled like hickory smoke and caramel corn. Whatever someone planned to barbecue, she wanted in. She loved barbecue anything. As vendors began setting up, she peeked down the row, hoping to spot new ones.
Once the Pleasant Beans banner was hung and the coffee pots were plugged in, Lila felt the morning settle into a comfortable sort of quiet. At least until the bell on the counter jingled, making her jump.
“Tristan!”
TJ’s head jerked up. “Mom?”
Mrs. Jones peered at the pies and muffins. She wore a denim jacket and ball cap and carried two steaming cups of cider. Her smile was wide and warm. “I thought I’d bring you some cider. Here’s one for you!” She handed it to TJ. “And one for you, Lila.”
“Thanks, Mom,” TJ said, taking his cup.
“Thanks.” Lila accepted hers and took a sip. “Oh! It’s hot!”
“Try it,” Mrs. Jones urged with a wink.
Lila blew on the cider, then took a cautious sip. “This is really good! Did you make it yourself?”
“I did.” Mrs. Jones beamed. “Wow, you two have quite a setup here. This is wonderful! I’ll have to bring your dad by, Tristan.”
“Sure, that’d be nice. He’s got to have some of this pie.”
“Oh, he already has. That’s why he wants to come back.” She laughed. “We’re planning a little day trip to Leavenworth. It’s beautiful this time of year.”
“I’ve always wanted to go there,” Lila said, smiling.
