One more.
One more not quite down, but closer.
Chili and I don’t go straight home.
Instead, we stop by the town hall.
I’m operating on a hunch.
The town historian isn’t in today—it’s a part-time job at best—but the administrative assistant for the mayor tells me she can let me in to look through the archives that they have about the founding of the town.
You tell someone you’re trying to understand why your fiancée’s family hates yours and vice versa in a town this small, and everyone wants to help.
Annoying as hell that our own families can’t see how much the rest of the town wants them to drop it.
Or maybe theycansee it, and they don’t care.
Two hours later, I’ve combed through every record they have, and I haven’t found any letters like the ones that have been delivered to the cabin.
I’ve found letters from people not related to me or, best I can tell, to Amanda either. About things like horse injuries and bumper crop years and town elections.
Nothing about feuding families.
Nothing with any names I recognize from my own family tree.
No handwriting that looks remotely similar.
But at least it’s air conditioned.
When Chili and I head out, I stop by to see the admin one last time. “Probably don’t get a lot of people coming in to look through the archives, do you?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You’d have to talk to Winona about that. She’s in on Mondays.” She drops her voice. “Shedoesget people coming to see her, but sometimes I think it’s just gentlemen who want to impress her, if you know what I mean.”
I can imagine what she means. “The wedding’s Monday. I’d love to talk to her before then.We.Amanda and I both would love to talk to her. If we can.”
“You leave me your number, and I’ll call and tell her what you’re looking for. If she can help, I’m sure she’ll give you a ring.”
Not much left to do beyond thank her for her time, so that’s what I do.
Out in the parking lot, I pull up the picture from Amanda once more.
Fuck, she’s stunning.
And as soon as I get home, I need to start dating again.
Whatever it takes to get over this growing attraction to my fake fiancée.
Chapter 18
Amanda
Reindeer Bakes smells like warm chocolate chip cookies. I shouldn’t want to swim in anything that evokes feelings of warmth, but the heat is forecast to break this weekend, and it’s close enough that I’m letting myself stand in the middle of the pink-and-black bakery and just inhale.
When I open my eyes, Dane’s staring at me.
He was quiet once we were both back at the cabin last night. He’s trying to save his vacation time for a trip to Thailand—Thailand!!—next year, hence why he’s working half time while he’s in Tinsel. Chili and I went out on the back porch to watch the sunset and mull over the letters.
And for the first time in a long time, I wished that a man was sitting next to me to watch the sunset and talk about how amazing it was to see my mom hugging his sister and cousin and to throw out random theories about the letters too.
