"They love Maddie," I correct. "I just come with the package."
Evan shakes his head. "That's not true, you fixed Rosie's mixer last year when it broke down during the Christmas rush, you donated three cakes to the fire station fundraiser, and you always let Mrs. Brown pay late when her Social Security check doesn't come on time."
I shift uncomfortably. "Those are just normal things."
"They're good things," Piper says quietly.
I meet her eyes, and something passes between us; it’s something warm, and it makes me feel a little vulnerable.
Before the moment can stretch too long, the diner door opens, and a group of women walks in. They're all roughly Piper's age, dressed in yoga pants and activewear, clearly coming from some kind of class. One of them spots our booth, and her face lights up.
"Dylan!" She makes a beeline for us, her friends trailing behind. "Oh my god, is this her?"
I close my eyes briefly. "Hi, Rebecca."
Rebecca ignores me and focuses on Piper with laser precision. "You're the festival content creator, right? I saw the committee's post. I'm Rebecca. I run the yoga studio down the street. This is Mara, she owns the bookshop, and that's Jill, she teaches at the elementary school."
The women crowd around our booth like Piper's a celebrity, or it’s got something to do with me having lunch with a woman who isn't my daughter, which is breaking news, apparently.
"It's nice to meet you all," Piper says.
"How long are you in town?" Mara asks; she has red hair and glasses, and the eager expression of someone who reads romance novels and sees potential everywhere.
"Just a few weeks, through the festival."
"Well, if you need anything, anything at all, you come find us," Rebecca says. “Valentine takes care of its visitors, especially ones working with our favorite baker."
"Favorite?" Evan interjects. "What am I, chopped liver?"
"You're wonderful too, Evan," Jill says, patting his shoulder. "But Dylan's single."
The entire booth goes silent. I look like I might actually die from embarrassment, Evan is fighting laughter, and Maddie is oblivious, coloring what appears to be a very detailed rainbow.
And Piper is trying very hard not to react to the word single echoing in the air between us.
"Ladies," I say with impressive calm, "we're trying to eat lunch."
"Right, right. Sorry." Rebecca backs away, but not before giving Piper a meaningful look. "But seriously, if you need recommendations, restaurants, shops, hiking trails, I'm your girl. We want you to love it here."
They finally disperse to their own table, and Piper watches them go with a mix of amusement and something else. Something that looks like warmth spreading through her chest.
"That's Valentine for you," Evan says. "Subtle as a brick."
"They mean well," I mutter.
"They're matchmaking," Evan clarifies. "Aggressively."
I shoot him a look that could melt steel.
Piper takes a sip of the water Jenna dropped off and seems to be trying very hard not to smile. I can tell she enjoyed hearing that I'm single; she clearly enjoyed watching those women treat me like someone they want to protect, and I know she enjoyed the way I looked uncomfortable but not angry, like I'm used to this town caring about me, even when it's inconvenient.
"So," Piper says, changing the subject, "tell me about the festival. What's the history?"
I relax slightly. "It started about fifteen years ago, it’s a small town tourism thing, but after the wildfires a few years ago, it became something more. It’s a celebration of the community surviving together."
"Hence the 'Heart-to-Heart' theme," she says.
"Exactly. It's cheesy, but people love it. There's a charity auction, a street fair, and live music. The bakery does the centerpiece cake every year."
