The crowd started buzzing. She better talk fast. Even the commanding voice of James Earl Jones wouldn’t be able to keep these people subdued for long.
“Harry Connick Junior is coming to Bugle,” she shouted. “Next week he’ll be putting on a concert to help us raise some much-needed funds for the library. So bring your pocketbooks and tell all your friends. We can’t wait to see everyone at The Happy Hiccup Bed and Breakfast one week from tonight.”
Nate rested a hand on McKenna’s lower back and lifted the Polaroid camera above their heads with his other. “Smile. Things are about to go nuts.”
He no sooner snapped the picture when voices erupted.
“I can’t believe Harry’s coming to Bugle!”
“Who’s coming to Bugle?”
“I’m obsessed with Harry!”
“Is Jeff Goldblum still coming?”
“Who’s Harry?”
“Is Meghan Markle coming too?”
Nate grabbed McKenna’s hand. “Ready to get out of here?”
She bobbed her head. Yes, please. The surrounding frenzy was stirring into a whirlpool of chaos. And Georgie was frothing with glee.
“Isn’t it great,” McKenna heard her shouting as they ducked out of the crowd and headed for the exit. “I told you it was going to be great! No, honey, I don’t think Harry was inJurassic Park. What’s that? Yes, Gus, there will be cheese. Stop asking. Next question?”
One week to go until Bobbi’s perfect proposal.
McKenna just prayed she and Nate could survive it.
Less than twenty minutes later, Nate and McKenna were parked back at the B&B, the sound of katydids chirping nearby. The security light at the back of the house filtered through the windows enough for Nate to see McKenna in the passenger seat without any trouble.
Before she could climb out, he dropped a hand on her knee. “Let’s run away.”
She snorted and unclasped her seat belt. “Afraid it’s a little too late for that.”
“No, I mean it.” He’d been thinking about it the entire drive back. They needed a break. Things were only going to get crazier, and who knew what would happen after next week? What if Bobbi said no? What if she said yes, and McKenna decided to apply for the job in LA? What if they couldn’t make a long-distance relationship work? What if he never saw her again?
He reached for her hand. “We’ll be back by tomorrow night. Gus can handle things for one day.”
“You’re serious.”
He nodded. Her hand started to relax inside his. “Where would we go?”
“Wherever you want.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I just want some time with you. Time where we can get to know each other better without worrying about checking things off a to-do list or taking minutes for a silly meeting or worrying about how to make everything perfect for some celebrity with a guitar.”
“A guitar?” She tugged her hand free and flapped it against his shoulder. “You still don’t know who Harry is, do you? Didn’t you ever see the movieHope Floats?” She immediately shook her head. “Never mind. Of course you didn’t. What aboutIndependence Day? You had to have seen that one.”
“Was he one of the aliens?”
“He’s going to knock your socks off, just you wait and see.”
“I’ll be sure to put on more than one pair when I meet him. So what do you say?” He caught her hand again, more concerned about McKenna than Harry. “Can we get out of here? I’ll drive you wherever you want to go.”
“We are talking a two-bedroom situation here, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then...” She bit her bottom lip the way she did when she was trying not to smile. “Okay.”
