I can’t believe it excites me.
I move to get on with my day, but my phone buzzes again.
I let out a laugh.
Gosh, he’s becoming obsessed.
I think I like it.
No.
I know I like it.
All cheeriness fades as I see the notification from the dating app Dutton wants me to delete.
A message from Tony, to be more specific.
The giddiness that filled my body disappears as I read.
Are you sure about that?
It’s probably harmless, but goosebumps cover my skin.
I type out a quickyesand press send, then do exactly what Dutton told me I should have done days ago.
I delete the app.
There.
Problem solved.
Chapter
Thirteen
DUTTON
“We should have planned better,”I say, leaning down to whisper into Brooke’s ear as we walk toward the front of the bakery eyeing Main Street, where the beginning of the fall kickoff festival is in full swing. I’d opted to meet Brooke here, sneaking in through the back door to avoid the stares, since she is working later than normal to prepare for this afternoon.
One thing about small towns, Lovers especially, is their joy for festivals. They love them. I’m convinced that if they could put one on every single weekend, they would.
Normally, I do my best to skip these things, but Brooke says it would be good for my image and my goal to take over the lodge if I start showing up and actually interacting with people. People are well aware of our friendship at this point, so now it’s time to give them a show and let them know who I am.
She’s not wrong, but I’ll tell you one thing: this woman better not leave my side today. The festivals I have been to latelywith Linc, Hudson, Luca, or even Gavin haven’t had anything close to the kind of outcome Books believes we can have today.
Brooke glides up to my side, smelling like sugar and vanilla as she unties her apron and sets it on the nearest table. She moved most of the tables to the sidewalk earlier, since today we have been given a warmer fall day. Did I ask her to wait for me so that I could move them for her? Yes, I did. But after hanging out with Brooke every evening for the last two weeks, I’ve learned that she lives a life that depends on no one but herself.
While it’s given me more insight into who she is as a person, it’s also brought up a lot more questions in my mind. Like the fact that her dad is the sheriff, but he doesn't seem to be as involved in her life as one would think. The one who thinks is me. And I think this because, according to Brooke, he hasn’t asked her about me once since our friendship was announced.
“Everything is going to be just fine.” She grabs a tray of cookies and thrusts it into my ribs. I grunt. “Take this and mingle.”
My eyes go wide as I gape at her. “Mingle? You do know who you’re talking to, right?”
“Yes, I do. Now, if you could just show these people the same man I see every single night, they are going to love you.”
I grin, my gaze meeting her eyes.
“Why, Brooke Sloan, did you fall in love with me and not tell me?”
