Page 44 of The Pumpkin Pie Book Nook

Tyler hesitated for a beat, then shifted the conversation in a direction that had been sitting on his tongue since the second he saw her in that green sweater tonight. “Hey. Would you want to do dinner Friday?”

Robyn’s brows lifted, interested.

“Emma has a friend’s birthday party,” Tyler explained. “Pizza at the roller rink followed by a sleepover, so that means… we could have some time to ourselves.

“Maybe we could start with dinner?” Tyler was thinking ahead, trying to see if they needed reservations. The Cinnamon Spice Inn had Kit’s delicious food, but he was thinking about maybe getting out of downtown if Robyn was open to it.

Robyn’s smile turned slow, a little mischievous. “Actually… why don’t you come here? Upstairs.” She tipped her head, and Tyler felt the shift in his body like a door opening. “I know my way around a kitchen, and I make a hell of a carbonara if that could tempt you.”

“You had me at upstairs,” Tyler said, then caught himself. “I mean—yeah. Carbonara sounds great.”

Robyn bit her lip, clearly enjoying watching him fumble. “I’ve also been thinking about doing a mushroom pappardelle. Maybe with short ribs and fresh zucchini. That is if I have the right ingredients…”

Tyler grinned. “Well, you’re in luck. My gourds are at peak performance right now.”

“Don’t I know it.” Her voice dropped, her eyes holding his. “I’ve been thinking about them a lot, actually.”

Tyler’s mouth went dry. The air between them thickened, and he was suddenly very aware of the counter between them and how little it would take to walk around it. His body was responding in ways that were about to become extremely obvious if they stayed in this conversation much longer.

Robyn’s gaze flickered downward for just a second, then back up. A slow smile spread across her face.

“Maybe,” she said quietly, leaning closer, “we should take this upstairs before your gourds steal the show.”

Tyler’s mind raced with the idea of being alone with her behind a locked door, no one interrupting them, making them snap apart every five seconds. He was about to say something, anything, to let her know how much he liked that idea, but Robyn’s phone suddenly lit up with notifications.

One after another after another.

Tyler watched the color drain from her face. The playful warmth vanished in an instant, replaced by something sharp and panicked, like someone had yanked the floor out from under her.

“No,” Robyn whispered, eyes scanning frantically. “No, no, no. This cannot be happening.”

Tyler stepped closer, instinctively. “Robyn—what’s wrong?”

Robyn backed up, gaze flicking around the mostly deserted bookstore as if she suddenly believed she was being watched. Her breathing went shallow, her fingers tightening around her phone hard enough that Tyler wondered if the screen might crack.

“I’m sorry,” she said, words tumbling out too fast. “I can’t—I have to go.”

“Wait,” Tyler said, reaching for her hand, but she was already moving.

She turned and rushed toward the back hallway that led to the staircase up to her apartment, her steps quick and unsteady, fear written all over her face.

“What was that about?” Edith asked, drifting closer with narrowed eyes.

Tyler stared after Robyn, completely thrown. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted, because he didn’t. One second, they’d been planning carbonara and wine, and the next, she looked like she’d seen a ghost.

He didn’t know whether to run after her or stay put and give her space. He was halfway through deciding when Madison looked up from her phone, her expression changing. The color had drained slightly beneath her freckles, her green eyes narrowing the way they did when she was working something out.

“Um…” she said slowly, “I think I might know what’s going on.”

Tyler turned. “What?”

Madison reluctantly held up her phone. Her red hair was pulled back in a loose braid tonight, but a few strands had come free, making her look slightly wild. “I don’t know how to say this without it sounding insane,” she said, and then she winced. “But… check your Instagram.”

Tyler pulled out his phone, fingers suddenly clumsy. He clicked on the app and waited impatiently for the three seconds it took to load.

He clicked the first thing that loaded.

And felt his brain go very, very still.