Page 48 of The Pumpkin Pie Book Nook

When Tyler finally paused, he looked up at her again, and his smile turned a little crooked, a little nervous, like he was about to step off a ledge.

“Robyn, you’re hiding from a storm that doesn’t exist. Everyone you respect already loves the real you, and we are so proud of you for your writing. Especially me.”

Robyn frowned through her tears, not understanding⁠—

“I’m literally your biggest fan. It’s me, ReadsAfterBedtime97. And look, I’m not saying I’m Cathy and you’re Heathcliff in this scenario, but I am standing under your window in the cold, asking you to let me in.”

For a beat she could only stare down at him, the streetlight catching his face, the wind tugging at his hair, the whole scene so absurd and tender she didn’t know whether to cry harder or start laughing.

“You lied,” she called down, because her brain needed something to hold onto that wasn’t the fact that her heart was doing gymnastics.

Tyler blinked, genuinely startled. “What? No,” he said quickly, holding his hands up as if he could prove his innocence. “I swear. I’m ReadsAfterBedtime97.”

Robyn let out a shaky breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “That’s not what I mean,” she yelled back down, clutching the window frame like it could keep her upright. “You told me you never read romance. That you only liked fantasy.”

A grin tugged at Tyler’s mouth, relief flickering across his face so fast it made her chest ache. “No,” he said, pointing at her like she was the one on trial here. “I said it wasn’t my thing. You only assumed I never read it.”

“Slight omission,” Cassidy stage-whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Tyler held his thumb and index finger an inch apart. “Very slight.”

Edith waved a hand dramatically. “Let him live. A man deserves his secrets.”

Mrs. C. crossed her arms, looking impressed. “At least this one’s secret involves literacy.”

Robyn pressed her fist lightly to her mouth, trying to keep her smile from breaking free.

Tyler’s expression softened, and the teasing slipped away as if it had never been there. He tipped his head back, eyes locked on hers. “Robyn,” he called up, quieter now but somehow even clearer, “listen to me.”

The crowd around him stilled a little.

“Your words are the only ones that ever mattered,” Tyler said. “I look for them every night. I read them when the house is quiet and Emma’s asleep and I need something that makes the world feel… good again.” He swallowed, and the honesty in his face made Robyn’s throat tighten. “Knowing it’s you makes perfect sense. No one has ever captivated me the way you have.”

Robyn’s heart thudded hard, her eyes burning.

Tyler took a small step closer to the building. “I’m proud of you. I’m—” He let out a breath. “I’m yours, Robyn. Body, heart, and soul.”

Below him, the older ladies sighed in unison.

“Oh,” Mrs. Bishop whispered, fanning herself. “Oh my.”

Edith pressed a hand to her chest like she might need smelling salts. “Goodness gracious.”

“About time,” Mrs. C. muttered, her faith in the opposite sex restored.

Robyn stood frozen, tears slipping down her cheeks, the fear still there but suddenly not running the show. Because Tyler wasn’t laughing. He wasn’t disgusted. He wasn’t disappointed.

He was looking at her like she was perfection.

She disappeared from the window.

Moments later, the front door of the bookstore flew open as she spilled out onto the steps, breathless and barefoot. She didn’t even remember taking her shoes off, only that she’d moved like a woman who couldn’t stand still another second. She crossed the sidewalk in three quick strides and didn’t hesitate.

She launched herself into Tyler’s arms.

His hands caught her automatically, strong and sure around her waist, and Robyn threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him hard, right there under the streetlights, right there in front of the whole Maple Falls Book Club and anyone passing by.

Tyler kissed her back like he’d been waiting for permission, but he’d never been more certain of anything in his life.