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She came farther into the kitchen, already taking in the trays, the production sheet, and the new order of things. Her eyes stopped on the heavy line through MORNING BUNS. “What happened to my buns?”

Gabe handed her the sheet. “We changed the plan.”

Karina read it twice. “Apple hand pies?”

“Mara made me admit we were trying to save the menu instead of the fundraiser.”

“It makes sense,” Mara said. “But obviously the final decision is yours.”

Karina went back to the sheet. “This could work.”

“We thought so.”

“And you have apples?” Karina asked.

Gabe grabbed his jacket. “Not yet.”

Understanding dawned. Karina looked from him to Mara. “Where are you going?”

“Wes’s orchard.”

She gave a tired laugh. “To pick the apples.”

“That’s the plan.” Gabe shrugged into his jacket. “Can you hold things here?”

Karina looked around her borrowed workspace, then at the ovens. This time, there was no hesitation. “Go. I’ve got it.”

Mara picked up her jacket from the back of the chair. As she passed Gabe, he caught her hand. She looked up at him, tired and smiling. There was ink on her fingers from Karina’s production sheet, and she had given her whole day to a fundraiser in a town that wasn’t hers. He had known she was his mate from the first morning. This was something else. This was watching her work and knowing he would have chosen her anyway.

“Ready?” he asked.

Mara squeezed his hand. “Let’s go get some apples.”

CHAPTER 15

Mara

By the time Gabe turned into Russet Hill Orchard, the afternoon sun hung low over the rows, catching the tops of the apple trees and turning the leaves along the lane gold.

“This is beautiful.” Mara cracked her window as they drove between the first rows. Cool air carried the smell of fallen leaves, damp earth, and apples. “I’m beginning to think Bear Creek has been specifically designed to make people spend too much money on fall vacations.”

Gabe smiled and slowed for the turn beside the barn. “Wait until somebody sells you a blanket you don’t need.”

“I’ve already looked at three.” Mara shivered as another breath of cool air came through the window. “And if it’s this cold in fall, I’d need all three by winter.”

“It does get chilly,” Gabe agreed. “Ah, there’s Wes.”

He pointed to a man waiting near the packing barn when they pulled up, one hand resting on the side of a crate while he talked to a worker loading apples into the back of a truck.

“I wasn’t sure what time you would make it,” Wes said as he came to join them.

“We got here as fast as we could. It’s been a hectic day. But we need lots of apples.” Gabe shut the truck door behind him and nodded toward the nearest rows.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Because I have apples.” Wes held out his hand as Gabe introduced them. “So you’re Mara. I heard you’ve been drafted into bakery disaster management.”

“Apparently my vacation package included optional emergency services.” Mara shook his hand and looked past him at the waiting crates.

“We’re lucky to have you,” Wes replied.