Chapter 23

ChapterTwenty-Three

It was five in the morning on Fall Festival Day and Logan was in Nana’s kitchen finishing his coffee.

‘And you got all the pumpkins in the truck, right? Even the little ones from the back of the barn? Some of the kids just love those little ones.’

‘Got ’em.’

Nana nodded, still ticking ‘Fall Festival to-do items’ off on her fingers. ‘Okay, so you’ll drop off the pumpkins, Grandpa and I will bring the last bushels of apples to set up at the farm tent. We already donated a bunch to the town hall a few days ago. They decided on a caramel apple station instead of bobbing for apples which seemed like a good call to me. All those kids spitting into a bucket of water is disgusting.’

Logan didn’t bother to contribute more than the occasional grunt and nod. Nana was on a roll.

‘Luis has the goats under control for the petting zoo. Mayor Kelly was so pleased you offered to bring the Bobs this year. The kids just love those goats.’

Logan didn’t recall offering to do any such thing, but the wheels were fully in motion on this thing; there was no stopping it now.

Nana brushed her hands on her apple-patterned apron. ‘And that should be about it, I think. All that’s left is to enjoy the festival.’

‘Yep, should be.’

Nana studied him with sharp eyes; clear blue, like his. ‘Are you picking up that nice Jeanie who stopped by here the other day?’

Logan shrugged. He hadn’t heard from Jeanie in over a week. He figured she was still upset with him, or maybe she’d just decided this thing wasn’t worth the complications. Every time he picked up his phone to text her, he couldn’t figure out what to say. And now he had to spend the day with her, judging the costume contest.

‘I hadn’t planned on it.’

Nana frowned. ‘I thought you were working together today. Seems like it would be a nice gesture to offer her a lift.’

Logan decided not to point out that the town square, where the festival was held, was just a few minutes walk from the café and he was sure Jeanie could manage it on her own. Nana had on her fighting face, as Grandpa called it. The face that meant she was not going to back down. And Logan glanced at the clock. He didn’t have time for a fight.

‘I’ll swing by after I drop off the pumpkins.’

He had to get the pumpkins there early so the festival crew could set up the pumpkin-painting table before the crowds started arriving. People spent the full day at the festival, filling up on apple-cider donuts and Annie’s hand pies for breakfast, and staying straight through until dark when they lit the square with hundreds of twinkle lights and a bonfire in the park.

‘Very good. Well, I have to get ready!’ Nana peeled off her apron and hurried out of the room to change into what Logan was sure would be one of her many Halloween-themed sweaters, probably accompanied by her classic, black witch’s hat. She’d worn it to every Fall Festival for as long as he could remember. He smiled at the memory.

Before all large town events had been tainted for him, Logan used to love the Fall Festival. Especially as a kid. He would help his grandparents set up their stand and then he’d be off with Annie, and a whole crew of kids high on too much candy and donuts, in partial costumes they’d shed throughout the day. He loved how early it got dark, how high and hot the bonfire grew, how the whole night felt cozy and spooky at once. Like he was safe here with his grandparents and his friends, but there still might be danger lurking just beyond the glow of the fire.

Logan had always been a shy kid, but Annie made sure he kept up, that the other kids let him play. His grandparents always made sure he was loved even with his parents gone.

His whole damn life he’d been taken care of, loved, and protected. And somehow, he’d grown to resent it? He prickled at the idea of his family and friends knowing he’d failed, that he’d been hurting. It seemed absurd now. Especially if it meant losing Jeanie.

He was done hiding.

* * *

The shops were closed on Main Street. Everyone was at the festival. Logan was sure the café would have a tent set up selling coffee and hot cider all day, but he was hoping he hadn’t missed Jeanie already. It was still early, the sun barely up over the horizon, casting the row of quaint shops in a golden glow. Logan peered in the front window, but the café was empty.

Shit. Maybe she’d left to set up already.

But talking to her before the festival suddenly seemed urgent, so Logan cut through the alley, memories of Jeanie’s legs wrapped around him instantly filling his head, and went around to the back door.

He knocked, hoping she was just upstairs getting ready.

No answer.

He knocked again. Maybe he should text her?

‘Jeanie?’

Or maybe he could yell her name in the alley like a deranged person. Good call, Logan.

He could see where she’d put cardboard over the broken window and his heartbeat ratcheted up. What if something was wrong? What if things had escalated and she hadn’t told him? Would someone hurt her?

He knocked again, harder this time, feeling more frantic the longer he stood in this damn alley, staring at that damn broken window.

‘It’s open,’ a small voice said from the other side of the door, and Logan didn’t waste time. He shoved open the door and strode into the main café, his gaze scanning the room ... for what? A threat? A refrigerator unplugging. A window-breaking intruder? A disgruntled employee? A not-so-friendly ghost?

He didn’t find any of those things. He found something a thousand times worse.

He found Jeanie sitting on the floor, her back against the bakery case, knees pulled up to her chest, tears streaming down her face. TEARS.

He dropped to his knees in front of her.

‘What is it? Are you hurt?’ His words were gruff, angry. Like he was mad at her tears.

She looked at him, her nose pink from crying and the highly offensive tears still streaking down her face and shook her head. ‘Not hurt,’ she sniffled.

‘Well, then what is it? What happened?’

She dropped her head to her knees and let out the saddest little moan he’d ever heard in his life. It burrowed into his heart. It knocked the wind from his lungs. It destroyed him.

Why had he stayed away from her for a week? Why had he let Lucy continue to ruin shit for him? He liked Fall Festival. He liked this damn town.

And he really freaking liked this woman in front of him in the hedgehog pajama pants and ratty old cardigan.

‘Jeanie,’ he said, his voice firm now, serious. He had to know what the hell was going on so he could make sure it never happened again. ‘Look at me.’

She sighed and lifted her head.

He couldn’t take it. He gently took her face and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. Jeanie’s eyes fluttered closed at his touch.

‘Tell me what happened. Please, Jeanie. Maybe I can help? Or maybe not, but ... please let me be here for you. I know I screwed up the other day.’

She opened her eyes. ‘That’s not it.’

‘Good.’ Logan caressed her face one more time and then let his hands fall. He sat back on his heels in front of her, waiting.

Jeanie wiped her face with the back of her hand, blowing the wisps of hair from her face. ‘It’s stupid, really.’

‘I’m sure it’s not.’

She gave him a watery smile. ‘Everything’s just going wrong today, that’s all. And it’s the Fall Festival, and I know it’s a really big deal and I just wanted everything to go right.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’m trying hard, you know? To make this work.’ She gestured around the café and maybe at him, too, like she was including him in whatever bullshit was making her life harder right now, and he hated that.

‘You are. You’re doing a great job running the café, Jeanie.’

She shrugged. ‘Today’s a disaster.’

‘Tell me. What happened?’

‘Crystal and I were supposed to run the festival tent for the first half of the day, until I had to judge the contest, and then Joe was going to take over. But Crystal’s kid threw up last night so she called in sick and Joe can’t get here until noon. And I can’t get a hold of Norman at all, which is really weird.’ She sighed again, but at least the tears had stopped. ‘I think they hate me.’

‘No one could hate you.’

She raised an eyebrow, an amused smile teasing him. ‘I’m sure that’s not true.’

‘I’ll help you run the table this morning.’

‘You will?’

‘Sure. As long as I get free coffee.’

She laughed. ‘We’ll see about that.’

‘And once this festival is over, we’re going to figure out what the hell is going on around here, once and for all. Okay?’

She sniffled again, but her smile was growing. ‘Okay, thanks.’

He could leave it there, but he still felt shitty about how he’d acted. ‘I am sorry about the other day.’

‘You don’t have to apologize for that. It’s what we agreed. It was my idea.’

‘I handled it poorly in the moment.’ He shifted toward her. ‘I gotta stop letting my past haunt me like that. I intend to, I mean.’

Jeanie gave a small nod, her body leaning toward his. He cupped her face in his hands again. ‘It’s really not about her anymore. It’s my own stupid pride that got hurt. I don’t want to screw things up with you, Jeanie.’

‘We can take it slow,’ she said, and he opened his mouth to argue, but she went on with a teasing smile. ‘Maybe just don’t throw me across the room next time.’

Logan huffed a laugh. ‘Sorry about that.’

‘Forgiven.’ The word ghosted across his lips right before Jeanie covered them with her own. The knot that had been coiled in his gut for a week slowly untangled with every flick of Jeanie’s tongue against his and every nibble of her teeth on his lower lip.

Logan lost track of time, lost track of everything until Jeanie pulled away and leaned her forehead against his.

‘The festival awaits,’ she said, her dark eyes glinting with excitement.

They had to go, but Logan had every intention of not getting interrupted the next time they were alone. A person could only take so many unfinished make-out sessions before they lost their damn mind.