Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“For your information, I was going to break up with you first.”
I drew my head back in surprise. “Is this a contest or something?”
She lifted her chin. “No, but if it was, I won. I’m breaking up with you. I don’t ever want to see you again.”
Confused, I shook my head. “We already broke up.”
“Just a note here—a public breakup is in bad taste.”
I turned to Brystol, who’d left the table to join the conversation. “Please stop talking, will you?” I said, and it wasn’t a question.
She held up her hands. “I was only trying to help.”
“Don’t, please.”
Shrugging, Brystol walked back over to our table.
“Since I broke up with you first,” Cindy yelled, “I’ll be by your place to pick up my things!”
I sighed. “You don’t have anything at my place.”
She contemplated those obviously difficult-to-understand words, then smiled. “See? I never thought this would work out. That’s why I never brought anything to your place.”
“You’ve never even been to my place.”
Brystol gasped. “What? Why?”
Glancing over, I shot her a glare. She motioned with her fingers she was zipping her mouth shut.
“We’re so through, Gavin!”
I rolled my eyes. “We’ve been through for a few weeks now, Cindy.”
“You’re not even going to act upset that I’m breaking up with you?” Cindy asked, as if the last few weeks had never happened.
“We called it quits weeks ago!”
After spinning dramatically on her heels, she marched through the tables. When she got to the door, she turned and faced me.
“Oh Lord,” Brystol whispered.
“I don’t know what I ever saw in you, Gavin Quinn! It’s over! Forever!”
After she stormed out of the café, I turned to Brystol. “What in the hell just happened?”
Brystol giggled as I slid onto my chair. It was the sweetest sound I’d heard all day.
Brystol
The bell above the toy shop door rang, and I glanced up to Harper walking in, carrying a flower arrangement.
“Is that for the apple festival tomorrow?” I asked, making my way around the counter.
“Yep. I made a display for you, one for Aurora, one for Cadie, and one for Lorie for the coffee shop.”
Smiling, I took the arrangement with apples skillfully placed throughout and brought it to the counter. “It looks great, Harp.”
“How’s business?” she asked, as she joined me at the counter.
“Busy. I swear there must be a few hundred extra people here on Main Street alone today. We’ve been so busy, my mother was here helping out earlier.”
Harper looked around. “What happened to Jen?”
“She’s on break right now. I think I might have to hire a couple more people, especially once we get closer to Christmas.”
Harper bit her lip, glanced around again, then leaned in closer. “How are you feeling?”
I had told her, Aurora, and Cadie I was pregnant. I’d made them promise not to utter a word to anyone. The only other people who knew were my mother, Evelyn and Denny, and Gavin, whom I hadn’t seen since last weekend.
“Fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, at least not yet. I’m about four weeks now. I go to the OB in another four weeks. Evelyn is excited about that.”
Harper smiled. “I’m sure she is. I’m glad you’re feeling okay. This early on, most women wouldn’t even know they were pregnant. When does the morning sickness kick in, if it does at all?”
“From what I read, between four and six weeks. But I feel normal, so I don’t think I’ll have any issues with it.”
Harper raised her brows. “Don’t jinx yourself.”
I waved her off. “Are you going to be able to swing by the bakery later and help Cadie? Sounds like she has a lot of baking to do.”
Laughing, Harper replied, “I am. I think Aurora will be meeting us there, as well. She’s bringing a bushel of apples from her uncle’s orchard.”
“Oh man, nothing like fresh apples. I can’t wait.”
The bell rang again, and we both looked over to see customers coming in.
“I better get back to the flower shop. Let me know if you need any help with anything.”
Walking her to the door, I welcomed the customers before turning back to Harper. “Don’t start treating me like I’m fragile. I want to be treated like normal.”
“You say that now but just wait.”
She opened the door, and I followed her out. “Oh my gosh, it’s freezing out here!”
Harper shook her head. “It’s going to be a cold winter.”
I looked up at the gray sky and frowned. “Hopefully, it won’t be overcast tomorrow during the festival.”
She followed my gaze. “You can hope, but there’s a chance of rain.”
With a groan, I called out goodbye to Harper and headed back into the store to help my customers.
The apple festival was one of my favorite events held in Moose Village. Main Street was closed to through traffic, and booths were set up with different vendors. Some sold crafts, but most sold food, any kind of food you could think of incorporating apples. Battery Up Bakery had a booth, of course, and when we walked into the bakery later that afternoon, Cadie was covered in white powder nearly from head to toe.