Chapter 25
W ill lounged on the back deck of Whispering Pines Bed and Breakfast, a notepad resting on his lap, though he hadn’t written a word in a while.
Fetch lay stretched at Will’s feet, content and unbothered, the picture of a dog who’d earned his place in the shade.
Lady, meanwhile, sat tall and alert, gaze sweeping the yard like she’d personally appointed herself boss of the place—and no one dared argue.
Alex stepped out onto the deck carrying a charcuterie board that looked far too fancy for what was essentially porch snacking. She set it down between them with a casual grace.
“Hungry?” she asked, arching a brow.
Will looked at the spread like it might be a mirage. “It’s like you read my mind,” he said, snagging a slice of cheese. “I was going to ask where I could grab a bite to eat around here.”
“Sit tight,” Alex replied, sliding into the chair beside him. “This is the best place in town. Dinner will be out soon.”
“A bed, breakfast, and dinner, huh?” Will said with a grin.
“Something like that,” she said, reaching for a cracker. “We’re open to the public to keep busy even when we aren’t booked.”
“Smart,” Will said, glancing out at the view. “I was hoping you had availability. I’ve written more in the last couple of hours sitting out here than I have in months.”
“You’re a writer,” Alex said, leaning back like she was seeing him in a new light.
“Lately, not much,” he admitted.
“Blocked?” she asked, head tilted.
“Since you’re the third person to say that today, I’m going with yes,” Will said. “Do you write?”
“No,” Alex replied with a small laugh. “I barely even read. I mean, I can read, just don’t have the time.”
“Working six jobs at a time will do that,” Will said, not missing a beat. “Is that every day for you?”
“Oh, you mean the flower shop, coffee shop…” she started.
“The bakery and mechanic shop,” Will finished, smirking.
“It’s not work, really,” Alex said, reaching down to scratch behind Lady’s ears. “Lady and I like to stay busy, and we help our community while we’re at it.”
“That’s very admirable,” Will said, watching her. “Just the two of you, huh? No… family?”
“Just my sister, whom you met, and her family,” Alex said. “They’re the closest.”
“Ah, Georgie,” Will said with a knowing chuckle.
“Yes. Georgie,” Alex echoed, rolling her eyes affectionately. “She means well. We also have a brother, but he travels for work, which is how I ended up with Lady.”
“You inherited his dog,” Will said, glancing at Lady, who was now watching a pink ball with laser focus.
“We were meant to be, huh, girl?” Alex said, then lobbed the ball across the yard. Lady darted after it like a missile. Fetch grumbled, then sighed and reluctantly followed, tail low but committed to the pursuit.
“Don’t get too excited, Fetch,” Will called after him.
“He’s a good dog,” Alex said, smiling. “Very serious. An observer. Like you.”
“You think so?” Will asked, brows lifting in mock protest.
“You know what they say about dogs and their humans…” she said, eyes twinkling.
“No. What do they say?” Will asked, playing along.
“Actually, I don’t know,” Alex said with a laugh. “Something like they look alike or act alike?”
Their eyes met, and suddenly the air between them shifted just slightly—still light, still playful, but threaded with something else.
“Like finding their perfect match?” Will asked, voice a touch softer.
“Yeah. Something like that,” Alex replied, not looking away.
Her phone pinged, slicing through the quiet like a needle to a balloon. She glanced down, and in an instant, the ease in her posture vanished. Whatever the screen held pulled her straight back into reality, snapping the spell and setting her into motion.
“I need my dinner to go,” she said quickly. “Festival decorations arrived, and I’ll be out late setting up Main Street.”
“By yourself?” Will asked.
“No, there’s a whole committee for that,” Alex said, already gathering her things. “Plus, the Founder’s Day Committee will be there to help.”
“How many committees does it take?” Will asked, amused.
“Too many,” Alex said with a groan. “We have committees to oversee committees.”
“A committee for everything,” Will said, shaking his head. “Love it—adds to the charm. Can you use an extra set of hands?”
“Always,” Alex said with a grin.
“I’ll take my dinner to go, then,” Will said, standing to follow her inside.
And just like that, dinner became a date with destiny—or, at the very least, with streamers, folding tables, and a woman who was becoming harder to walk away from by the hour.