19. Ember #2
I spy an adorable pumpkin soap dispenser and have to have it, so I take it up to the register. I’m digging the money out of my wallet for the nice woman across from me when Devon walks in and sets the drinks down. “Hold up there.”
He fishes through his own wallet while the woman greets him. “Devon, hi.”
“Mrs. Chisholm.”
“You must be Ember then. I thought you were a tourist!”
It only unnerves me a little that she associates the fact that Devon and I should be together. “I am.” I hold my hand out. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Devon pays for my soap dispenser even though I tell him he doesn’t have to. It’s not like I’m desperate. …unless I really do have to pay that $6,000.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Mrs. Chisholm says. “I drove by the manor, and it looks absolutely stunning. The Lewises would be so thrilled that someone is in there making it presentable again. They would just be tickled.”
“I’ve really fallen in love with the place since I’ve been here, so I’m happy to hear that I’m doing it justice. Well, Devon and I are doing it justice. I wouldn’t have gotten this far if it wasn’t for him.”
“It’s about time a woman saw you for what you’re worth, Devon.”
The look she gives us makes me think that literally everyone—even someone who lives outside of town—is pulling for me and Devon.
I’m still not mad about it.
“I’ll keep this for you here until after your hayride,” she tells me, bagging the dispenser and putting it off to the side.
“That’s so nice of you. Thank you.”
“Maybe you’ll find something else to hold on to instead—or someone.”
Devon laughs while I just stand there stunned. He grabs my shoulders, turns me around, and leads me out of the little shop. “Are you okay?”
“Is it me? Or did she just insinuate something very personal? This is wild. Everyone wants us together.”
“We had a townhall meeting about it late last night. You missed it.”
“Were you the lead speaker?”
“I’d like to say yes, but no.” He waits a beat. “If they’re bothering you, I can tell everyone to back off. I don’t think it’ll work, but I can ask.”
“Nope,” I tell him. “I wanted small town life and here I am, living small town life. I’m absolutely okay with it.”
He hands me the cup of cider he bought me, and I take a sip, letting the sweet and almost savory flavor sit on my tongue for a second before swallowing. “That’s good stuff.”
“When I was little, I worked at the cider mill, bottling up gallon jugs of the stuff. It’s not hard to find work for the fall around here. Everyone needs a little help keeping stuff up so we can be ready for when the tourists come.”
“I think what I love most is that you all love this time of year as much as them.”
“Harvest Falls is beautiful no matter the season, but there’s just something special about autumn.
The leaves, the view, the weather. Maybe it has a little something to do with everyone coming together trying to make the town successful, but you’ll see.
Wait until you’ve been here a whole year, and then you can tell me what your favorite time of year is. ”
It’s exciting that I have all that waiting for me. The change of the seasons, downtime, and maybe even the opportunity to turn Sleepy Hollow Manor into something else for the other seasons.
At the same time, I’m missing something. My family. They should want to share this with me. “I wish my parents would visit. My mom basically told me they’re waiting to see if I’ll fail first and come back home with my tail between my legs.”
Devon looks a little taken aback. “I’m sorry. They’re going to be waiting for eternity because the Ember I know is kicking butt.” He leads me toward the area where we get on the ride. Right now, people are exiting off the back of the last hayride.
“That’s nice of you to say. I wish whether I failed or not wouldn’t even be part of the conversation.
I want to show them Harvest Falls, have them drink cider, and show off the manor.
” I shrug. “I’ve always been the outcast though.
My sister is a lawyer and my brother is a doctor.
If that doesn’t tell you the kind of people my family are, I don’t know what will.
I always disappointed them a little, but it hurts to see the reality of it now that I’m here and they’re staying there. ”
“Do you think they’ll come around?”
“If I turn Sleepy Hollow Manor into a mega success, they’ll be all over it.”
He frowns, though I meant it as something to work toward, but hearing myself say it, he’s right.
I shouldn’t have to work so hard to get my parents’ approval, and I certainly won’t keep asking them to come.
I can go home and visit, and the topic of the manor doesn’t even need to come up.
What matters is that I’m enjoying myself, and making basically a new family for myself here.
Family doesn’t have to be blood related.
When it’s our turn, Devon helps me up metal stairs and onto the back of a wood trailer, hay littering the floor. There’s a spot for two in the back, and he dusts off the seat for me before I sit.
People already seated watch us, some of them even giving Devon a thumbs up. I don’t recognize them at all, but I’m starting to wonder if he wasn’t joking about the town having a meeting about us.
The tractor starts, the loud engine perking me up. We start forward, and I watch as we head out of the area and into the woods. The trail is worn with two vertical tractor wheel divots.
Beside me on the bench, Devon takes my hand in his, giving me a squeeze. I peer down, smiling a little at the feeling of warmth that takes over my body and my brain. I guess Mrs. Chisholm gave him the idea, and he’s going all in.
Movement on the bench to the left catches my eye, and a young girl with the cutest blonde hair and dimples gives me the biggest smile and raises her eyebrows at me. I don’t know who she is, but I’d be willing to bet she’s a local. I guess they start them young.
“You okay?” Devon asks.
“Couldn’t be better.”