Chapter Nine
I COULDN’T BELIEVE I WAS at the Strawberry Festival. It felt like stepping into a modern-day fairy tale. My mother had spoken of it with such fondness that it had taken on a mythical quality in my mind. As I looked around, I saw booths brimming with strawberry-themed everything, including shortcakes, jams, crafts, and face painting.
Live music and laughter filled the air, adding to the enchantment, and the vibrant colors of summer swirled all around as delighted children weaved in and out of the stalls. There was a certain magic I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was as if, for a moment, I was a child again, living out the stories my mother had told me.
If only I could have experienced this with Mom. I imagined her jumping onstage and, instead of the country ballads currently playing, belting out bangers like “What About Love” by Heart, or a Pat Benatar number. Or perhaps even one of her own songs, like my favorite, “Rebel Heartbeats.”
“What do you want to do first?” Jake asked.
Yep, I was on a date with the general manager from Granger’s. He’d asked for my number after I sought his opinion on wet suits, since Logan hadn’t been all that helpful—at least not with picking out a wet suit. Other than that, he’d been very helpful.
I was trying not to think about our paddleboard lesson a few days earlier. There ended up being more touching than I’d expected and, well ... come to think of it ... maybe he wasn’t helpful after all. Ever since then, I’d had thoughts . Thoughts I was not thinking about, especially while I was on a date.
I gave Jake a toothy grin, trying to forget Logan. “Um, everything.” This was one of my bucket list items, and I felt like I needed to do it all for Mom, even though I was sure things had changed since she’d been here over thirty years ago. She’d stopped going on the road and playing gigs once she found out she was pregnant.
One time, I’d asked her if she ever regretted getting pregnant and giving up her dream. She hugged me fiercely and whispered in my ear that I was the dream. A dream she would have considered earlier if she’d known how wonderful it would be. I thought about that all the time. It made me want my own little dreams. Maybe someday I’d find someone to help me make those dreams come true.
“That narrows it down.” Jake chuckled.
I liked his laugh—it was manly but lyrical, if that made sense. I also liked his curly dark hair and soulful brown eyes. And it hadn’t hurt that he’d brought me a bouquet of sunflowers when he picked me up.
“Sorry, I’m just excited to be here. Should we do some of the games? Like the strawberry toss?”
“Let’s do it,” he said with bravado while clapping his hands together, reminding me of a motivational coach.
As we strolled through rows of colorful booths in the bright sun, I breathed in the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked bread and ripe strawberries. It was enough to make my mouth water.
“Favorite classic rock band?” I asked.
We’d already done all the normal get-to-know-you questions on the way over. I knew he’d grown up in Aspen Lake and knew Eden and Logan. He’d divorced three years ago and had no kids. He was apparently on good terms with his ex-wife and had even attended her nuptials the month before.
When I asked why they divorced, he’d just shrugged and said, “Sometimes things just don’t work out.” Even though it was a vague response, I hadn’t pressed. I wasn’t feeling any major sparks with Jake yet, so who knew if we would even see each other again or if he was fling worthy?
The word fling sounded so crass. I don’t know why it bothered me. Maybe it was the hopeless romantic in me who looked at every new love interest as having the potential to become a forever thing. But I knew that wasn’t the assignment Mom had given me this summer. She was urging me toward an easy, fun, temporary relationship—something I could look back on and smile about.
It wasn’t about finding a lifetime of love and laughter. I was, admittedly, hoping to find that in the near future, but I would give Mom the benefit of the doubt for now. She’d never steered me wrong before.
Jake flashed me a crooked smile like he’d been waiting for me to ask and was ready to dazzle me with his answer. “Boston.”
Huh. That was a more than acceptable answer. It didn’t exactly dazzle me, but ... “I like that. Very much. Did you know that their first album was the best-selling debut album ever when it came out?”
“I didn’t know that. But I know that their guitarist Scholz graduated from MIT.”
“He did, and he invented the—”
“Rockman compact amplifier,” Jake finished for me.
Okay, that earned Jake a little tummy flutter. “How do you know all this?”
“My parents are originally from Boston and were superfans of the band.”
“Sounds like my kind of people.”
“They live in town still. Maybe someday you can meet them,” he said boldly. Too boldly for my taste.
“Maybe,” I said noncommittally, not wanting to be rude. Perhaps he didn’t look at meeting parents the way I did. To me, that was a big step in a relationship. It was also a thought that stopped me in my tracks, causing my head and heart to hurt so much that I felt a little dizzy. Suddenly, I was reminded that I would never get to introduce another man to my mom.
Who was going to encourage me to dump him if I didn’t like the way his last name sounded with my first name? Or tell me that I needed to hear him chew all the different food groups before I committed to anything? And Mom swore by the following advice: Always figure out if they’re the type of guy who will offer you the last french fry. Mom believed it told you all you needed to know about a man. So far, she’d been right. My best relationships were with the guys who gave me the last fry.
In my head I thought, Brooke Waddle . It was Jake’s last name. Brooke Waddle sounded so terrible that I actually shuddered.
“You okay. Are you chilly?” Jake asked. “I have a hoodie in my truck if you want to borrow it.”
That was sweet. Well, unless he was one of those smooth operators who let you borrow his hoodie so he could say, “How about you just keep that until I see you again?” If that was the case, there definitely wouldn’t be a second date. His last name was already causing me some angst, even though I was only in search of a fling. Yikes, that still didn’t sound right. Regardless, there was no way I was covering up my T-shirt.
I had to bring a little of Mom with me, so I wore one of her old band tees. The heart with an arrow through it and “The Roxannes” written in bold letters across it were fading, and the cotton fabric was thinning, but it was my favorite shirt. It was proof that Roxanne Crawford had lived and breathed and made the world a better place.
At least my world.
“Thank you. I’m okay.” No need to tell him that his last name was a little tragic.
When we arrived at the strawberry toss, there was a line. I had no idea it would be so popular. I’d never tossed a strawberry before, unless you counted into my mouth. Maybe waiting in line was a good thing. It would give us more time to get to know each other. Gauge whether he was summer-fling material. Did that sound awful?
But before I could ask him, “If animals could talk, which one do you think would be the rudest?” I heard my name being called by the sweetest voice.
(PS: I think swans might be the rudest. Sure, they look all sweet and graceful floating on the water. But have you ever noticed how they seem not to want any other kinds of birds near them? I’m just saying, I think they’re snobs.)
“Brooke!” Sophie yelled.
I turned to find Sophie running toward me, with her uncle not far behind. And dang it if he didn’t look good. I was still sticking with the friend thing, obviously. No way was I considering coming in after Erica. But as my friend, he shouldn’t have been glowing all golden in the sun or wearing clothes tailored to show off his athletic physique. Because I knew what was under his perfectly fitted shirt.
Ripples. Lots of them. A symmetrical arrangement so beautiful it hurt. I had to wonder if an angel had carved it by hand.
One may wonder how I knew this. From my deck, I’d witnessed him running on the beach the day before without his shirt on. And yes, I’d needed some ice water to cool me down afterward.
It probably wouldn’t have affected me so much, but dang it if he wasn’t the cutest when he played with his niece in the water. And when he was helping me paddleboard—every time I wobbled, he steadied me with his strong, reassuring hands. Those magical doctor hands sent tingles right through my wet suit, making my heart race. To top it off, he was so proud of me when I got the hang of it that he high-fived me, and I could have sworn he held on to my fingers for just a beat longer than necessary.
Maybe I’d imagined that part. Maybe.
Once I gained confidence, we’d paddled around together. As we glided across the water, he’d shared stories of paddling with his dad to a small island half a mile out. They would make a campfire and sleep under the stars. It made me want to do the same. He’d been uncharacteristically animated as we’d talked—or maybe that was his true self, hidden beneath his broody exterior. Maybe the prickly version of him was the impostor.
“Hey, Sophie!” I said brightly, holding out my arms for her. “I didn’t know you guys were going to be here.”
Sophie ran into my arms, giving me a moment to lock eyes with Logan, who seemed wary of approaching. It was a common theme when we were together. It was like he always needed to warm up to the idea of being my friend.
Sophie squeezed me extra tight. “Mom’s making some content this afternoon, so she asked Uncle Logan to bring me here.”
I noted the conspiratorial tone in her cute voice. Eden knew I was going there on a date, and it was apparent she was hoping Logan and I would get to know each other better this summer.
“That’s fun.” I smiled at an uncomfortable Logan, who had planted himself a few feet away.
He cast me a furtive glance and mumbled, “Hi.”
“Hey, there.” I did my best not to sound breathy.
Jake sidled up to me, his brow pinching.
“Uh, Jake,” I said awkwardly, and maybe a little guiltily, since I now wished I were there with Sophie and Logan instead of him. There was just something about Logan that made me want to know him better. I wasn’t getting that same vibe from Jake. Nothing screamed, “This man will be of some consequence to you.”
“You know Logan, right?” the rest of the sentence fumbled out of my mouth.
“Yeah.” Jake stepped forward and held out his hand to Logan. “It’s good to see you, man. I hear you’re the new ER doctor at the hospital.”
Logan took Jake’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “I am,” he said dryly, offering zero pleasantries.
Jake dropped his hand, unsure where to go from there.
I was getting used to Logan’s surly side, so I intervened. “It’s so fun that you guys are here. What have you done so far?”
“We just got here,” Logan stated.
“I want to do the strawberry toss first,” Sophie sang a little too deviously.
Logan’s cheeks warmed to a mild red.
I couldn’t help but think it was adorable. “Well, it sounds like Jake and I will just have to challenge you and your uncle to see who can toss the most strawberries into their basket.”
“We’re so going to win.” Sophie left my arms but stayed by my side. “Right, Uncle Logan?”
Logan blew out a long breath and hesitated, as if mentally steeling himself. “Yeah,” he said flatly.
“You’re going to need to be more enthusiastic than that if you plan to win,” I goaded him.
He let down his guard a bit and gave me a half smile. “I’m not worried about winning. ”
Oh, dang, did that sound a little sultry? The butterflies in my tummy sure thought so, for how they fluttered. They needed to knock that off. Logan and I weren’t interested in each other romantically.
“You should be.” I sounded far more confident than I felt.
Logan grinned and inched closer to Sophie.
Jake looked between Logan and me, his eyes narrowing. “You guys are going down,” he said, like we were all back in junior high. He must have known it didn’t come off well, since he immediately looked down at his shoes.
I felt bad for him, so I said something just as silly. “If you could have any mythical creature as a pet, which one would you choose? I would totally get a dragon. Like a cute pink miniature one.”
Sophie giggled while the men gave me stares that said, Do you really expect me to answer this?
Yes. Yes, I did.
“I want a fairy who will sprinkle me with fairy dust so I can fly,” Sophie said with all the joy she could muster.
“That’s a good one.” I gave her a one-arm squeeze. “Gentlemen?”
Jake’s face twisted as if he were thinking too hard.
Logan sighed and shook his head at me, but he answered, “A griffin.”
“Why?” I had a theory that people often chose the animal or creature most like them. Like I wanted to be a miniature pink dragon because I wanted to be fierce but cute.
Logan scrubbed a hand over his face before saying, slightly disgruntled, “Griffins are noble and protective.”
Yep, just as I suspected. I had a feeling Logan was both of those things. I saw it in the way he was with his sister and niece. And even how he’d anxiously made sure I hadn’t hurt myself when he was teaching me how to paddleboard.
“Nice pick, Logan.” Crap, had that come out sounding flirty? No flirting with your neighbor, Brooke, I reminded myself.
“Unicorn,” Jake blurted with bravado, before he spluttered, “I mean sphinx.”
“I love unicorns,” Sophie sighed.
Personally, I loved a good unicorn too, but I was guessing a tween girl approving of his choice wasn’t going to do much for Jake’s ego.
“I love them too.” I nudged Jake, who was now beet red.
Jake stood taller, hoping to redeem himself. “Sphinxes are cool because they’re a lion and a human.”
“They are,” I sang, trying to sound positive even though his answer was a little on the weak side.
A bout of silence crept in as we moved up in the line. As much as I wanted to fill it, I was wary of asking any other silly get-to-know-you questions, lest they, too, ended in disaster.
Jake’s phone buzzed loudly in his pocket, punctuating the silence.
He fished his phone out of his jeans. “Sorry, I have to get this. It’s probably the store. Saturdays are always crazy in the summer. I’m normally there.”
I hadn’t realized he was taking time off to be at the Strawberry Festival. When I mentioned I was planning on coming today, he’d readily agreed to take me. It was sweet he’d taken the time off to do so.
“I totally understand.”
Jake walked away and stood near one of the giant strawberry inflatables to answer his phone.
Logan frowned at him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I just find it rude that he’s taking a call on your date.”
“As a doctor, I would think you would understand. You’ve never had to take a call about a patient while on a date?” I playfully countered.
“That’s different,” he grumbled. “People’s lives could be at stake.”
“For we all we know, someone is having a major life crisis about which wet suit they should buy, and Jake is the only one who can help them.” I giggled.
Logan’s lips twitched, but he suppressed the smile. “Regardless, it’s still rude.”
I couldn’t tell you how much I wanted to see his full-blown smile. He’d hinted at it before, but I had yet to witness it.
“Well, while he’s being rude , you can tell me which fictional universe you’d most like to live in.” Honestly, it didn’t bother me that Jake was taking a call. It kind of felt nice just to be with Logan and Sophie. I know that sounded bad, considering I was on a date.
“That’s easy,” Sophie announced. “I would live in Harry Potter’s world.”
“Good choice.” I tapped her button nose. She was seriously adorable.
“Where would you choose, Uncle Logan?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, Uncle Logan, where would you choose?” I echoed.
“What is the purpose of all these odd questions?” he responded.
“Obviously, I’m doing a psychological evaluation of you,” I teased. “So, answer the question.”
Sophie snickered. “You’re funny.”
“Why, thank you. I don’t think your uncle agrees, though.”
“Yes, he does. He told my mom you were funny.”
“Oh, really?” I sang, way too pleased that Logan was talking about me—and thought I was funny.
“He also said you’re odd.”
“Sophie,” Logan groaned, running a hand over his mussed hair.
“Is that so?” I fixed my gaze on Logan and furrowed my brow, though I wasn’t truly offended. After our first couple of interactions, it would have surprised me if he didn’t find me odd.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds.” Logan squirmed, his discomfort palpable.
“How bad is it?” I couldn’t help but relish the rare moment when I seemed to have the upper hand.
Logan swallowed hard, eyes darting briefly to Sophie as if seeking her help. “It’s just—you’re different from most women. That’s not a bad thing,” he added quickly, his voice faltering.
“Uh-huh.” I wasn’t sure I was buying it.
We moved up some more in line. The red in Logan’s tanned cheeks remained steady.
Jake jogged back over. “Hey,” he said, deflated. “I’m so sorry, but they’re having some electrical issues at the store, and it’s wreaking havoc. I’m going to need to head over there now. ”
“That’s awful.”
“I’m sorry to cut our date short. I can drop you off at home on my way. Maybe we can do dinner later.”
I looked around at the festival, knowing it would go on for several more days, but I couldn’t leave. I felt so close to Mom there, and I’d barely experienced all the festival offered.
Sophie took my hand. “You can’t go.”
I bit my lip, not sure what to do. Would it be rude not to leave with him?
“If you want to stay, I would be happy to take you home,” Logan said so sincerely it shocked me.
My head snapped his way. “Really?” Hadn’t he just admitted to calling me odd?
“Definitely,” he didn’t hesitate to say.
“Thank you,” I whispered, suddenly feeling shy.
I dared a glance at Jake, who gave me a blank stare before shrugging. “I guess I’ll call you later.”
“Okay,” I said as brightly as I could. There was a lot of awkward tension in the air. “I hope the electrical problems get resolved quickly.”
“I better get going.” Jake looked unsure of what to do.
First-date goodbyes were always bad, but this one had the makings of the world’s worst. Not only had the date barely gotten off the ground, but I wasn’t leaving the festival with Jake. Instead, I was staying with my gorgeous neighbor who thought I was odd. Maybe Jake wouldn’t mind me staying if I told him how Logan felt about me ... but doing that would just add another layer of awkwardness to the whole situation. So, I did the only thing I could think of. Was it a smart move and did it make the situation better? Not at all.
I held out my hand to shake Jake’s.
If I wasn’t mistaken, Logan was stifling a laugh behind his smirk.
Jake’s wide eyes and tense facial muscles showed his horror at my impending handshake. Surely, he didn’t expect a kiss or even a hug. I barely knew him, and he was sort of ditching me. Maybe I should have gone for a fist bump or high-five.
Jake reluctantly took my hand and shook it, albeit limply, and only for a second. “See you.”
“Yeah,” I said, not sure we should see each other again. My awkward interactions with men in this town were piling up, and I felt my chances of having a summer fling slipping away with each one.
As I watched Jake walk away, I felt Logan come to my side. “What an idiot.”
I tilted my head. “What makes you say that?”
“You never leave a beautiful woman unless another person’s life is on the line.”
“Did you just call me beautiful, Logan?” I nudged him with my hip, trying to avoid showing how flattered I was in case he didn’t really mean it. The butterflies in my stomach had unfortunately already taken the compliment to heart and were throwing a dance party. “I thought I was odd.”
“You’re both,” he reluctantly admitted.
“Thanks, I think.”
He chuckled.
“All right, friend, it’s time for me to kick your butt at tossing strawberries.”
“You really want to be my friend?” Logan asked, as if doubting my sincerity. Or maybe he was hoping to get out of it.
It didn’t matter, because in my heart I knew he was the lifelong friend my bucket list was beckoning me toward. “Yeah, I do.”