Chapter 20
T urns out Argos looks great in an apple costume.
His hat is like a little red beret with a green felt stem on it.
Pumpkin killed his look too. They are both in the center of the float with me and Charlotte and the stuffed goat.
Mom and Dad are on the float too. They’re holding the beer growlers and pretending to eat the giant papier-maché donuts.
The Parkers are pulling us in the old-timey red truck, the back of which is overflowing with apples and pumpkins and hay bales.
Both vehicles are adorned with huge Honeycrisp Orchard Inn and Parker Orchard signs.
Not to brag, but our float murdered the competition.
Even the moose-filled float that the Moose Lodge entered.
Though I’m not gonna lie, I want to know who made those mooses playing bingo.
They were pretty spectacular. Still, I’m not at all surprised when we are awarded first place after we pull into the town square parking lot after the parade is over.
Mayor Millie is on the loudspeaker. She thanks everyone and reminds the crowd to go out to the orchard this weekend for the Autumn Harvest Festival.
I am thrilled. We follow a huge line of traffic back home. Donny is at the front of the lane taking money for admission. It’s twenty-five dollars per car, and the line is backed up out onto the highway.
Once we get closer to the inn, I can already tell the place is packed. The big parking lot across the street is near capacity, and one of the farmhands is in the backup lot, prepping it to open.
I want to squeal with excitement. We did it. We really did it. We turned this place out in two weeks!
My phone buzzes, and I look down to see a text from Maria. where r u? we’re in the lobby.
Yay! Maria’s here. And she brought Ashley Cross, the travel influencer. I need to go say hello.
We park the float near the edge of the corn maze, and I take off toward the inn. It’s not hard to find Maria and Ashley, because they are standing on the porch by the time I arrive. Maria quickly introduces Ashley and me, and I thank her for making the trip.
Ashley has adorable cornrows and is wearing a cute orange maxi dress with brown boots. She’s stylish and funny and (I quickly learn) always looking for a photo op.
“It’s my pleasure,” Ashley says, glancing around. “I can’t wait to see this place. It’s like a New England postcard out here.”
“A New England postcard serving the best cider and donuts in the state!” I say.
“Oh, probably in the country,” Maria adds. “We honestly need to get a donut critic out here.”
I am temporarily distracted by the concept of a donut critic. Does such a job exist, and how might one apply? After all, I may need to change professions soon.
“I’m happy to give my opinion to my followers,” Ashley says, pulling me back into the conversation.
“You. Are. Awesome!” I tell Ashley. And I mean it. She usually reviews restaurants and venues in the city. It’s a big deal to get her on a train to Long Island.
Ashley fake-primps her hair and says, “Oh, go on.”
“And this is only the first day,” Maria continues. “There will be even more people from the city out here tomorrow since it’s Saturday.”
I realize she’s right. Today is a weekday, and the locals might be here, but the city folk will show up tomorrow. We’ll make even more money. Yes!
“I gotta get pictures near that corn maze,” Ashley says. “Though I’m not going in that thing. I’m not trying to meet bugs.”
I refrain from telling her I don’t blame her. That seems disloyal to Aiden, who thought the corn maze was a really good idea. It was kinda his only idea that I green-lighted.
“Is that a real, live scarecrow?” Ashley asks next, pointing down the lane that leads across to the pick-your-own orchard.
“Yes,” I tell her. “And there’s a tent farther down where you can dress your own. We’ve got everything from overalls to drag.”
“That’s so fun!” Ashley exclaims. “I’ve got to do that.” She takes off toward the scarecrow. “See you later, Ellie. Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll catch up with you in a minute,” Maria calls after Ashley before turning to me. She waggles her eyebrows. “So... where is Aiden?”
“I don’t know.” Which is the truth. I haven’t seen Aiden all day. I assume he’s doing something apple related. He doesn’t even know our kick-ass float won the parade.
“Mmm-hmmm,” is Maria’s judgy reply.
I’m about to say more to defend myself when something catches my attention from the corner of my eye. I turn to see a really long line snaking around the side of the inn. When did that happen?
“What’s that line for?” I wonder.
I’m not really expecting an answer, but Maria says, “It’s for people to get their picture taken with Pumpkin.”
My jaw drops. “Are you kidding me?” Pumpkin’s been on the float all morning, so the line must have started the minute we returned. It’s already that long?
“Nope, not kidding,” Maria replies with a smile. “I brought a posterboard background stand for people to have their picture taken with him. We’re charging five dollars per picture.”
“People are really paying that?”
Maria types into her phone and then turns it for me to see. “Pumpkin’s got like 250K followers now, Ellie.”
“Oh my God. He’s even more popular than I thought. He’s gonna need full-time security.”
Maria laughs. “Okay, well, after the scarecrow dressing, I’m going to take Ashley to the food barn for some day drinking and donuts,” Maria continues. “If you hear an ambulance, it’s probably because I hurt that rude brewer guy.”
Oh God. I forgot about the Maria and Jesse situation. Jesse told me later he’d been in a really bad mood the day they got into it. But there’s no use trying to explain that to Maria. She isn’t one to forgive lightly.
“Please,” I beg, pressing both palms together in a prayer stance. “Please don’t cause a scene during this festival.”
“I’ll be civil,” Maria says, waving as she takes off down the lane. “If he will.”
I don’t worry for long about Maria and Jesse killing each other because I have too much to do.
The rest of the day passes in a blur of activity.
In addition to Pumpkin’s enormous popularity, there are lines for the cider, the donuts, and the scarecrow-dressing contest. All of them have fees, so that’s even more money coming in.
The band is playing. The sketch artist is hard at work.
And even the corn maze has a little line because some people heard you can get donuts and cider quicker in there.
Charlotte has been tasked with going around and collecting the money periodically from each station.
I checked inside with Mom earlier, and she says we’ve earned thousands of dollars just in the morning.
With so many people who gave their services for free, we’ve more than made a profit. Papier-maché isn’t expensive.
Pumpkin spends the entire day with his costume on over his pajamas sitting on a padded stool in front of the posterboard depicting apples and cornstalks and pumpkins and gourds while people take their picture with him.
There is a big Honeycrisp Orchard Inn sign behind him, so every photo that is posted is great advertising for the businesses.
Maria knows her stuff. Meanwhile, Pumpkin is in his element.
He likes attention. Doesn’t mind noise. And loves to sit all day.
In addition to the five-dollar picture fee, we charge people another dollar to buy him a treat.
We cannot give him all the treats because he would die, but we collect the treats he cannot eat to donate to the Harvest Hollow Humane Society from whence he came.
If P-dog knew we were giving away his treats, he’d probably cut us.
It’s a good thing he can’t speak English. Not fluently, at least.
Miss Guin gets out more than once, and each time it’s kind of a fun game for all the kids to chase her around the grounds until Donny catches her.
I can tell Miss Guin likes it, and the kids do too.
Maybe it’ll wear her out, and she’ll leave us all alone tomorrow.
There was one incident in which Miss Guin got loose and went after Bob from the pharmacy.
But turns out he’s surprisingly agile for an older man.
He outran her until Donny was able to corral her again.
As I walk along the grounds, pride surges through me.
I am proud of myself for pulling this off.
It was a lot of work, but everything really came together.
Charlotte was invaluable, and Mom and Dad and the Parkers were too.
Even Aiden. He trusted me enough to allow me to go all out. I appreciate that.
I can’t help but glance at my phone, periodically.
Geoff said Steve was going to call. Is he?
Or was that another one of Geoff’s lies?
And why do I care? I should tell them both to take a flying leap.
Plus, I’ve really enjoyed planning an event without anyone looking over my shoulder. It’s been super freeing, actually.
There’s a reason I didn’t tell Maria that Geoff showed up.
She’d track him down at the motor lodge and beat him or at least issue some frightening threats.
I also don’t want to admit to her that I’ve actually been thinking about taking my old job back.
I mean, I want to hear the offer. But a raise, a promotion, and a bonus?
Plus, getting on the partner track? It’s what I wanted when I planned the Bolt Hotel Group event in the first place.
I’d essentially be getting my whole life from two weeks ago back. Well, minus Geoff as my boyfriend, but that part is fine by me. He was right when he said we weren’t a love match. My stomach never flipped 360 degrees when Geoff was around the way it does when...
Oof. When Aiden is near me.
My chest aches with the weight of that thought. I can’t get my old life back without sacrificing the life I’m rebuilding here, at home, with my parents, with Aiden.
I start to sweat, the gravity of my choice weighing down on me. I can’t think about this now. The festival needs me. I’m going to head to the front and check the parking. If the third lot is open, we’re really killing it.
I turn but immediately stop short when I see Aiden standing about ten feet in front of me.
He pulls his hand from his jean pocket and waves. “Hi,” he says.
“Hi.” And there it is. The stomach flip. Plus, I’m feeling shy. I am never shy. Why am I shy right now?
He steps toward me. He rubs the back of his neck. “Congratulations are in order.”
“Oh, the float?” I say, letting my wrist go limp in a pshaw sort of way. I will not gloat. Gloating is unattractive. But we both know I was right, and he was wrong. That is enough.
“Not the float. Though I heard you won first place, and I’m not surprised.”
“ We won first place,” I say.
“That float was all you, Ellie. I had nothing to do with it. But I’m talking about the festival. The festival is amazing. You made all of this happen. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
I blush. I can’t help myself. I always knew what I could do, but it is pretty great to see it all come together. And how refreshing is it for a man to give me credit for my ideas instead of stealing them? “Thanks,” I say.
“And, I hate to admit it,” Aiden says next, smiling, “but all of your ideas are the popular ones.”
I laugh. “What? I saw plenty of people in the corn maze.”
He shakes his head. “Only because you were smart enough to put a table selling cider and donuts in there.”
I shrug. “Well, food is always a draw. What can I say?”
“Pretty clever. Mom and Dad are impressed too. I’ve never seen them so happy.”
That makes my smile even wider. “How’s the Rosie Darling doing?” I ask.
“We’ve sold over one hundred barrels so far.”
“Shut up!”
“I’m serious. I’ve already got grocery stores reaching out, plus the farmer’s market and even some restaurants in Manhattan.”
“It’s Maria,” I tell him. “She’s amazing.”
“Yeah, well, you’re pretty amazing too.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets.
“We make a good team, Aiden.”
He bites his lip, and there goes my stomach again. Flip. Flip. Flip.
“Wanna go through the corn maze with me later?” he asks. “I hear you can get drunk in there.”
“We do have people making sure everyone makes it out okay, don’t we?” I ask, slightly concerned.
“Oh, yeah. Donny sends Argos in occasionally to round everyone up.”
“That sounds right.” I am nodding awkwardly now like the first night I came here. The night I saw Aiden with nothing but a towel around his hips and— “Welp, I better go check on...” I hook my thumb over my shoulder to point behind me. “Something.”
“Yeah,” Aiden says. “I actually need to go to my house to grab some paperwork.”
Of course he doesn’t have Google Docs. But wait. What’s this? “Your house? Like your house house?”
“Yeah.” He laughs. “Did you think I was making it up when I told you I have a house?”
“No, no. Not at all.” I honestly spent too much time imagining Aiden’s house.
I’m positive it smells like coffee and knee-weakening aftershave.
Though hopefully not at the same time. And there’s got to be a little garage with tools hung in neat rows, and no doubt it’s filled with dozens of stuffed apples for Argos.
“Wanna come with me and see it?” he asks, pulling me from my daydream.
My stomach flips again. I feel like I’m on the edge of something, if I just take one more step. “Yes.”