Chapter 24
T he Harvest Ball looks like old-timey and postcard-y had a baby.
The food barn has been transformed. I hired the best company I knew to turn it into a night under the stars inside.
The roof is filled with softly twinkling lights.
Votives on each table fill the space with the scent of pumpkin and ginger, and the amount of apple-filled desserts available in the bakery adds a cinnamon touch to the air.
The country rock band we hired is set up on a stage against the far wall, and they are playing a steady stream of music that has the dance floor in front of them filled.
The entire town is here. There’s Millie and Kaylie, Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. Lawrence, Abe Bennett, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Culkin, Mrs. Sharma, and Mr. Wainwright.
Mr. Higgins and Mr. and Mrs. Goldman are here too.
Billy and Amber say hello when I walk by.
Mrs. Jackson is out there cutting a rug with her husband.
They are all looking good in their dresses and boots and jeans and pullover sweaters.
Mom and Dad look ten years younger. And the Parkers are already out on the dance floor doing some sort of line dance. Who knew they could move like that?
Mr. Peyton was here, but I asked him to stop by the livestock barn real quick and have a talk with Miss G. We’ll see what he can do. I mean, he can’t make it worse . That’s my logic.
I stroll over to the wall nearest the bakery to take it all in.
The guests all seem to be having a good time, and I’ve never seen the barn so full.
Maria is standing in front of the Biergarten bar talking to Jesse.
They are both alive but obviously arguing.
I can tell by the hand gestures. I can’t wait to hear what they’re saying to each other.
Maria spent the entire walk over here trying to get me to admit I had sex with Aiden.
When I finally did, she squealed and said, “It’s about time. ”
“But I don’t know how I feel about it,” I told her. “ What if it was a mistake? I’ll probably be leaving here soon.”
“So what?” Maria promptly replied with a shrug. “Since when is jumping in bed with a hot guy a mistake? You don’t need to go pick out wedding venues or anything.”
“I can’t explain it,” I told her. And I really can’t. If it had been some guy I met in the city, it would be fine, but it’s Aiden and there’s history and it’s complicated. But I don’t have time to get into all of it with Maria tonight.
I decide to sidle over to the Biergarten and stand with my back to a thick, wooden post near the bar, close enough to hear what Maria and Jesse are saying but not to be seen.
If this is wrong, I don’t care. I tell myself it’s my civic duty, because if one of them starts a tussle, I’ll be there to break it up.
“Not if you were the last man— like, literally the last —on the face of this earth,” Maria is saying to Jesse when I start to listen.
I clap my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud, because that’s pretty much along the lines of exactly what I guessed she’d be saying to him.
“What? You don’t dance?” Jesse replies, sounding a little playful and a little perturbed.
“Oh, I dance. Just not with you.” Boom. Maria is not one to mince words.
“I don’t believe you can dance to country music,” Jesse replies.
“What is that, reverse psychology?” Even though I’m not looking, I know she just rolled her eyes.
“Prove it, then,” Jesse says.
“I don’t have to prove anything to you, Ball Cap.”
Okay, I admit I take a peek, because I don’t remember seeing Jesse in his ubiquitous ball cap tonight, and when I look, I learn that I’m right.
In fact, Jesse looks pretty good. He’s wearing jeans and a zip-up dark-blue sweater that makes his eyes pop.
His blond hair is slicked back, and his tats are mostly hidden.
Not that I mind the tats, but he looks like he really made an effort. It’s kind of heartwarming.
“Coward,” Jesse says next, and I have to fight the urge to duck for cover because he’s not going to get away with that.
“What did you just call me?” Maria says through obviously clenched teeth.
It’s time to intervene. I swing around the wooden beam and call out, “Hey, there, kids. Having fun?” Of course, I already know they are not, but I’m not about to admit it.
“No,” Maria says at the same time that Jesse says, “Principessa here won’t dance with me.”
Okay. It’s cute that he remembers how to say princess in Italian. “Did you ask her nicely?” I say to Jesse before Maria has a chance to flay him with her tongue.
“No, he did not ask me nicely.”
“There’s your trouble,” I say to Jesse with a shrug.
He heaves a deep breath. “Ms. Agostini. Will you please do me the honor of dancing with me?”
“No,” says Maria. She gives him side-eye.
“See!” Jesse tosses a hand in the air.
“Let’s go, El,” Maria says. She takes my arm and turns abruptly away from the bar.
“Wait,” Jesse says.
Maria stops, turns halfway, and gives him a long-suffering stare. There is much blinking of her fabulous eyelashes. “What?”
“I got you something,” he says. He’s fumbling under the bar and comes up with a champagne bottle. It’s a good brand too. I recognize it. He grabs two champagne flutes from somewhere else under the bar and expertly opens the bottle with a loud pop.
“I do love that sound,” Maria whispers to me. She’s not about to let Jesse hear her though.
Jesse pours champagne in both glasses. “Ladies,” he says as he presents the flutes to us. “These are on the house. Thank you for all you’ve done for the festival.”
Maria stalks over and takes the champagne glass. She’s not dumb. I take mine too. Pretty classy of Jesse to get these for us, and it’s clear he’s trying to get on Maria’s good side. Poor guy doesn’t even realize it’s too late.
“Thank you,” I say, nodding to Jesse.
“Thanks,” Maria reluctantly concedes.
“Enjoy your evening,” Jesse says just before he gets sucked back into a swarm of bar patrons shouting out orders.
Maria and I meander toward the dance floor sipping our champagne.
“That was nice of him,” I say.
“I guess.” She still looks a little pissed.
“Honestly, the way you two were looking at each other...” I purposely let my sentence drift off.
“What?” Maria demands, glaring at me.
“I’m just saying.” I wave my hand in the air. “Next time get a room maybe.”
Her nostrils flare. “Mr. Plaid Flannel Shirt? No way!”
“Dude’s not wearing plaid flannel tonight. In fact, I’d say he cleans up real good.” I waggle my brows.
“You can’t be serious.” She rolls her eyes.
“Whatever you say. But I saw what I saw.” I also know that, in addition to being a sucker for blond hair and blue eyes, Maria likes dudes she starts off thinking are assholes. But I’m not going to point it out to her tonight.
Maria plants her free hand on her hip. Her eyes shoot swords at me. Not daggers, fully formed swords. “ You’re just trying to keep me from bringing up you and Aiden again.”
“Maybe,” I admit, taking another sip of champagne.
A sly smile pops to her lips. “Come on, spill it. Was it good?”
“It was so damn good !” I groan. “Like, romance novel good.”
“Really? Well, you definitely needed that.”
I sigh. “I did. I really did.”
“So, did you two talk about it this morning?” she asks next in a sing-song voice.
I wrinkle my nose. “We were trying to talk about it when you knocked.”
Maria winces. “Oh damn. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. We’ll talk later.”
We’ve made our way to the sidelines of the dance floor. Maria dances in place to the music while I let my gaze wander around the periphery of the room.
Ashley Cross is taking pictures in front of the band.
Mrs. Jackson is teaching the Wilkinses how to dance.
Or trying to, at least. Mom and Dad are laughing with the Parkers.
I don’t see Aiden. I’m torn between whether I’m relieved or anxious that we didn’t get a chance to finish our conversation earlier.
Part of me would like to have heard what he had to say.
The other part is glad to have a reprieve.
I still don’t know what to say to him. I don’t regret what happened last night.
.. or this morning. But how will that impact us in the long term?
I have no idea. If I end up staying here and we get closer, that would be one thing, but.
.. if Steve does call and offer me my job back, I’d be a fool not to take it, right?
Who am I asking? My own confused self? Ugh.
Across the way at the far end of the barn where the bakery counter meets the wall, I see Charlotte.
She is talking to a very hot guy who I recognize as Sawyer.
I finally met him last weekend. And the minute I did, I immediately knew why Charlotte had a crush on him.
He has dark-brown hair and emerald-green eyes and an easy smile that lights up his face.
When I met him, he was wrapping one of the goat’s legs because it had been injured, and I could tell how careful he was not to hurt the poor thing.
He spoke to the goat in a soft, calm voice and pet its little head from time to time to reassure it.
The goat seemed really happy to have him in his corner.
As Sera would say, Sawyer’s energy was really good.
Sawyer also tipped his hat to me like we were in Texas, and when he smiled, his dimples popped. It was pretty cute. I know exactly why Charlotte is smitten.
I can tell by the serious looks on their faces that Charlotte and Sawyer are having an intense conversation. And judging by their matching frowns, they are not happy. Interesting. I turn away to give them their privacy.
I am just about to go say hello to Millie and Kaylie when Aiden steps in front of me. He’s wearing khaki chinos and a green sweater and looks like a dream. He smells even better. I want to go up on tiptoes and press my nose into the crook of his neck and breathe him in.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi.” I bite my lip.