Chapter Thirty-Three
“WELL, THAT WENT OFF without a hitch,” Granny remarked, leaning back on her stool behind the register at their Harvest Fest booth. It was late afternoon already, and their last guest author had just finished their signing.
A bark of laughter escaped Emma’s throat. “I’m pretty sure it was nothing but hitches.”
Waving away her concern, Granny shook her head. “What matters is that you handled it. I never doubted you.”
“Really?”
Emma had doubted herself at more or less every turn.
That said, even she had to admit that the event had gone well.
The weather couldn’t be better. The bright, crisp autumn day had brought people out to the festival in droves, and just about all of them seemed to have made their way into the Cozy Nook Bookshop’s stall at one point or another.
They only had a few copies left of each of the guest authors’ books, and they’d completely sold out of their bookmarks, mugs, and tote bags.
The rest of the book selection had done better than expected, too, outpacing sales from last year by a wide margin.
Emma liked to imagine it was because of their eye-catching, pumpkin-forward booth design and their enticing social media outreach, but who knew?
“You know…” Granny fiddled with one of the chunky, orange beaded necklaces draped around her neck. “Jerry and I had such a nice time on our trip this fall, we’ll probably be taking a lot more of them, now that we know the store can handle itself.”
The vote of confidence in Emma’s abilities made her glow inside.
But she still narrowed her eyes. “Sure. As long as you tell me you’re leaving more than three days in advance, and put any upcoming festivals or booth commitments on the calendar.”
“Of course, of course,” Granny said, as if she hadn’t failed to do both of those things this last time around. “Though in another few years, we were thinking… we might just go on vacation and never come back.”
Emma blinked a few times. “You’re leaving Heart’s Hope Crossing?”
She couldn’t imagine this place without Granny Smith, and she was sure she wasn’t the only one.
Including Granny herself. “Oh, gracious no. I could never. I suppose it would be more of a… what do you young people call it? A permanent staycation?”
“You mean retirement?”
“It sounds ugly when you put it that way.” Granny let out a breath. “But yes, I suppose you could call it that.”
“Oh, wow.”
“I could only do it if I knew I had someone I could trust to take over the shop.” Granny delicately raised one brow.
Emma swallowed, her ribs giving a gentle squeeze. “You mean me?”
“Am I speaking to anyone else?”
“No. Just. Wow. That would be such an honor.”
“I’d be looking for someone to buy me out, just so we’re clear. Generous terms, of course, and based on the value of the place before your improvements.”
“Understood.”
Emma still wasn’t sure if she believed in fate, but suddenly that windfall she’d gotten from Brock the other day felt impossibly prophetic.
It probably wouldn’t be enough to buy the business, but it put her a hell of a lot closer than she would have been last week.
She and Hunter had agreed that she should sock it away to help her shore up her savings and secure her future here in Heart’s Hope Crossing.
What better way to secure her future than to own a piece of it?
“And,” Granny continued, “based on said improvements, I’d say you’re well deserving of a raise. Effective immediately.”
“Thank you.” Emma hesitated for a second, but she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She threw herself at Granny, wrapping the old woman up in a hug.
Granny returned the hug, patting her on the back and holding on to her tightly for a moment before letting go. Her eyes were just a tiny bit misty. “You know, I always did have a good feeling about you, Emma. From the moment your application showed up in my inbox.”
“You and your good feelings…”
“They’re never wrong.” Granny smiled, her gaze darting to someplace over Emma’s shoulder. “Speaking of which… there’s someone else I had a good feeling about.”
Emma turned to find Hunter standing just outside the booth, two paper cups in his hands and a smile on his face that looked like home.
To her surprise—and his, based on the way his eyes widened—he was accosted by two young women she didn’t recognize who screamed, “Hot Forest Ranger!”
As Emma watched, Hunter shook his head indulgently and let the women take a selfie with him. When that was done, he looked back at Emma. Their gazes met, and he shrugged.
“Go on,” Granny urged her. “You should get a chance to actually see the festival a bit, especially considering it’s your first one.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely. Things are slowing down anyway.”
“Thank you. I’ll be back to close up.”
“I know.”
Emma shrugged on her jacket and wrapped her handmade scarf around her neck—error-riddled for sure, but cozy as could be—and all but skipped out to meet Hunter.
As she approached, she raised a brow. “So they actually let you leave work after all?”
He rolled his eyes, dipping down for a quick peck on the lips. “Alix and George practically kicked me out. They said I was attracting too much attention.”
Apparently, anyone who wasn’t at the festival was at the Silver Pines Preserve, which had become an overnight social media sensation.
It was too early to go getting overconfident, but thanks to the Hot Forest Ranger, any concerns about budget cuts due to low visitor numbers seemed to have solidly been laid to rest.
Pulling back, he held up one cup and then the other. “Hot apple pie punch or decaf unsweetened pumpkin coffee with a splash of cream?”
“Hmm. Coffee, please.”
“I had a feeling you might say that.” He passed her the cup, and she took a careful sip. It was absolutely perfect—just like him.
“Thank you.” Clasping his free hand with hers, she leaned up onto her tiptoes to thank him properly. This second kiss was softer and warmer, but they managed not to let it get too hot.
There’d be plenty of time for that later.
“A little birdie told me you hadn’t managed to set foot outside your own booth today,” Hunter said.
“Granny?”
“Granny.”
Emma cast a backward glance at the old woman, who smiled knowingly and waved. She’d never question Granny’s meddling again. Today, she was even grateful for it.
“Come on.” Hunter started to lead the way, but she got distracted by one of the “cat hotels” on the sidewalk. As promised, they dotted the entire festival, containing all the black cats in town and keeping them from crossing in front of anyone.
“Oh, hello there.” This particular hotel had been built by Owen and his boyfriend, and it was decorated to look like the Cozy Nook Bookshop, complete with tiny coffee cups and miniature books.
She held out her hand to the black cat sitting inside, who was sleepy and content and very well-fed, from the looks of it.
The cat accepted a couple of gentle scritches to the back of its neck before rolling over and closing its eyes.
Hunter squeezed her hand, and she fell into step with him as they wandered past booths and stalls all overflowing with decorative gourds and autumn cheer. A brisk wind picked up, rustling the riot of red and golden leaves overhead, and making her savor her warm, cozy beverage all the more.
For a small town, the crowd was enormous, but everywhere Emma looked, she spotted familiar faces.
Abby was doing a brisk business in fall mums and Christmas cacti down the way, while Hattie hawked free samples of Chef’s baklava at the corner, looking incredible in her completed autumn sweater.
She spotted Betty and Toni both bedecked in bright orange, matching shawls, sharing cones of pumpkin soft serve with half a dozen overexcited grandchildren, and Christopher blowing up balloon animals for another small herd of rug rats.
As they walked, Hunter rattled off potential destinations.
“There’s the corn maze over on the other side of the field, and hayrides.
Apple bobbing, pumpkin carving. Carnival games tent is that way.
” He pointed to the right. “We could pitch in with the community mural project if you want to get your hands dirty, or go pet some sheep at the animal barn. Oh, and there are cocktails at the big tent in back. Should be a live band starting up soon over there, too.” He smirked.
“Lucas is in it, though, so it’ll probably be terrible, but we could check it out. ”
She breathed in a big lungful of pumpkin-spice-scented air and beamed, threading her fingers through his. “Sounds amazing.”
“Which part?” Laughing, he released her hand to pull her in closer against his side.
“Everything.” Her heart rose in her throat as she gazed up at him, her chest impossibly full of love. “I want to do everything. So long as I get to do it with you.”