Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 101398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
I spot a tall, towering, familiar head through the crowd, and my smile grows by a mile. My favorite people have just arrived.
Bennett weaves his way over to us, and I wave my arms in big, theatrical dramatics at my girl Summer when she spots me from her chair in front of him. She’s wearing her usual heart-shaped pink sunglasses and smiling so big it turns my heart to butter. Bennett’s sister Breezy trails the two of them slightly, getting distracted by every booth she walks by.
My eyes probably linger on Bennett a little too long, taking in his handsome face and his larger-than-life presence as he wheels Summer toward me.
Goodness, that man. I’d sure love to climb him like a tree.
We haven’t gone back to our “bookmarked page” since the night we bookmarked it in his truck. Both of us have had our energy entirely focused on Summer, and with so many people always around now, I’ve also felt like we’ve been living under a microscope.
Even though we have managed a few stolen kisses when saying goodbye, I can’t deny my desire for him hasn’t waned. If anything, it’s only growing by the day. The more I get to know him, the more time I spend with him, the more I know letting myself have this connection with him isn’t a mistake. It doesn’t matter where either of us came from—it only matters where we’re going.
He wheels Summer straight to me, and I greet her with a smile and an air-bump of my hip. She giggles, and I wish for not the first time that I could scoop her up in my arms and hug her tight.
“You guys are here just in the nick of time!” I tell her cheerfully. “We’ve been so busy all morning, and I really need help figuring out which scents are going to be our best sellers so I can get organized.”
“I want to smell!” Summer volunteers immediately, her eyebrows shooting up over her sunglasses.
“Perfect!”
I shuffle through the boxes at our feet, pulling out samples of every scent Grandma Rose got on scam from Amazon. We work our way through them all, Summer giving me the verbal thumbs-up or down each time. Bennett dives right into helping Josie as we’re once again overwhelmed with customers, and Breezy, when she arrives, starts shopping.
I hold up another scent of candle for Summer to smell, and she makes an immediate face of disgust.
Betty Bagley, the little old lady on our side of the crowd, snaps her fingers. “I’ll take that one.”
I’m confused as to why Betty Bagley would want one of the grossest candles, but I pack it up for her anyway, letting Bennett’s sister Breezy, who’s now rounded the table to our side, ring it up on our iPad.
As soon as Betty walks away, Josie starts dancing, and the rest of us look at her like she’s grown two heads.
“What are you doing?”
“Celebrating for Grandma Rose. The fact that Betty herself came over here and bought a candle means she’s officially stuck it to her. We’re the most popular booth at the market today, and Betty is shitting herself.”
“Grandma had beef with Betty Bagley?”
Betty Bagley is about five foot tall and weighs all of ninety pounds. She’s a tiny little thing, and I find it hard to believe anyone could have a problem with her.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Josie retorts on a hoot. “Betty Bagley might look all sweet and innocent, but she can be mean as a snake. Her competitiveness rivals Olympic athletes, and she spent a healthy amount of time tossing shade at Grandma Rose when she was still alive.”
“Dayum. I would’ve never suspected that.”
“She’s a wolf in little old lady’s clothing.”
“Pie lady Betty?” Bennett asks incredulously, making Josie and Summer both laugh.
Josie nods. “Oh, you have no idea.”
“Maybe she was just upset that Grandma Rose was involved in a candle Ponzi scheme,” I mutter under my breath. Josie shoots me a glare.
I hold up both of my hands, an innocent lady after all.
“What do you want to do tonight, Sum?” I ask as Josie gets back to helping the next customer in a long line. Bennett squeezes around Breezy at the iPad to join us.
“Do you want some lemonade?” he asks, looking at Summer first, but then glancing to me too. Summer squeals her excited yes, and I settle for a nod and a smile.
“Lemonade sounds great.”
Summer’s face falls as he leaves, and it makes me think about the heaven conversation I had with her in the hospital and how she told me not to tell Bennett about it.
She’s trying to be strong for her dad. She’s trying to hide her pain.
My nose stings with unshed tears as I realize…she knows. She knows what’s coming, but she’s putting on a brave face for Bennett every second she can.