Page 27 of Resisting the Fall

“Did he mention why?”

I gave a humorless laugh. “Because he hates New York City and doesn’t want to risk having to make a trip there.”

“Want me to talk to him?”

I planted my feet, stopping the swing to take in my brother’s concern. He’d been my anchor since we were kids, and despite everything he’d been through with his own divorce, he’d never once wavered in his support of me. I honestly didn’t know what I’d do without him. “Not at the moment, but I’ll keep you posted. I promise.”

Carson gave a small smile. “I’ll be on standby, then.”

“What you can help me with,” I said, prying myself out of the hammock, “is moving my luggage so Mom doesn’t trip over it when she gets home from her shift.”

“You don’t think she’ll like the little reminder of you being here? Unexpected surprises have always been your specialty.”

“I don’t think Mom ever appreciated that talent of mine.” I nudged him as I passed, then threw him a mischievous smile. “But depending on how my next conversation goes with Ben, he might have a few of those unexpected surprises coming his way.”

Maven

I slowed my mom’s car as I neared the parking lot for Dust & Timber, but Ben’s truck wasn’t there. I’d already driven past his house on Maple on my way into town, and I doubted he’d be on Main Street on a Thursday morning at ten, but I was right here, so it was worth checking.

Between the familiar faces I spotted and glimpses of fall decorations in front of several of the shops, a dopey, nostalgic smile came to my lips. Autumn Ridge didn’t get its name for under-delivering on the autumn vibes; and with the upcoming fall festival, it would only become more apparent why so many people from all over Vermont, and even neighboring states, made visiting here a bucket list item.

“You are here,” I said, spotting Ben’s old Chevy parked in front of the hardware store. I should have thought about checking there. I snagged a spot nearby.

After a quick walk through the store, I stepped outside again, confused about where Ben could be. The sweet smell wafting out of Keller’s next door was impossible to ignore. I doubted Ben was inside the bakery—being a farm boy, he’d always been a protein-for-breakfast guy—but that didn’t mean I couldn’t grab a maple cinnamon sticky bun to eat while I searched for him.

The door to the bakery chimed when I opened it, and a darling girl with beautiful copper-red hair smiled at me from behind the counter. She looked familiar, but I was having a difficult time placing her when her expression made it clear she’d already figured out who I was. Then her gaze darted to the side, and I followed it to the smattering of tables for customers.

My heart plummeted when I saw Ben seated at one of them, his back mostly to me, with some gorgeous brunette. Her leaning posture and the location of her hands atop the table, closer to his body than hers, as well as her long crossed legs nearly pressed against his, told me all I needed to know.

Ben was on a date!

A wave of shock rolled through me. Quickly followed by a wave of exasperation. Ben was forcing me through this reconciliation crap while simultaneously dating another woman? I wondered what Judge Rost would make of the situation. Since I knew my word held little credence with the judge, I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture as evidence. Unfortunately, my phone wasn’t in silent mode, and the artificial click sound of the phone’s camera echoed through the small space.

The woman’s gaze fixed on me. “Did you just take a picture of us?”

Ben glanced over his shoulder to see who she was speaking to, and his mouth parted slightly. “Maven?”

I gave a good-mannered wave, conveniently ignoring the woman’s question. “Hey, Ben.”

Ben blinked, as if he still wasn’t certain if it was me. Then he stood and glanced at his friend. “Will you excuse me for a minute?”

The brunette woman’s gaze slid to me again, but she gave a hesitant nod.

I followed Ben outside. He glanced down the street in both directions before directing me down the alleyway between Keller’s and Berk’s Hardware. “What are you doing here?”

I leaned against the brick wall, attempting to appear impervious to what I’d just seen, and gestured over my shoulder. “Strangely enough, I came to the bakery to get a sticky bun. But when I saw you inside, I had to say hello.”

“You took our picture.”

“You two just looked so cozy sitting there. I couldn’t resist.”

Ben didn’t so much as crack a smile. He placed an arm on the wall next to me and leaned in, blocking us from the view of anyone passing by on the sidewalk. “What are you doing here in Autumn Ridge?”

“Oh. That.” I grinned up at him, ignoring the way my body reacted to his nearness. “Considering how our past few conversations have gone, I thought it would be best to have this next one in person.”

“You think, just because you show up here, I’m going to change my mind about taking our divorce to New York?”

“That is the hope.”