Page 10 of A Fall to Remember

He raised his eyebrows in a self-deprecatory manner. “Who would have thought my mom would turn into a viral sensation? I had no clue the video would go so bonkers.”

Shelby couldn’t ignore the way his blue eyes caught the light, giving them an otherworldly, ethereal glow, and how his slightly impish smile made her feel flirty. He smelled good, too. Like the ocean and forest mixed together. She inhaled deeply and refocused. She was here for business and one goal—land the promotion, get that bonus. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but going viral is really hard to replicate.” She paused and pointed to the table where Miranda and Jim were laughing like old friends. “I take it you’ve met my colleague Jim? I’m Shelby with Voyager Travel.” She thrust her hand forward, feeling ridiculously formal.

“Sure. Great to meet you.” Pete sounded genuinely pleased as he shook her hand softly. “We still can’t believe you’re here and you’re partnering with Mom. It’s really cool. The whole town is buzzing. We’re thrilled with what you’re doing for her.”

She hated to burst his bubble. He seemed like a good guy. It might have been fun to flirt a little on this trip, but she had a feeling Jim had already inflated Miranda’s potential to cut through all the noise. She needed to ground them back in reality right now. “Look, I think it’s important to set realistic expectations. Going viral is like being struck by lightning or winning the lottery.”

“Yeah, sure. I get that.” Pete sounded disappointed, but he masked it well.

“I just want to be honest from the start. Gaining a massive following requires steady work, effort, and funding. I don’t want you to get your hopes up. I know Jim has a big vision, but this weekend will be a good test. I can’t make any promises that Voyager will continue a partnership long-term. This is probably going to be a one-and-done for us.”

“Understood.” Pete’s face fell as he nodded. He tried to disguise it by running his hand through his hair and motioning toward his mom. “Anyway, good to meet you. I’ll let you take it from here.”

She felt bad. Had she been too harsh? Too direct?

But no. This went back to the tools she was learning from her therapist. Arm’s reach. This was something she could control. It might seem like she was fatalistic, but honestly, after being blindsided by her father’s gambling addiction and the fallout that came from losing everything, she was doing him and Miranda a favor. It was kinder to tell them the truth and lower expectations now.

8

JIM

Miranda was even more engaging and funnier in person. She was perfect for this role. Likeable, easygoing, and quick to laugh at herself. She’d been a great sport about the shirt and was a natural on camera, even if she didn’t know it. Some people just had that magic it. Defining the it was impossible. You either had it or didn’t. And Miranda had it. The camera loved her. Every time she laughed, her entire face lit up like the strings of twinkle lights hanging in the window. This was exactly the kind of energy and warmth he was looking for. And he was convinced their target audience would feel the same way.

The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled him out of his temporary trance. “Hello, Jim.”

He turned around. It was Shelby. She looked upset. But then again, lately, Shelby had seemed high-strung. He’d noticed the way her cheeks were constantly sunken in and how her brow was furrowed so tight it made his head throb. She’d taken to eating lunch alone at her desk and working long past everyone else in the office. He’d tried to check in a few times, bringing her coffee or a pastry and inviting her out with the team for happy hour, with no luck.

Jim stood to greet her. A habit that showed his age, but one he couldn’t shake. Truth be told, he’d never tried to shake it. He prided himself on being a gentleman. And a feminist. He didn’t believe the two were mutually exclusive. “Shelby, you found it, great. Let me introduce you to Miranda Brown.” He paused. “Miranda, this is my colleague, Shelby Bowerson. She’s a rising star at Voyager, and we’re lucky to have her on our small but mighty team of three.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and Jim made space on the table for Shelby, aware that she was eyeing the paperwork disapprovingly. He knew Shelby shunned paper as if Jim were personally responsible for chopping down the tree that made it. She was constantly reminding him to use the Google Docs she set up for their shared notes on clients and accounts. Jim knew how to use technology. He just preferred writing things out by hand. He found ideas flowed more freely when he used his trusted yellow legal pad and black ballpoint pen. He often came up with the best new concepts and breakthroughs while doodling in the margins or crossing out one note to make room for another.

When he mentioned this to Shelby, she scolded him for wasting time doing double the work. First, he would sketch out ideas on his yellow legal pad, then he’d add them to their shared document. His system had been working fine for years. Why fix something that wasn’t broken?

“Miranda and I have been going over the preliminary contract and plans for the weekend,” Jim said, getting Shelby up to speed, as he caught Miranda’s eye across the table. “I suggested we start here in the store. Film interactions with customers, go through a normal workday, and then we can film along Main Street and in the park. The first events for the Fall Harvest Fest kick off tonight. We’ll want to capture that, of course.”

Shelby held up her hand to stop him. “Thanks, Jim. That’s great, but before we go any further, I’d like to ensure everything in the contract has been signed and sent to corporate for final signatures and approval.” She unzipped her brown leather bag and removed her laptop, phone, and iPad.

“Sure.” Jim passed over the printed contract he’d already had Miranda sign. He stifled a half smile, reminding himself that Shelby was young and eager to climb the ranks. There was a time long ago when he had a brief flirtation with the idea of clawing his way up the corporate ladder. Then he found his happy place at Voyager. He was content with his position and fine with Shelby taking the lead.

“No, no, we’ll sign everything electronically,” Shelby said, pulling up the documents on her laptop.

Miranda met his gaze and flashed him a wink.

He could tell they were already kindred spirits. They were going to have fun together over the next few days. He was sure of that much, and a bit taken aback by just how smooth and easy things felt with her.

Now, sitting across from Miranda, he could feel himself being drawn to her. That was great for the campaign. His instincts about her were spot-on. That must explain why he was feeling excited and eager to get started. There was no doubt about it, Miranda Brown had the “it factor” he’d been looking for. He couldn’t wait to introduce her to the world and show the powers that be at Voyager that someone like Miranda was just who they needed.

9

PETE

Pete wasn’t sure what to make of the team from Voyager Travel. Jim seemed nice. Maybe a bit hapless, but in a good way. He was enthusiastic and eager to get out into town and start filming. Shelby was another story. Pete kept finding himself staring at her while Mom signed paperwork. Her long red curls framed her heart-shaped face with that cute button nose and smattering of freckles. Her eyes reminded him of the deep pools of water off the coastline. They seemed to light up the entire room. Twice, she caught him staring and gave him a small smile in return that made his heart jump up into his throat. He pretended to be very interested in the latest delivery of cheeses, slicing paper-thin tastes of Manchego and Rogue River blue cheese.

Elise broke his concentration, sneaking up behind him and swiping a slice of the Manchego. “Cheese for breakfast? Why, yes, thank you. Don’t mind if I do.” She popped it in her mouth and did a little happy dance. “Yum. How lucky are we? We get our fill of cheese anytime. Any day. Living our best lives, yeah?”

“I don’t know. I’m more of a coffee before noon and cheese for lunch kind of guy,” Pete replied, gesturing to the espresso machine. “I was about to make a latte. Want one?”

“Sure. Twist my arm.” Elise inspected the cake stand. “I might as well have a pumpkin muffin while I’m at it, right? Go for the trifecta.” She helped herself to a muffin and stole a glance at Miranda, Jim, and Shelby. “Are they done with the boring stuff yet? I can’t wait to watch your mom in action. I wonder how much direction they’re going to give her, or if they’re going to sit back and let her do her thing.” She peeled the wrapper off the muffin and folded it neatly on the counter. “I say let her cook.”