Page 12 of A Fall to Remember

“This is very thorough,” he said, clearing his throat as he scanned the papers. Heat prickled on his cheeks. He concentrated on the paperwork, leafing through it carefully and trying to conceal a smile. She was cute. Really cute.

So cute she was making him blush.

But he needed to knock it off. Shelby was here for Mom. Not for him.

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MIRANDA

Miranda tried to keep Jim and Shelby’s dual viewpoints straight. Jim wanted her to be herself. Be natural. Go with the flow. Shelby wanted her to repeat the quippy one-liners and travel “talking points” she’d prepared for her. Be polished. Be aspirational. “I agree with Jim,” Shelby had said, thrusting a sheet of paper with highlighted notes and travel tips at her. “Yes, be natural, and work these in naturally. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

Everything felt like it was happening at warp speed. Miranda had thought she’d have a slow, leisurely morning to prepare, but Jim showing up at the front door had changed everything. It wasn’t even noon, and she’d already signed the Voyager contract and tried to memorize a few dozen zingy phrases to “naturally” work into whatever they filmed over the weekend. Miranda had a small staff, primarily made up of local high school students who worked in the afternoon, early evenings, and weekends. She would have help later in the day, but in the short term, it was just her, Elise, and Pete, who had thankfully taken a personal day to be available for anything the Voyager team might need.

They’d opened the Green Grocer and had instantly been inundated with locals and tourists eager to grab a coffee, pick up loaves of apple-cinnamon bread, sliced meats and cheeses, soups, salads, and provisions for lunch. Everyone was intrigued when they caught a glimpse of the famous travel company in town to capture the weekend festivities. Miranda fielded dozens of questions about why there were cameras in the store and what Voyager Travel was doing in Half Moon Bay.

Shelby left with Pete to take a walking tour of downtown. Jim lingered, watching Miranda in action. Elise managed the front of the store and the checkout counter, while Miranda served coffee, packaged up pastries, and made sandwiches.

“You know nearly everyone by name,” he said, sounding impressed when there was a lull in the line and he’d seized the opportunity to chat with her.

She offered him a slice of salami before she returned the cured meat to the case. “That’s because I’ve lived in Half Moon Bay for my entire life. It’s impossible not to know everyone by name. Some of the people you met this morning are like our family—second- and third-generation small-business owners. That’s what I love most about living here.” She barely registered that Jim was filming her as she was swept up in thoughts of all the wonderful things that made this community so unique and special. “The family who just left with Italian pasta and sauces I import directly from Europe owns a bike shop. They rent bikes to tourists and do guided tours of the sloping hillsides and beach rides. I went to high school with the owner, and now his first grandbaby comes in for hot cocoa and marshmallows. You can’t get that anywhere else. I mean, of course, you can get cocoa and marshmallows many places, but none of them are as delicious as the ones we hand-pick for the store.” She paused, reaching for a pair of tongs to offer Jim one of the vanilla-bean light-as-air marshmallows. “Our hot chocolate comes from Mexico and is infused with warming spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a touch of chili powder. I’ll make you a mug in a minute. You’ll never be able to taste another cocoa the same.” Miranda stopped, feeling her cheeks flush. “I’m babbling. Sorry. I guess once I start thinking about this community, I can’t stop myself. I didn’t work in a single talking point, did I?”

“No, it’s great.” Jim squished the marshmallow with his thumb and forefinger. He filmed himself squeezing the springy marshmallow, which was speckled with real vanilla bean. “Since Shelby’s not here, I’ll use this time to say that the talking points and clever little quips she put together are… Well, I like to think of them as a launching point, but don’t get too caught up in saying the perfect line. What will resonate most is you just being you, I promise.” He popped the marshmallow in his mouth and flashed her a confident grin, like he didn’t have a shred of doubt she could pull this off.

She wished she shared his confidence. Miranda wasn’t used to feeling out of her league. She had run the Green Grocer and raised Pete on her own. Navigating PTA meetings and vendor relationships across different continents had been a piece of cake. But having to flawlessly perform in front of a camera was something new. She wanted to get it right.

If she was being honest with herself, she also really wanted to impress Jim. She kept looking to him for guidance. His confidence in her was contagious. He made her feel like she was a natural and that being in front of the camera was where she was meant to be.

He probably says this to everyone, Miranda.

It’s literally his job to make you feel good.

She tried to drag her eyes away, but they kept pulling back to him.

Fortunately, the door jingled and saved her from second-guessing herself, at least momentarily.

Miranda looked up as a group of young women entered the store and headed straight for the chocolate section. She leaned across the counter and lowered her voice. “Oh, my goodness. Don’t look, but I think the woman who just came in would be perfect for Pete. She moved to town a few months ago and works remotely as well. Her name is Lacy, and every time she pops in, Pete is gone. I wish he were here. I told him the next time I saw her, I would get her number. I might have to FaceTime him. He’s probably only a few blocks away. Maybe he can hurry back for a minute.” Miranda reached for her phone. She called Pete, who picked up right away.

“What’s with the FaceTime, Mom?” he asked, scowling into the phone. He was only a few blocks away. She recognized the local bookshop in the background.

“Lacy is here,” Miranda whispered, turning her back to the counter.

“Oh, God.” Pete shook his head, looking like a deer trapped in headlights. “No, Mom. Don’t.”

“I’ll just give you a chance to say hi.” She couldn’t figure out why she was only seeing the espresso machine and shelves along the back wall. “Can you see her?” Miranda asked, moving her phone higher and then from side to side. “I don’t know why this isn’t working. She’s right over in the grocery section, looking at chocolates.”

“Mom. Hang up.” Pete shook his head again. “Hang up now.”

“Do I press this other button?” Miranda asked, tapping her screen. That did the trick. The video rotated, showing the store and everything behind her, including Jim, who was filming her flub. “Okay, Pete, I got it. She’s the blond, wearing the cute cardigan with pumpkins.” That’s when she realized Pete had already hung up.

Uh-oh.

She may have overstepped.

Miranda tried not to micromanage Pete’s life, and she’d done a decent job at staying true to that commitment, with one exception—dating. She didn’t want Pete to give up his dreams to help run the Green Grocer or have him feel like he needed to stay in Half Moon Bay for her. Did she secretly want him to stay? Yes. She was human after all. But she also knew it was her job to encourage him to expand his horizons.

If she happened to bump into a young woman who seemed like a good match for him, she would sometimes try to make a connection. Pete was usually good-natured about her attempts to set him up. He’d even gone on a couple of dates with two women Miranda had introduced him to, but she hoped she hadn’t upset him. Pete had seemed distracted lately. She’d asked him if he wanted to talk, but so far he’d declined. There wasn’t much more she could do other than hold space for him and remind him that she would always be a safe place for him to land.

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