Page 16 of A Fall to Remember

“Wait, was she trying to set you up on a FaceTime call?” Her smile widened, softening her face as she finally pulled away. “Oh, my God, that’s hilarious. Your mom. Stop.”

“It’s mortifying.” Pete felt his cheeks flame.

“Who was the lucky woman?” Shelby asked. Then she raised her index finger and gave him a hard stare. She tried to suppress a smile, but the corners of her eyes twinkled. “Do not tell Jim I’m saying this because I will deny it forever, but that’s seriously so sweet. Your mom is trying to help you find love. Okay, come on, the internet would lose its ever-loving mind over that. Your mom is too cute. I’m almost tempted to share that. Emphasis on almost.”

“Your secret is safe with me. My lips are sealed.” He pretended to zip his lips. Pete was glad to see that her mood had continued to lighten after the mysterious phone call. “And who knows what my mom is up to this time. I try not to ask. Some poor, unsuspecting shopper who happens to stop into the store when I’m not there is probably getting accosted by her as we speak. I’m sure it’s by design that the woman only shows up when I’m gone. Mom probably told her all about what a catch I am the first time she came into the store, and now she’s trying to avoid me like the plague. I can’t blame her.”

“What kind of a catch are you?” Shelby teased, drawing out her words as she eyed him with new interest.

“According to my mom, a good one.” Pete winked. The sidewalks were starting to get crowded with people trickling in for the parade. “You’ll have to ask her for the full rundown, but I think it’s something like I’m college educated, have a great job, benefits, work remotely, help her with the store, I’m funny, clever, love long walks on the beach, dogs, and I can make a mean lasagna.” Like this was going to work on her.

You sound like a tool, Pete.

She moved closer to him to let a group pass by. He could smell her shampoo. It reminded him of strawberries and vanilla, just like her creamy skin with freckles dotting her cheeks.

“That’s all I’ve got.” He shrugged and tipped his head to one side, trying to play it off as casual when he felt anything but casual.

“I hate to say it, but there really is a part of me that wants to weave this into our social strategy. But Jim would never let me live it down. Plus, it doesn’t match the aspirational vibe I’m going for.” Shelby tapped her fingers on her chin, like she was seriously considering the pros and cons.

“You wouldn’t dare.” He was enjoying this. She was easy to get along with and had a cheeky streak. Pete studied her lips. They were soft and pillowy. He could picture kissing those lips right now.

Dude, knock it off.

“I mean, social media is the best way to meet the love of your life these days, right?” She broke out into a full grin. “Think of all the lonely, desperate women out there. We could use this to our advantage, Pete.” She pretended to make a note in her phone. “Give me a few extra days, and I can make you go viral, too.”

“No. No, thank you.” Pete shook his head. “I have Mom to contend with. I don’t need any other help with my love life, thank you very much.”

Fortunately, Shelby received another call. She seemed to get a lot of calls, so they dropped the subject. Her playful energy vanished in an instant. She moved away from him and cupped one hand over the phone, speaking low so he couldn’t hear her conversation.

It’s probably her boyfriend, Pete.

You need to chill.

Pete wasn’t interested in being set up with anyone. Well, maybe not anyone. He wouldn’t mind spending more time with Shelby, but he couldn’t let that get out, especially to Mom or Elise. He would never hear the end of it.

When she hung up the call, her face lost all its color, like she’d seen a ghost.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, trying to gauge her response.

“Fine. Nothing. Just work.” Her lips were pursed tightly, making it clear she wasn’t going to say more.

“What now? Want to head back to the Green Grocer? We’ve covered the key highlights, short of the beach and the nearby trails,” Pete said, glad to have a reason to keep their conversation on the topic of what Shelby wanted to focus on next. Soon, Main Street would be packed with people, staking out the best spots to get a good view. “Elise is blocking out the section in front of the store for us, but it might not be a bad idea for me to pull some camping chairs out to the sidewalk and make sure no one tries to steal our spot.”

“Sure. I need to draft new talking points and run these photos through a filter. I’d like a chance to speak with your mom. Maybe you can have Jim help you with the chairs so she and I can have a little chat?”

“No problem.” Pete felt pleased to have something helpful to contribute. There were just two nagging things he couldn’t shake on their return walk to the store. The first was Jim Cole. Shelby seemed genuinely concerned that her co-worker might potentially (even if unintentionally) make Mom into a meme, and not the good kind. He needed to keep an eye out for that. He also needed to find a way to make his palms stop sweating and his heart from racing a million miles an hour while Shelby was nearby.

14

MIRANDA

Miranda was flustered, but she did her best to conceal it.

Stop fiddling with your apron.

Stop touching your hair.

She wasn’t used to watching and re-watching herself on video. It was awkward and strange. Did she always play with the strings on her apron like that? Hearing her own voice was weird and off-putting. Jim and Shelby kept reassuring her that she was a natural, but she felt stilted and cardboard every time they showed her a new clip. She hoped they weren’t just trying to be nice. She could handle constructive feedback.