Page 35 of A Fall to Remember

Shelby wondered if they could see her heart pounding against her chest. Did her voice sound shaky, or was it just her? “Yeah, but I mean, the entire idea with Voyager is to send you on adventurous dates with women you don’t know.”

“I don’t know you that well. We only just met.” Pete held her gaze, making Shelby feel even more exposed.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Elise said. “You look the part. The dress is great. Very fall. It fits the vibe.”

“Thanks.” Shelby smiled, but she shook her head again. This was going off the rails—fast. “I don’t think Voyager would like it.”

“But isn’t this a test run?” Pete said, sweeping his hand toward the table.

Why was he pushing so hard?

“Yeah, but I work for the company.” She was struggling to come up with another reason this was a bad idea, and already imagining sitting next to him. Maybe their knees would touch. Maybe he’d casually wrap his arm around the back of her chair. Then he’d lean in and cup her chin in his hands and kiss her tenderly.

Knock it off, Shelby.

Stop.

“I don’t know, I kind of like it.” Elise pointed out another name on the list. “Although there is your former babysitter, Pete. That wouldn’t be weird, would it?”

“You could tell Voyager it’s my idea,” Pete said, ignoring Elise. “Tell them that I wanted it to be you to get comfortable with the idea. It’s just dinner.” He gestured to the romantic tablescape. “We’ll enjoy a glass of wine, chat, get to know each other a little better, and then you can use it as a placeholder. See if the concept even works. I’d feel much better hanging with you tonight than trying to be set up with a stranger.”

He sounded so earnest and sincere. And why did his pleading eyes remind her of a puppy dog begging for a lap?

“But I need to film it.” Okay, yeah, technically that was true, but it wouldn’t be hard to set up a tripod to record them. She couldn’t get caught up in the idea of enjoying a leisurely dinner with him. This was her job.

“I can film.” Elise raised her hand like they were in class. “I manage the content for the Green Grocer. I can handle shooting a few clips for social.”

“Yeah, but we have filters and angles and continuity we plan across any of our campaigns.” Shelby was fumbling to come up with another excuse. Having dinner with Pete sounded like a dream.

“You do that after you record footage, though, right?” Elise asked, handing her the guest list. “Honestly, I think Pete is right. There’s no one coming that is an immediate yes for me.” She tossed the guest list on the table. “And we don’t have a lot of time to conduct quick interviews with every single stranger who shows up tonight. You two cozy up and get flirty. I’ll film it, and then we can work on finding someone else for the rest of the weekend.”

“What do you say? You want to have dinner with me, Shelby?” Pete held out his hand.

Shelby froze. She was jolted by how much she wanted this. “Uh, okay, sure.”

Was this a terrible idea?

27

JIM

Jim tried not to sneak too many glances in Miranda’s direction on the short drive to Banner Farm. It was taking every ounce of self-control for him to keep his eyes on the road. He liked the way she played with a strand of hair that had fallen loose as she watched the scenery go by. It was one of her mannerisms, like how when she laughed, she scrunched her shoulders and entire body. Her laugh was melodic and intoxicating; it made him feel like he was in on any joke.

“What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t taken over the Green Grocer?” Jim asked, stealing another look.

“Hmm. I don’t know. That’s a good question. I suppose I always saw myself running the store. There’s never been a time when I haven’t loved it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s stressful, too. It’s not like we make millions, and there are so many moving parts. I’m on my feet all day, and some days there isn’t even time to take a quick lunch break. I’m constantly juggling how much to order and what to order. I’ve had my fair share of fails over the years. Things I thought would fly off the shelves that ended up sitting collecting dust for months until I finally had to mark them down so deeply that I took a loss. Since I tend to hire high school students and younger workers, there has been turnover and no-shows on shifts I end up needing to cover. But I feel so lucky to be a part of so many people’s daily lives and special memories. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” They passed organic farms and roadside stands selling jams, jellies, homemade bread, and honey. Greenhouses and nurseries dotted the hillsides along with pastures, windmills, metal and stone sculptures, and fields of flowers. It was absolutely bucolic.

“I did briefly consider a career in theater when I was in college, but that was very short-lived.”

“Miranda Brown on the stage, I can see it.” Jim bobbed his head as he steered around a bend. A Christmas tree farm with candy-cane-striped arches came into view. “You have such a magnetic energy. You probably would have been a star.”

“No, I don’t know about that.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I just love live theater. I have season tickets for our local community theater, and I try to get to as many bigger shows as I can in San Francisco.”

“Me too.” Jim slowed down. There was already a line on the two-lane road waiting to turn into the farm. “Not San Francisco, but I’m a theater buff. I have season tickets to the repertory theater in Seattle, and I try to get tickets to any traveling Broadway shows that come through.”

“Broadway! Me too.” Miranda clasped her hands together. “What’s your favorite musical?”