Page 78 of Flirty Fall Fling

“Thanks,” I say on my way out, patting her shoulder.

The Mustang sits half a block down the road, and I walk toward it, wanting to kill some time before dark. There’s a piece of paper tucked under the driver’s side wiper. At first, I think maybe it’s a parking ticket, but then I realize it has lines. It’s notebook paper.

I unfold it.

I want to see you.

There’s no signature, but I don’t need one to know who it is. Blaire.

I try to hold back my smile, wishing I could ask her when. Sooner rather than later, I hope. Our time is running out.

I get in the car, put the top down, and decide to take the scenic loop that goes over the mountain on one side to Cozy Creek on the other, then keeps going. The views of the colorful trees are iconic, the reason why people like my brother buy million-dollar mansions up the ridge.

It’s fifty degrees out with the top down, and I don’t care because the season is short. The road climbs out of Pine Haven with aspens fluttering in the breeze on both sides. Loose leaves blow across the pavement at every curve.

At some point, I get stuck behind a group of people with rental plates who don’t know how to drive in the mountains. I don’t mind how slow they’re going or the excessive braking. It forces me to slow down and enjoy the fresh air and quiet.

At the overlook above Cozy Creek, I pull off and read the note again. She could’ve texted me, but instead, she wrote it on paper and slid it under my windshield wiper. Anyone could’ve seen. I tuck it back in my jacket pocket.

The loop brings me down the back side of the mountain right as the sun drops behind the ridge. I drive to the edge of the town square, where the hay maze and pumpkin patch have been set up. There isn’t a parking space available. I have to park several blocks away and walk across the grounds, where the line is twisting to enter. String lights hang overhead, lighting the path.

A pie table is near the entrance, and its line runs longer than the one for the maze. When I glance over, I see Josie, Blaire’s cousin.

“Hi! You again. Are you becoming a local?” Josie asks as she takes care of customers. She’s good at multitasking.

“You bake?” I ask.

She hands me a small slice. “Just kinda started.”

I take a bite of the pumpkin pie and laugh. “Wow. This is great.”

“I’ll save you one,” she tells me, setting a box to the side. “Go through the maze first.”

“Deal,” I tell her.

“It’s Jamie, right?” she asks.

“Yeah,” I say, confirming it for her.

She writes my name on the outside of the box. “It’s got your name on it. Means it’s yours.”

“Thanks.”

Kids laugh with happiness. In the distance, sparks rise off the bonfire. All of Pine Haven is in attendance, and each person has a cup of apple cider. This is the epitome of small-town life. It’s different from anything I’m used to, but I find myself enjoying it.

I’m let inside the maze, and I walk through, eventually taking the wrong turn and ending up at a dead end. All I can do is smile when I see dark hair and a green jacket.

She turns and looks at me, then smiles. “I manifested you.”

Yes, she did.

19

BLAIRE

Istood at this dead end, thinking about him, and then he walked right up to me. My gift has never worked that fast in my life.

Jamie looks good. His hair is a mess from the wind, and his cheeks are pink. He’s smiling at me like the last five days of not seeing each other was a blip in time. For the moment, it’s just us.