Page 21 of Keepsakes and Kismet

Clover snaps a few photos before turning around and walking away, eyes cemented to her phone, no goodbye.

“Looks like we’re out,” Clementine quips. “Bye, Peyton!”

Peyton waves to her, then faces me. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, then.” Her words sound friendly enough, but something flashes across her face that I can’t quite read.

“Yeah. I guess it is. Um, enjoy being… an enigma, then. Hope the health benefits are good.”

She nods with a glint in her eye. “And you enjoy playing with your gadgets, Inspector. May you never uncover E. coli.”

I can’t hide my budding smile as I head out of the smoothie shop, wishing that I could predict the next time we’ll run into each other—if there is a next time.

Underneath her beauty and whatever hustle she’s running, I can’t deny I’m intrigued by her. I don’t know why she’s gotten so under my skin. I just have this burning desire to know her.

Chapter 6

Peyton

Romy and I sit in comfortable silence, intermittently answering emails in the office. My autumn playlist drones softly, faintly audible in the background.

Our front door’s propped open, and the bite in the air is irresistible, begging me to stop for hot apple cider on my lunch break or saunter through the tea house for new autumn blends on my way home from work.

Romy lights a candle on her desk, and the smell of burnt sugar and rosemary fills the air. “Hey. I’m adding recent gigs to our portfolio and realized that you never told me how the Healthtopia gig went. Did Kevin sign the consent form for us to use pictures? Did you get any good ones?”

I can’t stop the blush I know is creeping across my cheeks as I think about the photo Clover took of me and Callum. I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I searched Clover’s profile after Healthopia’s grand opening. And when I saw the picture she posted, I spent about an hour deciding whether or not I should like it before ultimately deciding not to and following her instead.

It’s been a few weeks since the smoothie shop, and I’m still thinking about him. I find myself wondering the strangest things… if he’s still wearing that little plastic baseball hat when he inspects, if he’s come across any uncooked poultry since I’ve last seen him, if he wonders about me, too.

I’ve never met a man like him before, one that looks at me with such interest. Not desire, but curiosity. Like I’m a puzzle to be solved. Like he’d like to be the one who solves it.

“Don’t swivel me, Peyton,” Romy says, as I start to inch my chair around. “What’s going on?”

Reluctantly, I turn to face her again, trying to school my expression. “Um, it went fine. Good, even. The Nutty Nana smoothie was actually delicious.”

She squints. “Yeah, I don’t care about the Nutty Nana smoothie, so if you could just tell me what happened and why you’re looking at my forehead, that’d save us both some time.”

“Nothing happened. Well, not really. I randomly saw someone that I’ve seen before. I don’t even really know him,” I tell her, my tone wavering awkwardly.

“Him? Did you say him? Who is him?”

“It’s nothing major. I kept running into this guy on assignment, and he’d gently interrogate me about my job, and it was just fun to bump into him. I guess.”

“You’re calling time with a man fun? What’s his name? Do I know him?” She pauses. “What am I saying? Of course I know him.”

Romy grew up in the area, and therefore knows everyone in Waterton.

“Peyton, if you don’t tell me, I’ll just start guessing. We can play twenty questions, but I doubt I’ll make it to number three without naming him.”

I sigh in defeat. “His name is Callum.”

She tilts her head. “Huh. He must be new. Or, like, old. The only Callum I know of is… Well, there’s no way it’s him.”

Callum isn’t new to town from what I’ve gathered, so I do the math in my head. Romy’s in her first year at community college, and I think Callum’s closer to my age. Late twenties, maybe, so the age gap tracks. I’m almost relieved she doesn’t know him. I kind of like the thought of Callum flying under the radar.

“Yeah, maybe too old.” I shrug. “Either way, he’s not someone I know well, just kind of an interesting guy I keep running into, is all.”

I take a sip of my cinnamon tea. “Healthtopia went really well. Kevin said that the Nutty Nana was his best seller that day. I spent nearly the entire time talking it up, so I’m calling it a win. I’ll send you a couple of pictures I took for the portfolio. I also got a testimonial from him we can add.”

Romy nods. “Glad to hear it. And I’ll let Callum go for now, but know that we will be circling back to him at some point.”