Page 17 of The Snuggle Is Real

"Slept great," I say. I even say it with a straight face.

"Like a rock."

“You can use the bathroom first.”

“Thanks. I’ll be quick.”

I mentally groan.

What is even happening?

We sound like two strangers. Awkward strangers.

I grab her arm as she moves past me. She looks back at me in question.

“Hey, we’re cool, right?”

She nods. “So cool.”

In her attempt to be cool, she sounds completely unlike herself and more like a reality TV star. I grin.

She groans. “No more being weird. Either one of us.”

“Done,” I say, instantly feeling better.

“Let’s go be festive.”

“I will be so fucking festive,” I tell her.

Emily grins at me. “You need that on a T-shirt.”

Chapter Five

Emily

Wanted in the morning is somehow even more aggressively autumnal than Wanted at night.

There's frost on the pumpkins lined up along the Inn's front steps, and our breath fogs as we walk down Whiskey Way. The maple in front of the hardware store has gone full scarlet, like it heard there was a wedding and wanted to be invited. Every lamppost downtown has a scarecrow strapped to it, and one of them is wearing a Four Brothers T-shirt.

Leaves crunch under our sneakers. I’m bundled in a cream sweater and a rust-colored scarf, finally matching the aesthetic. I’m walking with a coffee-deprived slump, which I’m actually grateful for. Lack of caffeine has my brain foggy, which is important right now because why in the hell was I on top of Malcolm in my sleep?

And why does he smell so good in the morning?

And feel so warm and strong underneath me?

I know the answer to all of those questions but I have to pretend I don’t.

I barely slept, but apparently when I did my traitorous body decided it wanted to cling to Malcolm like plastic wrap.

Even though I swore to Malcolm I’m “so cool” I’m being anything but cool. I’m looking everywhere but at him.

That’s when I see it.

And stop dead in my tracks.

It’s a bakery named Sweet Thang.

The bakery window is a shrine to all things pumpkin. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin muffins with streusel tops. A pumpkin roll sliced to show the swirl of cream cheese filling. A hand-lettered sign taped to the glass reads PUMPKIN BREAD IS BACK, Y'ALL.