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Maye brought her generic, but thoughtful, welcome basket to the Greenville Tucked Inn, where the innkeeper promised to deliver it to the room booked under the name “Rambo,” the name Chris was certain would not seem conspicuous.

On her way out of the inn, Maye checked her phone and saw a new message from Chris. This made her heart flutter in the best way.

Chris:

Hey, Maye. Bad news. I won’t be able to get there until tomorrow. I got slightly delayed.

Her shoulders sank. For a sliver of a second she was disappointed that she wouldn’t be sharing a warm apple cider with him over the next few hours, but then worry set in.

Maye:

Oh no! Is everything okay?

Chris:

Yeah, fine. Just had some calls run late so decided to switch my flight. Hope I won’t miss anything too big at the fest tonight?

Maye:

Tonight would probably be the best night to miss, actually. But if you’re not here by tomorrow, the apple cider donuts I left in your room are going to be stale.

Chris:

Grrrr they better not be!

Maye:

Jk. Apple cider donuts are meant to be eaten warm. I wouldn’t leave you room-temperature cideys. What kind of monster do you think I am?

Chris:

You call them cideys?

Maye:

Yeah, we all do around here.

Chris:

I don’t believe you.

Maye:

🤐

Maye sent the zipper-mouth face emoji and then rushed back into the inn to ask the innkeeper to retrieve the apple cider donuts from Chris’s welcome basket.

Maye found Tracy in front of the Town Hall just as the sun set over Greenville, Maine.

“Where’s Chris?” Tracy asked.

“Ugh, sorry. I forgot to tell you,” Maye said. “He got hung up with work so he can’t get here until tomorrow.”

“Aw, man, what a bummer…” Tracy said.

Maye walked at a brisk pace to get her blood flowing and keep warm on the cool fall evening, but Tracy lagged behind. “What’s the deal?” Maye asked. “Let’s pick up the pace, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m coming. I just want to respond to this text…”