The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)(31)

Jacob’s eyes lit up. ‘You definitely should! It’s so beautiful here in December and then you can meet my new boyfriend.’

‘Boyfriend, huh? Hope this one treats you better.’

Jeanie waved a hand between them. ‘You two can have your little guy-chat later. Have you considered my idea?’

‘I’ve considered it.’

‘And?’

‘Jeanie, a month away is a long time.’

‘But you can work remotely!’

‘I have the dogs...’

‘Bring them!’

A dog barked somewhere on Bennett’s end as though agreeing with her and Jeanie grinned. ‘See. They want a vacation, too.’

Bennett rolled his eyes, but Hazel could see his resolve cracking.

‘We can go get a tree and go ice-skating and do all the winter stuff you never get to do anymore!’ Jeanie was on a roll now and she got up to finish the call away from the group.

‘Tell him we will pick a sweet holiday read so we don’t damage his delicate sensibilities!’ Isabel called as Jeanie walked away.

Hazel hoped Ben would say yes. Jeanie missed him and she would love to meet her friend’s brother. But thinking ahead to the holidays also left a panicked feeling in her stomach, a feeling of already missing something. Missing someone.

What would her and Noah be by the holidays? Friends? Back to acquaintances? How do you go back to casual conversations and friendly smiles with someone who previously put his hand down your pants?

This was why Hazel didn’t do casual.

She didn’t know how.

But Noah did. He’d teach her, right? He’d show her how to end this thing between them, just like he ended all his other summer flings. She’d chosen him for her summer of fun for a reason. She could learn to be reckless and he could get her out of his system – after their interlude on the beach, Hazel could no longer deny that Noah did in fact have the hots for her. But it wouldn’t last. They didn’t make sense together. Noah needed a girl who would go rock climbing with him or jet skiing or... or... other adventurous things like that. And he certainly wouldn’t be content to spend the weekend in bed reading and working on the Sunday crossword puzzle. Right? Right. Keeping this thing short and sweet was a win win.

Somehow this line of reasoning was doing nothing to stop the dread in her gut. She didn’t want to think about the holidays or what her life would look like then. Would she be exactly the same as she was now but with one less Noah in her life?

A depressing thought she quickly shook off.

This was her wild and crazy twenties condensed into two months. She refused to overthink it.

The book club meeting was slowly breaking up so she got up and wandered back to the front counter, straightening a pile of books on the New Releases table. The latest autumnal themed romance novels were selling fast and she’d have to order more soon. It turned out the book club wasn’t wrong about what people liked to read. At least her boss would be happy.

Melinda Church was the current owner of The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore but she only made an appearance here once every quarter or so. Her rich father had swept into town about ten years ago and bought it for her when she was only eighteen. The entire town had gone into a panic that he would change everything about their quaint bookstore, or worse, tear it down completely. But the store was a gift and he let his daughter do what she wanted with it.

As it turned out, after the first couple of years when she went wild with bizarre decorating choices (one whole wall was still covered in chalkboard paint, though Hazel had moved the children’s section over there and let the toddlers take out their artistic inclinations in a sanctioned area) and questionable book orders (for a few months they had nothing but self-help books and psychological thrillers doing nothing good for the mental health of the town), she tired of the whole enterprise. She gave Hazel a promotion and a raise and left her in charge of the store. She came in from the city four times a year to make sure the place was still standing and to occasionally change the name of the shop when she felt bored.

Hazel didn’t mind. The situation worked well for her.

She finished her straightening and went back behind the counter as the book club trickled out. It was a good job, running the bookstore. She loved it, but she couldn’t help but wonder what she might have done instead if she hadn’t been made manager so early on. Had she intended to work here forever?

She honestly couldn’t remember.

Jeanie wandered back into the shop, saying goodbye to her fellow book clubbers as they made their way out the door. She came over to the counter.

‘So did you convince him?’ Hazel asked, gesturing toward the phone.

Jeanie shrugged. ‘Maybe. He’s still not sure, but I think it would be good for him.’

‘And good for you.’

Her friend smiled. ‘And me. I miss him. And he could stay in my apartment above the shop and I could stay at Logan’s.’

Hazel lifted her eyebrows. ‘So ... you’re moving in with Logan?’

Jeanie’s cheeks colored. ‘It could be a good test run.’

‘Yeah, and you’re there all the time anyway.’

Jeanie’s dark brows knitted together. ‘True ... but officially moving in feels like a bigger deal.’

Hazel shrugged. ‘He adores you.’