Ishake my head. “Iremember my parents saying over and over that it would grow back.Andall winter, as we got tons of snow, they kept saying that all the extra moisture would help.Itwould grow back.And,Imean, it did, eventually.Theplace looks great now.”
Itake a long, slow breath, trying to decide ifIwanted to tell her what came next.Ilook into her eyes,which isn’t easy because of the way my neck is craned, andIdon’t know.SuddenlyIwant to.SoIsay, “Butwe got a lot of snow that winter.Andearly that spring, we had a few really hot days in a row.”
“Oh, no.Flooding?”
Ishake my head. “Mudslide.Iwas upstairs in my bedroom when a wall of it came our direction.Iwas five, andIwas playing with my brother,Ethan.Hewas one.Mymom had gone downstairs to get something and was right below us.Iremember the sound the most.”
“Oh,Ollie.That’sawful.”
“Luckily, it only took out half the house, and the side we were in stayed standing.Butour bedroom no longer had a wall leading to the rest of the house or the stairs going down.Peoplecame with ladders and rescued us, though.Themud pushed my mom into the kitchen counter and she broke her arm, but other than that, we were okay.Mydad was driving home at the time and got there just after the danger passed.”
Analarm goes off on my watch that usually tells me it’s time to make dinner, andIquickly silence it.Thealarm makes me realize that we’ve spent enough time under this table that we’re only ten minutes away fromJacemeeting us. “Maybewe should make our way to the carousel.”
Daisynods, soIlift the edge of the tablecloth enough to whisper toAziz, “Isthe coast clear?”
Aftera pause, he says yes and lifts the tablecloth more so we can crawl out.Igingerly get to my feet, shaking out my joints that are angry from the awkward positionIwas sitting in, and offer a hand toDaisy.Therearen’t any customers currently atAziz’sbooth, and there are no suits in sight.Ipeek around the corner of his booth in the direction of the carousel and don’t see any that way, either.
“Thankyou,Aziz,”Itell our hiding spot host. “Iowe you, big time.Andthank you for the cookies, too.They’rethe bestI’veever had.”
Hebeams, then asks, “Areyou sure you don’t need any help?”
“I’msure.Helpis already on the way.”Ilook back atDaisy. “Areyou ready?”
Hereyes are shining with excitement, which makes me happy.It’sway better than the fear of taking a riskI’vegot going on in my guts.Andfear that we are heading out into possible enemy territory on our way to meetJace.
Igrip the case tight with one hand asDaisyslides her hand into my other, and we stroll out of the booth like we’re just two people enjoying the fall festival that we came to for very fall festival reasons.Weeven make it a good thirty yards before we spot the first suit.
CHAPTER 10
SPY MODE: MAKEOVERS AND MAYHEM
DAISY
Thistime, it’sOlliewho spots the guy in the suit first.It’sa man who’s by himself instead of like before when they’ve come in pairs.Couldit be that they are all bad guys after us?Ihave no idea.Butwhat are the odds of five people coming to a town harvest festival in suits?Icould see someone coming straight from work to meet their family, but none of them had been with families.Andthis guy is glancing around like he’s looking for someone.Ortwo someones.
Idon’t see a good spot to hide—we are near the hay bale maze, but it must be the backside of it becauseIdon’t see an entrance—and the guy is about to turn in our direction.IpullOllietoward the maze, then grab hold of his shirt and pull him to me, pressing my lips against his.Peopletend to glance away from coupleskissing, right?Likeas a way to give them privacy?I’mhoping that’s what the man in the suit does.
MekissingOlliesurprises him so much, though, that he drops the case.Thething he’s had a death grip on since he first stepped out of the car.Hesucks in a quick breath and scrambles to pick it up, quickly glancing around to see if anyone was watching.ButIdon’t want the man in the suit to see our faces, soIgrabOllieby the face and turn him back to me.
Ihad planned to make this a quick kiss.Somethingfake and only for show.Imean, really, from a dozen or two dozen feet away, we’ll look as if we are kissing even if our lips don’t touch.
ButOlliedoesn’t fake this.Hewraps one arm around my waist and the other cradles the back of my head, andIcan sense the longing and the hope that he’s pouring into his kiss.Andit feels so good and so right to have his lips press against mine.Tohave his arms wrapped around me.Islide my hands around to the back of his neck andI’mpulling him close as much as he is me.
Ihave admired and enjoyedOlliecoming into theCoffeeLoftfor a long time.Andlately,Ihave really been hoping that he will get the courage to ask me out.Ihad started dreaming about what it might be like to date him, all while having one foot out the door and dreaming about moving.Maybepart of me thought it might be fun for a bit.
Butmaybe that part of me had been wrong.Maybeme andOlliecould work.MaybeIdon’t need to move somewhere else to figure out my life.Maybemy life could be right here.
JustasI’mstarting to think thatIcould stand here and kissOllieall night,Ihear a familiar barking followed quickly byOlliepulling away, right before he says, “Hey!”Ipeer around him to seePrinceCharmingtugging atOllie’scase with his mouth.
“PrinceCharming!”Isay.Mydog immediately lets go ofOllie’scase and bounds to my feet, looking up at me, grinning, like he’s such a good boy for finding me and finding an effective way to get my attention.Ibend down and pet the sides of his neck while saying, “Wedon’t bite people’s bags!”
ThenIlook up to seeRuthiestanding next toOllie, holding ontoCharm’sleash. “PrinceCharmingandIgot walking andIthought wouldn’t it be fun to see the festival!Andwe were having a great time, soIcouldn’t understand why he started running all of a sudden.Iguess he caught your scent.Smartdog!Wedidn’t even know you would be here.”Thenshe turns toOllie. “I’mso sorry about the bag.Didhe ruin it?”
Ollieshakes his head. “It’sfine.It’sprobably a three-dollar bag, anyway.”
“Ifnothing else,I’dlike to apologize on behalf ofPrinceCharming, because if he didn’t ruin that bag, hefor sure ruined that kiss, and it looked like one to write home about.Comeon,Charm.Sayyour goodbyes.Weneed to let these two get back to their business.”
Myface has heated up—my elderly neighbor catching a front-row seat to that kiss isn’t exactly whatIhad in mind whenIwas thinking that people usually turn away from kissing couples.ButItellCharmgoodbye and thatI’llsee him whenIget home.Ialso glance around to make sure no suits are nearby.Theyaren’t.
