I shower quickly, then slip into the dress. The silk hugs every curve like it was made for me. It might be. The burnt orange makes my hair look like fire, and my skin glows. When I put on the diamonds, I barely recognize myself in the mirror. I look like I’m falling in love.
“Stop it,” I tell my reflection. “It’s been less than a week.”
But my heart isn’t listening.
I walk to the town square since it’s only a few blocks away. The festival is already in full swing. Families everywhere, the smell of apple cider and kettle corn filling the air, local bands setting up on the small stages scattered around.
I spot Nick by the main stage, talking to Zane and Autumn. He’s wearing dark jeans and a black button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. When he sees me, he stops mid-sentence.
“Jules!” Autumn rushes over. “You look amazing! Wow! Someone is taking my Pumpkin Queen crown this year!”
“Hush,” I say, catching Nick’s eye over her shoulder.
She and Zane were crowned the Pumpkin Queen and King of Cozy Creek last year. Their love story is one people will tell their kids.
Nick excuses himself from Zane and walks over to us.
“You’re beautiful,” he says, like it’s a fact. He takes my hand and twirls me around.
I’m giddy, and Autumn notices.
“Going to take my girlfriend to get some cider before the line gets too long,” he says, interlocking his fingers with mine.
“Oh. My. God,” Autumn says as we walk away. “This is the real deal.”
She squeals.
“Stop it!” I say to her over my shoulder as Nick drags me away.
We spend the next hour doing festival things. We watch teenagers bob for apples after we get our faces painted. Little kids race past us in costume toward the corn maze. Afterward, we eat caramel apples that get stuck in our teeth. Nick even laughs when I get whipped cream from my hot cocoa on my nose, gently wiping it off with his thumb. He places it in his mouth, and I have to look away because it’s too damn sexy for me to handle.
“I haven’t done anything like this in years,” Nick admits, watching a guy fail at the ring toss.
“A festival?”
“Fun without an agenda. Being present instead of thinking about the next meeting, the next deal,” he admits.
“And how does it feel?”
He looks at me—really looks at me. “Like I’m waking up.”
Before I can respond, Mayor Hutchinson’s voice booms over the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, before our main entertainment tonight, I’d like to ask Nicolas Banks to come up here for a moment!”
Nick freezes. “What?”
“Did you know about this?” I ask.
“No. I just helped with setup. I didn’t?—”
“Mr. Banks, don’t be shy!” The mayor waves him forward.
The crowd starts chanting his name, and Nick shoots me a panicked look before heading to the stage. “What do I do?”
“Go,” I say, encouraging him.
“Folks, before we start the kickoff, I wanted to give my appreciation to this generous young man. Nick here decided earlier that he would make a very large donation to our literacy program to help us rebuild and expand the library.”
“How much?” someone yells from the crowd.
