Page 5 of Peach Blossom Hollow

His mom was always nagging him to let people take care of their own business.

He nodded once, then grabbed the door handle.

But what if Cruella hired someone who didn’t care? Who didn’t read the crowd properly? Who couldn’t protect the woman wearing the costume? People sometimes got aggressive with mascots, not knowing who was inside.

And what if they hired a man, and he didn’t avert his eyes when he helped Violet out of her Dezzie outfit?

“You should ask them to hire a friend,” Leo suggested. “It’ll make it more fun, and nobody looks out for you the way a friend will.”

Preferably she had a big burly one who was already married.

“Actually…” Violet said slowly, focusing on the wall as an idea seemed to hit her. She grinned. “Actually, someone promised she’d take the handler job if I became mascot. She was only teasing, but…”

“You should hold her to that promise.”

Violet’s smile turned crafty, but her voice was sweet and clear as she said, “I think Iwillhold her to that promise, Leo.”

CHAPTER 2

“He what?” Violet asked, horrified that her reply came out as a squeak.

Her friend Daisy-Mae Ray showed the photo on her phone.

Married.

Owen Lancaster, her old crush, had gotten married. He’d left town—and her—in order to return to major league baseball. Not even a year had passed, and he was already married?

Her ex-fiancé, who’d moved to a new town when she’d refused to budge from Sweetheart Creek after their humiliating wedding fiasco, was engaged again, as well.

She seriously needed to get busy with that blasted curse.

Be different, act different.

Staring at Owen’s happy wedding photo, Violet felt as if all the sweet guys, like Leo Pattra, would never notice her—not as a woman worthy of dating. Nobody would.

She sank onto the bench, her Dragon costume pushing up around her, almost swallowing her.

“I’m sorry,” Daisy-Mae whispered. “I thought you’d want to know.”

Violet made a gurgling sound.

Her friend’s voice grew sympathetic. “It seemed like the two of you were going to…”

“I know,” Violet said quickly. She didn’t need to hear it. She and Owen… It had felt as though they had a special connection. When they’d met, he was fresh out of the league, and she’d been left at the altar. They’d shared the pain of crushed dreams. It had taken them a while to edge toward flirting. Then to dance around the idea of dating.

It had all felt so certain. Intentionally slow and careful. A rebuilding of her confidence, a second chance to break the curse.

Or so she’d thought.

Violet hadn’t predicted that he’d leave so suddenly, returning to baseball and, obviously, his ex-girlfriend.

But here she was—still single, and wondering what had happened.

Violet’s shyness had grown worse after Wyatt and the altar abandonment. But it had become debilitating after Owen left without even a goodbye.

“I’m never going to find someone,” she said with a sigh. It was too hard, overcoming her fears and getting back up again after falling flat on her face in front of everyone she loved.

“No, remember? We’re two single gals out on the town!” Daisy-Mae gave her an encouraging nudge. “Dragon Babes! We’re putting ourselves out there so wecanfind love.”

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