Page 25 of By Any Beans Necessary

With a heavy sigh, he pulled onto the road that led toward the Bumblebee B&B. Jenesa's place was always welcoming, filled with laughter and the kind of warmth that seeped into your bones. Tonight, it felt like he was driving straight into the belly of a beast named Awkwardness.

A few minutes later, Jeff's hand hovered over the doorknob, a reluctant sentinel at the threshold of the Victorian bed and breakfast. He could already smell the mingling scents of Avery's cooking wafting out—a comfort that did little to ease the knot in his stomach.

"Hey, you made it," Danny greeted him at the door, his brown eyes scanning Jeff's face.

"Wouldn't let you down," Jeff pushed past the lump in his throat.

"Good." Danny ushered him inside, the familiar scent of tomato sauce and garlic hitting Jeff like a wave, reminding him that even if he didn't feel like it, his body wanted him to eat.

He released Winston to go over to where Rambler and Duchess were playing with Hershey, Jenesa's pet monkey. The primate seemed to always manage to escape his cage at all the worst times, causing chaos around the B&B.

"Everyone's waiting in the dining room," Danny told him.

Steeling himself, Jeff followed behind his friend, only for the sight across the room to stall his next breath.

Michelle. She was here, perched on the edge of a chair, laughter spilling from her like sunshine breaking through clouds. The world tilted a smidge.

"Rats," Jeff muttered under his breath. His first instinct was a swift about-face, but before he could put thought into action, Jenesa was upon him.

"Jeff, you made it." Her voice was rich with something he couldn't place—satisfaction, maybe?

"I was told I had to come," he murmured, plastering on a smile as brittle as thin ice. As he looked at Michelle, now he knew why.

"That's right," Jenesa said, looping her arm through his. On his other side, Avery appeared all bright eyes with an expectant grin.

"You're here now," Avery chirped, snagging his other arm. "No backing out."

"Seems like I was the only one that didn't know what this was," Jeff wisecracked with resentment.

"Not exactly," Michelle muttered as her eyes landed on him, and her smile vanished. "It seems we both weren't told about the other one coming."

"This seems like we're-" Jeff didn't know what it was, but he didn't like it.

"It's just like we're-" Michelle sputtered out.

"Trapped," they both grumbled at the same time.

"More like an intervention," Avery confessed with a wink, steering him deeper into the heart of the B&B.

"Intervention?" Jeff echoed, a note of panic threading his voice. How did he let himself get parent-trapped, but for friends?

"Shh, just calm down and walk," Jenesa commanded, her lawyerly authority leaving no room for argument.

He allowed himself to be dragged, his feet trailing marks of reluctance on the polished wood floor. With each step, the murmurs of the room grew louder, a symphony of accomplices in what felt like his personal walk of shame.

"Let's eat, shall we?" Jenesa suggested, ever the orchestrator, guiding them to the table where a feast awaited.

"Food's great therapy," Avery added, pushing a plate toward him. "Especially when I make it."

"If you say so," Jeff conceded, finding solace in the mundane task of loading his plate. It was easier than meeting Michelle's gaze or untangling the mess of his emotions.

Chapter Nine

Michelle's eyes locked onto the last person she wanted to see. Jeff Parker, all six-foot-four of him, sprawled casually in a chair like he owned the place.

"Wow, look what the cat dragged in," Michelle quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she leaned against the table, arms folded. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves around her face, and her hazel eyes sparked with a hard light reserved just for him.

Jeff’s head jerked up, his brown hair tousled, and his rugged nose twitching as if he'd sniffed out trouble. "Well, if it isn't the coffee queen herself," he retorted, pushing back from the table, his posture stiffening defensively. "Sorry to spoil your perfect little kingdom."

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