Page 45 of The Great Maple Mistake

Noah shrugs. “Nervous. But yeah. I guess.”

Alex digs one of his donuts out of the box. “Well, you make a delicious donut, so I’m sure whatever it is you’re making for the competition will be excellent.” The compliment pulls a small smile from Noah.

I take my change from Dan and gather my coffee and pastries. “Ready?”

Alex nods. “See you next week, Noah! Bye, Dan.”

We walk a few paces to a bar-height table and set down our coffees and snacks. “Here.” I pull the churro out of the bag and split it in half, handing one piece to Alex before opening the chocolate dipping sauce and dunking my churro piece in as far as I can.

Alex laughs. “I take it you like chocolate?”

“Love it.” I grin at him. “So much better than maple.”

“That’s because you’re allergic, dear.” A hand lightly pats my arm, and I glance behind me to see Rae and Eleanor.

I quickly try to swallow my mouthful of churro. “I’m really not.” Unfortunately, it sounds more like, “Mm rly nt.”

“Don’t speak with your mouth full, Cody.” Rae winks at me.

I give Alex a pleading look, and he takes pity on me. “Rae, Cody’s allergy—”

She cuts him off. “Is nothing to joke about. But I’m glad to see you’re finding substitutes for the maple. Chocolate on churros is almost as good.” She glances over her shoulder and waves atus. “Gotta run, boys. Eleanor has her eye on something, and if I don’t go now, I’ll lose her in this crowd. See you later!”

I swallow my mouthful and frown at Alex. “She just won’t listen.”

“It’s alright.” He leans in and slips his arm around me, giving me a tight squeeze. “It’s not like you want to eat maple, so the rumor isn’t keeping you from it.”

“I know. But I still feel like it’s lying.”

Alex slips his hand along the back of my neck and gently tugs until I lean in. With a sigh that’s equal parts frustration and resignation, I press my lips to his. It’s a soft kiss, and it actually does make me feel better. Kissing Alex always makes me feel better. I rest my forehead against his and look into his beautiful hazel eyes. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Being you.” It’s about the best I can explain right now because when I’m around Alex, I feel so many amazing things. He’s such an incredible person, so kind and caring and funny and smart. “And for spending time with me.”

He scoffs. “Likethat’sa hardship.”

“But you could have your pick of anyone you wanted.” I don’t say the rest of the practically cliché line because Alex did choose me, and I know I’m not perfect, but I’m not abadcatch. “I’m really happy that you picked me.”

Alex shakes his head. “Not true.” His eyes go wide. “The part about me being able to have my pick of anyone. Not the part about picking you. I did and do pick you. And I’m happy you picked me back.” He shoves a donut hole into his mouth, grinning at me as he chews. He sips his coffee and hands me a powdered sugar donut. “I swear it hasn’t touched the maple glaze.”

I eye him skeptically but take the donut and bite it in half. It’s dense, but in the way really good homemade donuts can be, andas far as I can tell, there isn’t a bit of maple in it. I chew, then swallow. Then it’s my turn to initiate a kiss, and I try to put all of my new feelings into it. “Thank you. For everything.” I give him one more quick peck on the lips and step back before I forget where we are and why we’re here. “Alright. Are you ready to show me around the farmers’ market?”

“Absolutely.” He takes my hand and we’re off. We wander along the first row, past booths selling an eclectic variety of things. I’d imagined everyone would be selling only fruits and vegetables because that’s what I think of when I hear farmers’ market. But there are booths of handmade crafts, others with homemade personal care products, a smattering of food booths, and even a few vendors selling clothing, all alongside the produce. Alex stops at a stall with leather goods and looks at some of the wallets but opts not to get one. We wander down the aisle, and I see pet items for sale so we duck inside. There are leather leashes and collars for dogs and cats, little coats and booties, and every imaginable variety of hand-crafted toys. I pick up a small fabric fortune cookie stuffed with catnip and show Alex. He twists his mouth into a little pout. “Awww! You have to get that for Tux. He’ll love it.”

No arm twisting necessary. I also grab a catnip-stuffed taco and a fuzzy mouse and take them to the register. Once I’ve paid, Alex and I duck back into the main aisle. We walk a few paces before he tugs my empty coffee cup from my hand and tosses it and the rest of our trash into a conveniently placed garbage can. He slips his hand into mine, grinning up at me. “This okay?”

“More than okay.” I lift our hands and kiss the back of his. “So, this is a really big market. I wasn’t expecting so many different things.”

“Really?” The surprise in Alex’s voice is replaced with curiosity. “What were you expecting?”

I glance around at the organized chaos. “Smaller. Produce. Not all the non-food things.”

Alex laughs. “So, more like a traditional farmers’ co-op.”

I nod. “Yeah. I guess.”

We walk along for a minute or two, glancing in stalls but not finding anything that catches our eyes. Alex grabs my arm with his free hand. “Oh, did I tell you? Luke’s going out to Portland in the fall to help my uncle and cousin. I guess they’re planning a remodel or new installation on the farm. Something that requires a contractor. Which is what Luke does, so they want some help vetting their options.”

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