Page 22 of Everything Has Changed
“I’m sorry I’m late, Gwen.”
Shocked, I check the time on my watch and realize I had successfully ignored the time long enough to bypass our meeting time by fifteen minutes. I just shake my head, though, trying hard not to let my disappointment show on my face.
“It’s fine,” I wave a hand between us as if it really is no big deal. “I was making a new friend. Mitch is visiting for the foreseeable future. Willow Grove might end up with a new townsperson if we aren’t careful.” I wink at the man in front of me.
He chuckles, “What can I say? So far I’m charmed.”
Logan looks between us before sticking his hand out in front of Mitch. “Logan Spencer, welcome to our small town.”
Mitch smiles, though it seems to have an edge to it that wasn’t there previously as he shakes Logan’s hand. “Spencer? Is it a small enough town that I can assume that means you are related to the mayor?”
“Yes sir, that’s my father. Do you know him?”
Mitch shakes his head no. “Just like to know about the towns I visit, so I’ve been doing a little history lesson for myself. Quite the legacy your family has going on here.”
I watch Logan’s throat bob, his lips wobbling slightly before returning to their smile. The fake one. I wonder if anyone else can notice the difference. It seemed pretty obvious to me, but Mitch seemed none the wiser.
“You could say that, sir.” Logan places a hand on my lower back. And though I have a thick sweater on, I swear I can feel the warmth of his touch through the knitting. “Shall we start our meeting, Gwen? This festival isn’t going to plan itself.”
“Ah, the famous festival. You didn’t mention you were planning it, Gwendolyn.”
I blush at Mitch’s comment. “It’s sort of a newer development. Must have slipped my mind.”
“Well, I guess I’ve gotta stick around if my new friend is planning the whole shebang.” Mitch lifts the lid to his laptop again, nodding his head at me. “I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ve got some emails I’ve been procrastinating anyway.”
“It was great talking to you. Enjoy the beautiful day.”
Logan steers me toward the front door, his touch never leaving my back. “You picked a great time to visit,” he calls to Mitch with a wave of his free hand.
“Seems that way,” Mitch chuckles as he focuses on the screen in front of him.
I step through the open door as Logan gestures for me to go ahead. The noise from inside felt louder than usual after enjoying the quiet outside for so long. Piper catches my eye from the espresso machine as she pulls a shot. Her gaze jumps from Logan walking beside me and back with raised eyebrows. I widen my eyes to conveynot right now. Luckily, after all these years we have perfected our best friend speak through looks, because she schools her features when I walk around the counter.
Speaking over my shoulder, I say, “Can I get you anything before we start?”
“I might grab something after, I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
Now he wants to be considerate. I hold the door open for him this time, waving him to follow me as I lead the way down the hall to my office in the back.
My heart beats a thousand miles a minute while a weird sensation comes over me. It settles in my muscles and seeps into my bones, forcing me to straighten my spine and walk with my head high. The sensation told me in some way that this was a life changing moment, but I was unsure if that change was good or bad as we stepped over the threshold to my office.
9
Logan
I’m doing my best not to stare at her ass as she walks in front of me. But I’m only human and the jeans she has on are fitted perfectly. I’m almost a split second too late to remove my eyes when she steps to the side and waves a hand into her office. That would be just my luck. I was already late to our meeting, the cherry on top would be getting caught ogling her ass like a fucking creep.
The space is the perfect extension of the main rooms of the cafe. All warm wood, including the desk facing the doorway, and the overflowing bookcases lining the back wall. There’s a matching couch to the ones in the dining area against the opposite wall. The coffee table in front of it is covered in books and notepads. But it’s the framed posters that catch my eyes.
“The Wolfman. Dracula. Frankenstein. Still a fan of the classics, I see.”
Gwen sits on one end of the couch below them, shuffling the papers on the desk until they are in a perfect stack. Her eyes cast down as she hums out a response I don’t quite understand.
I take the opposite end of the couch, eyeing the notebooks and binder on the table as she flips through them before landing on already filled pages. Her swirling script I remember from high schoolhas everything organized in handwritten perfection. The top reading “Festival Ideas” on one and “To Do List” on the other.
I let out a low whistle. Her eyes snap up to mine as a blush overtakes her cheeks. This causes her freckles to become more pronounced, and I like the flushed look on her face more than I should.
Clearing my throat, I gesture toward the papers. “You’re taking this incredibly seriously.”
