Page 20 of Make Me Swoon

x.H

For the firsttime since I got to Destiny Falls, I want to write him back. I grab a piece of paper from my room and scribble out a quick note before I sneak back downstairs and over to his SUV.

I’m giggly as I race back upstairs and into my apartment. I wish that I could see his face when he finds the note.

I grab my phone and head to my room to get ready for bed. I remember that my friends asked me to text them so I send off a quick message.

Lyla:Made it home safe.

Madelyn: How was it?

Iris: Where did he take you?

Sutton: What did you eat?

I can’t helpbut laugh at Sutton’s question and I wash my face clean before I reply.

Lyla:We went to the beach and had a picnic. He cooked a bunch of small plates for us.

Madelyn: Awwwwww!

Iris: So romantic!

Sutton: Did you have fun?

Lyla: Yeah, it was really nice. I’m getting ready for bed now. Talk to you tomorrow!

They all textme good night and I pull on my pajamas and crawl into bed. As I close my eyes and start to drift off to sleep, I realize something.

I’m excited for the future for the first time in a long while.

SEVEN

I study my appearance in the bathroom mirror as I gather my pale lavender hair back into a high ponytail. It’s an overcast day and I’m betting that we won’t have many tours, so I don’t bother with makeup as I finish in the bathroom.

I tug on one of my Mystery Cabin employee shirts and a pair of jeans before I grab my purse and head for the door. My usual note is on the windshield and I grab it with a smile as I slip behind the wheel.

I’m actually early for work today, so I stop by The Upside Diner and grab three pancake breakfasts to go. Sutton is running errands today, so it’s just Teller and me in the gift shop. They both cheer as I come in, holding the bag of pancakes up over my head like Simba inThe Lion King.

“My hero!” Teller jokes and I laugh as I reach inside and pass him one of the to-go containers.

Stan grunts out a thanks as I pass him his and I lean over, kissing his wrinkled cheek.

“Anything for the best boss in the whole wide world.”

“I’m not giving you a raise,” he says back right away and I laugh.

“I can’t just do something nice?”

He eyes me suspiciously but takes his pancakes and shuffles out of the gift shop. I’m guessing that he’s headed to eat in his office. I know that he has a mountain of paperwork to catch up on and I’m pretty sure that Bandit is in there snoozing and he probably wants to share the pancakes with him. Stan bought him some fancy dog bed and put it in the corner of his office and Bandit loves the thing. I’m pretty sure Stan ordered another one for the living room since he seems to like it so much.

Teller and I eat our pancakes on the counter by the register. He lets me have the stool and we talk about the gloomy weather and take bets on how many tourists that we’ll have come through here today.

It’s a slow morning, but by noon we’ve only had two tours. That means that I won the bet with Teller since he said four. It looks like the afternoon is going to be slow, so I’m thinking that I might be able to head home early, especially if the weather stays like this. It’s started to rain half an hour ago, so Teller is back inside hanging out with me while I stock some shelves.

“Did you fix that hole on the putt-putt course?” I ask him and he nods.

“Yeah, but it’s about all that I finished before it started raining,” he says as he puts the last of his tools away in the back closet.

---