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I glanced up and saw a familiar face-- Ainsley, walking towards Fox, Molly, and Clarke. Clarke’s face lit up with a mixture of surprise and joy, and Fox grinned from ear to ear, mirroring Clarke’s excitement, their faces breaking into wide grins.
Wanting to sayhi, I headed over to them just in time to catch the tail end of their conversation.
“… so, my aunt is actually thinking about moving here, to Whisper Ridge,” Ainsley was saying, his eyes bright with the prospect, hugging Clarke close.
“Seriously? That would be awesome!” Clarke exclaimed with unmistakable relief and happiness.
Fox chimed in. “Wow, that’s cool. We’ve missed you around here.”
I couldn’t help but join in their conversation. “Hey, Ainsley, it’s good to see you back, even if it’s just for the festival.”
Ainsley glanced over at me, a shy smile on his face. “Thanks, Mr. Sheridan. I’ve missed being here. And if things go as planned, I might be back for good, and I can come back to your class.” He lowered his voice and leaned away from Clarke so only I could hear. “The teachers I have now are bad. Likeepicallybad.”
“Come back soon, then,” I said and preened a little that he thought I was a good teacher—not that he’d specifically said that, but it was implied. Right?
“That would be great for the town. And for you guys, obviously,” I added, nodding towards Fox and Clarke.
The group fell into an easy conversation, chatting about the festival, school, and everything in between, and I left them to it, catching Noah’s eye and the kiss he blew me, making a show of pocketing it and smiling.
It’d been a full month now that we’d been living in my place.
Initially, I’d moved into the diner’s apartment, but it wasn’t working, and so my house became our home, which Fox loved, given he had his own space in the attic, complete with a den of his own. When Connor had approached us, asking if he could live over the diner, fed up of the hotel room after a year of living there, Noah couldn’t jump on it fast enough.
Built-in diner security from a ninja? Check.
Quinn arrived at the diner’s stall, his distinctive pink hair matching perfectly with the Pride theme, and a few steps behind him, almost blending into the crowd, yet watchful, was Connor, keeping a stern eye on everything. From a distance, Connor caught my eye and gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment before returning his gaze to the crowd. It was clear he was on duty, ever the vigilant protector of the town.
“Hey, Chris, Noah, these look fantastic,” Quinn said, gesturing to the few remaining baked goods as I wheeled into place next to the stall.
Noah glanced up and smiled. “Thanks, Quinn. They’ve been a hit. You guys want to try something? It’s on the house.”
“Did you ask him yet?” Levi abandoned the ranch stall and joined his fiancé, his arm slipping around his shoulders, hugging him close.
Quinn was studying the pastries and sent Levi a fond smile. “Not yet. Shhhh. So, I wouldn’t know where to start, Noah. What do you recommend?” I watched as Noah described each of the remaining items with great enthusiasm. It was clear he put a lot of love and thought into his baking, and he had an answer for every one of Levi and Quinn’s questions.
“I love everything.”
Noah, handing over the baked goods Quinn had chosen, replied, “Glad you think so. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking, wondering if things will go over well.”
I laughed. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Everything you make is amazing.”
Levi agreed. “Definitely. You’ve got a gift, Noah.”
After a brief discussion, Quinn selected a couple more items more. “These will be perfect for later,” he said, smiling. “Also, we have something to ask you.”
“Sure,” Noah said, distracted by rearranging the remaining croissants.
“We hoped you’d agree to make our wedding cake.”
I saw Noah do a double take, glance around him as if they’d been talking to someone else. “Huh?”
Quinn pointed at Noah. “You. Our cake. Are you interested?”
Noah blinked, then grinned. “Yes.”
“Official though, paid and?—”
“I owe Levi a freebie for helping me that day with my ex,” Noah interjected.
