“She needs a new spice rack,” Nora says, finger tapping her chin as she inspects the kitchen space.
“Does Dad need to build one when he comes?”
“No,” Nora says slowly. “I think we could find a used one or something antique. I saw a shop that first day I came here. The Attic on Whirr. You think they’d have something like that?”
I nod slowly. “It’s likely.”
“Do you have beef with them, too?” she teases. “I’m still bummed I can’t go to the bookstore.”
A chuckle bubbles out of me. “You can go to Preening Pages. I just don’t like the Harkers. You might like them just fine. My brother has no problem with them.”
She rushes over to me and grabs my hand. “I have an idea.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Yes.” She beams at me. “We can take a break from this hard work. Sightsee a little bit.”
I groan, knowing what’s coming. “You’re going to make me go in there, huh?”
“For me?” She bats her eyelashes at me. “Please?”
My stomach twists. I’m not immune to her sweet begging. Quite frankly, everything she does lately has an impact on me. I’m still trying to decide if I like it or not. It’s unfamiliar, that’s for dang sure.
You’re getting attached man. Not cool.
Do I put some distance between us?
Nope.
“Get ready. We can grab lunch at The Icehouse first.”
Her squeal of excitement undoes me.
I’m in trouble.
“How are Silas’s onion rings not a worldwide wonder?” Nora asks as we walk close enough our arms brush against each other. “Foodie magazines have missed a hidden gem.”
“I think he prefers it that way,” I say with a laugh. “It’s bad enough the BudgieFest people know about it. Each year they keep multiplying.”
If BudgieFest didn’t bring in so much revenue each year for the local businesses, we’d have all probably voted to stop it decades ago. But I think that’s how the locals feel about tourist season no matter where you live.
“Yo,” Huck says as he pops out of The Maple Millet Table, a crooked grin on his face. “What’s up, Cove Man? Mom said you had a new woman.”
I shoot him a withering look. He just sniggers and runs across Wing Whirr Way back to Baked & Brewed.
“Just like his momma,” I grumble under my breath.
Nora smirks at me. “There’s something charming about this meddling town.”
Let it be noted that neither of us denied Nora being my new woman. I don’t know what to make of that.
“He’s always running out of this place,” Nora says as we continue walking. “He must really love eating there.”
“Nah,” I say with a shake of my head. “Since his mother doesn’t like the guy who runs BirdBrought, she refuses to add her business to it. They offer their own delivery service at Baked & Brewed. Basically, it’s just Hattie barking out addresses for Huck to take coffee too. He messes up a lot, but he’s just a teenager, so he gets away with it.”
She stops at Wild Petal to smell some flowers in one of the buckets. “You know everything about everyone.”
“Kind of hard not to around here. The town chirps all the time like an enormous flock of budgies in the wild. I hear things whether I want to or not.”
