Page 49 of The Worst Possible Plan

“My second full day pretending to be an event planner.” It still sounded ridiculous to say out loud. Like I’d accidentally wandered into someone else’s career, someone else’s life, and nobody had noticed yet.

Bandit flicked an ear.

“I’m still pretending.” I sighed. “Although… maybe a little less than yesterday.” Yesterday I’d been improvising, like I’d just watched half a YouTube tutorial. Today I almost resembled a functioning adult for several consecutive minutes.

The words surprised me because they were true. Today I’d actually solved things.

Okay… Sheriff Walker had solved a few things.

Fine. Several things.

But I’d solved some too. And I was good at it.

Theo nudged my shoulder a little harder, nearly tipping me sideways again.

“I know.” I smiled faintly. “I’ve had a lot of jobs.” The words slipped out before I really meant to say them. “Receptionist.” I ticked one finger. “Travel agency.” Another. “Dental office.” Another. “Real-estate assistant.” Another. “I even worked in a candle store for three weeks.” I looked down. “Turns out scented wax isn’t really a long-term career path.” Especially when you accidentally knocked over an entire display of vanilla bean candles and the place smelled like baked cookies for six months. “Nobody ever says they’re going to grow up and become professionally unemployed.” Yet somehow I’d managed to make it feel less like a career path and more like a recurring hobby.

Bandit started chewing on one of my shoelaces.

“Hey. Stop that.” I tugged my foot back. “I’ve already lost enough dignity this week. And I need those laces.” I’d like to leave here wearing both shoes, if that’s not asking too much.

The goat looked offended, as though I was being unreasonable by expecting to keep my own footwear.

“You know,” I sighed. “You would’ve liked my old bosses.” They probably would’ve blamed me for the shoelace too.

Theo rested even more weight against me.

“I wasn’t always fired.” I laughed to myself, like a crazy person. “Okay. Usually the firing came pretty fast. But it’s not like I didn’t try. I always showed up on time. I was polite. Respectful. And I did the job as best I could. It’s just… sometimes… my best was a disaster.”

The breeze stirred the café lights behind me, and somewhere in town music played. The sound drifted across the quiet festival grounds, mixing with the soft rustle of hay and the steady breathing of a goat, a miniature donkey, and two alpacas who, against all odds, were becoming the most emotionally available friends I’d had in a very long time.

I leaned my head gently against Theo’s neck. “You know what the really embarrassing part is?”

The animals continued listening.

I blew a tuft of alpaca fur off my lips and said, “I actually think I can do this.” I looked out toward the glowing festival square. “Like maybe this was my calling. You know? Everybody gets a calling. Right? Maybe this is mine. You know what I mean?”

Bandit opened his jaw, and some hay fell out.

“Sophie Hartwell, professional event planner.” I beamed. “It does have a nice ring to it. And if it works out, I might eventually get my own place. You know? Keep an apartment. Have privacy in case I wanted to bring home a guy.”

My traitorous brain went straight to the sheriff’s ass.

I groaned. “Oh, don’t start,” I muttered to myself.

Theo hummed against my shoulder.

“I’m serious.”

He hummed again.

“I know he helped today.” I waved my hands around for emphasis. If anyone was seeing this, they’d think I was nuts. Or drunk. Probably both.

I looked absentmindedly toward the festival grounds, where the café lights glowed softly through the darkness. “But… why? Why even bother with me? He doesn’t even know me. He doesn’t owe me anything.”

That was the part I couldn’t figure out.

And why did he come back tonight and help me untangle myself from the lights? He wasn’t even on duty.