Page 11 of A Fall to Remember

Pete laughed and adjusted the settings on the machine. He preferred his espresso dark and thick. “My guess is that Jim will encourage her to run wild, and Shelby has a script already prepared. Those two could not be more different.”

“Yeah, they’re total opposites, huh?” Elise took a bite of the muffin while pensively sizing up Jim and Shelby. “Should I jump in and offer any assistance as your mom’s manager? She seems like she has it handled.”

Pete glanced at the antique grandfather clock in the corner. “We’re opening soon, so they kind of need to wrap it up.”

Elise chomped on the muffin. “I’m going to snap a few behind-the-scenes pics. Miranda Brown before and after becoming a major social media sensation.” She discreetly captured the moment on her phone and then scooted closer to Pete. “So, Shelby’s cuuuute. The red hair, freckles, apple cheeks, and definitely a Seattle style. It’s a lot of black, but we won’t hold that against her. Give her a few days on the beach with me, and we’ll have boho fresh in no time.” She tugged on the edge of her peasant skirt and gave him a little bow. Elise wore her hair in two braids and had layered a puffy-sleeved blouse under a suede vest. His cousin was California coastal through and through.

“Don’t even go there. You know my mom is constantly trying to set me up.” Pete kept his voice low.

“I know, but she is cute,” Elise insisted. “She’s totally your type. Those curls. Her style that says she cares but doesn’t care too much.”

“Oh, my God. You’re worse than Mom.” Pete waited for a shot to pour. Then he pulled another. “Also, I don’t even have a type.”

“Yes, you do.” Elise nudged his waist. “Shelby. She’s your type.”

“You know, turnabout is fair play. If you’re not careful, I’ll tell Mom you’re looking for love, but you don’t want to ask for help.” Pete raised his brow in triumph, knowing that was a sure-fire way to shut down this discussion. What he didn’t say out loud to his cousin was that Shelby was his type. He got the distinct impression she was all business, though.

“Okay. Okay. You win.” Elise tossed up one hand in surrender, her bracelets jangling against each other on her narrow wrists. “We will speak of nothing other than coffee, cheese, and muffins for the rest of the morning.”

Pete finished making their coffee just as Shelby called for them to join the discussion. “Can you two come over so we can review today’s schedule?”

“Would either of you like a latte?” Pete asked, gesturing behind him to the espresso machine.

Jim started to respond, but Shelby cut him off. “We’re good. Let’s nail down the details with the schedule first. We have a full agenda to get through today. Also, Jim, what is the deal with your shirt? Did you douse yourself with espresso on the way here or something?”

Jim stole a glance at Miranda. “It’s a funny story. We met by chance at the airport last week and had a run-in with a latte.”

Shelby’s knee bounced as Jim and Miranda told everyone the story about their meet-cute. “Got it. But are you wearing that all day?” She gestured to the shirt and then circled her finger as if to say hurry up.

Jim reached for his satchel. “No. I’ll run and change.”

Pete brought his drink to the table and pulled up a chair. Elise followed him, still enjoying her muffin.

Miranda patted his leg. “Honey, this is so exciting. To think, if you hadn’t posted my terrible vacation pictures, none of this would have happened.”

Shelby made a face that Pete couldn’t quite decipher. Her patience seemed to be running thin. “About that. Let’s focus. We want to flag everything with high visual impact. Events throughout the weekend where there will be plenty of people and activity. We need vibrant shots.”

“That’s easy. That’s Fall Harvest Fest,” Miranda replied, looking at Pete and Elise for confirmation. “Every event is bustling with tourists and locals, and the whole town is as pretty as a postcard. You can see for yourselves.” She paused, letting her gaze drift to the front windows, where dandelion-yellow light illuminated the tree-lined street. “It’s stunning out there. Half Moon Bay is putting on a show for you.”

“As pretty as a postcard. I like that,” Jim said, joining them with a fresh shirt. “We can use that as an opening line.”

“That’s kind of cheesy,” Shelby retorted.

“Cheesy is what we’re going for here,” Jim countered. “We could all use a little cheesy these days.”

Pete didn’t want to get in the middle of their debate. Elise had summed up their relationship well. Maybe it was an age thing. Different generations taking different approaches, but it was hard not to get the sense that Shelby didn’t want to be here.

Shelby tapped on her laptop screen, turning it so everyone could see. “We got an earlier flight last night, so we’re able to take advantage of filming today. What can you tell us about the parade? That takes place right here on Main Street, yes?”

Elise jumped in. “If you’re looking for festive, I highly recommend the parade.” She pulled up the Harvest Fest social media site and showed Jim and Shelby pictures from last year’s parade.

“Quaint and charming,” Jim said, pointing to the poster on the door. “Miranda and I already spoke about the possibility of her doing an introduction. Perhaps we can find a spot on the parade route where she can provide commentary on the floats and bands passing by.”

“Yep. That’s fine.” Shelby brushed him off dismissively and then went through every event, noting times, places, and brief notes on what they might try to capture.

Pete had no idea that this much thought and preparation went into putting together a few short videos for social media. He probably should have. It was no wonder Shelby was wound a bit tight. From the looks of her highly detailed spreadsheet, it was going to be a busy weekend. He just hoped it would be fun for Mom. Although he wasn’t disappointed about the idea of getting to spend more time with Shelby.

There was something almost magnetic about her. Pete raked his fingers through his hair, watching as Shelby pinched the bridge of her nose, deep in concentration. She tugged absently on her earlobe, typing at lightning speed. He feigned an innocent look, pretending to study the schedule when she caught him staring at her again.