Page 15 of A Fall to Remember

Shelby wondered how she might work that into her content schedule. Was it too hokey? Too Hallmark? “I’m glad we’re talking about this, because I could use your help.” She changed her tone. This was her in.

“How?”

She didn’t want to offend him. Miranda was his mom after all. But Pete was young and savvy. He’d get it, especially if she couched her concerns as wanting to protect Miranda, which was entirely true. “I’m sure you probably already picked up on the fact that Jim and I have different visions for how we best position your mom.”

Pete nodded. “Yeah.” He paused to wave to a guy wheeling a caramel corn cart into the park.

Shelby was suddenly craving caramel corn. “Jim has been with the company forever, and he has a proven track record of client success. I just want to put that out there before I say anything.”

“Okay.” Pete sounded concerned.

“It’s just that I think Jim will try to lean in to making your mom every mom, which is sweet, and I think she has that energy.” Shelby rushed to keep talking. “I worry that if we go too hard with that, it could make her come across as a little campy or corny, for lack of a better word.” She gestured to the popcorn cart. “We don’t want her to be kitschy. It only goes so far. I think the better idea is to build out an aspirational world of Half Moon Bay, play up the charm, the beauty, the fairy tale of running a small business in a place like this. We can have a little fun with mishaps since that’s how her current audience discovered her. I think we can stage some scenarios that really show her in a good light, but I don’t want to go too far down that road if that makes sense?”

Pete nodded more enthusiastically. “Right. That was one of my hesitations. Elise and I discussed that at length. I don’t want her to be the butt of the joke. It’s cool if she’s in on the joke, but I would hate to have people make fun of her. The internet can be so cruel.”

“Exactly.” Shelby breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Pete got it. “We want to control the narrative. I’m glad you get it.”

“I’m glad you’re thinking about protecting Mom.” Pete waved to a guy in orange-and-green lederhosen carrying an accordion. “She’s amazing. She’s worked her entire life to provide for me and make my life magical. I want this to be a great experience for her.”

“Excellent. We’re of the same mindset.” Shelby smiled, feeling a touch of weight lighten on her shoulders. She had an ally in Pete. This was good, but it was hard not to wish her own parents were like Miranda. Pete had no idea how lucky he was. It was sweet to hear him gush about his magical childhood. She didn’t doubt it was true, but nothing about her family dynamic felt magical right now. “I might need your help with Jim. We might need to gently remind him and nudge him back if he starts to go off script.”

“No problem. I’m your guy.” Pete patted his chest. “Consider it done.”

Shelby drank in a slow, deep breath and firmly planted her feet on the ground. She could relax a little. She didn’t want to battle Jim over strategy, but it felt good to know the numbers were on her side in case it came to that.

13

PETE

Pete was pleasantly surprised by Shelby’s revelation that she was worried about how Mom would be portrayed. She seemed different after the phone call. Upset. Almost shaky. He wanted to ask more, but he didn’t know her well enough to push the issue. He kept things light, showing her the park, the historic jail and museum, and the rest of downtown. Her mood shifted again, which was good to see. She had practically squealed when a horse trotted along Main Street.

“Hold up,” she’d exclaimed, grabbing Pete’s arm and scrambling to get her phone ready. “That’s a freaking horse. Right next to an electric car. Oh, my God. I have to film this.”

“Hey, what can I say? Welcome to Half Moon Bay. Land of the gold California coastline and home to wild, tame horses.” Sometimes he forgot that seeing horses casually trotting down the street wasn’t an everyday occurrence in other places.

“This is too good.” Shelby beamed as they waved to the horse and rider. “I couldn’t have scripted it better.”

He’d taken her to his favorite shop—the Comic Store, where a bunch of his friends had gathered to put the finishing touches on their superhero costumes for the parade. They were about to head back to the Green Grocer for lunch, and so that Shelby could draft her content plans, but he was interrupted by a call.

Not just a call but a FaceTime call from Mom.

“What’s with the FaceTime, Mom?” Pete scrunched his face, squinting to see if there was something wrong with the espresso machine. Was one of the shelves loose? Had something broken? Why was she showing him the back of the store?

His concern quickly faded when he realized the real reason behind the spontaneous video call. She was trying to set him up—again. This was a common occurrence and a running joke between them. He usually played along. It was harmless, but he felt weird having Shelby watch his mom try to set him up. Like, would she think he couldn’t get a date on his own?

He hung up before Mom could turn the camera around.

“Was that your mom?” Shelby asked, peering over his shoulder to get a closer look.

Her chin practically rested on his shoulder. He froze. Not wanting to move and break the moment.

Damn, she smells really good.

And her lips look so soft and tender.

Perfect for kissing.

Pete shook his head, willing his breathing to calm down and cooperate, but it wasn’t working. He felt like he was sucking air in through a broken straw. He couldn’t seem to control himself around her. “Don’t ask.”