Page 51 of Pumpkin Spice Promises

I narrowed my eyes. “Are we still talking about the truck?”

“Mostly.” His mouth curved, and I shoved his shoulder. He only laughed. And somewhere behind us, Clover made a noise that sounded suspiciously delighted.

“Don’t,” I called without turning around.

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You didn’t have to.”

Walter chuckled. I shook my head.

These people were insane.

Maybe that was why being around them felt strangely…easy.

Clover appeared beside me a moment later and opened one of the bakery boxes. “Pumpkin muffin?”

“June started those already?” I looked inside. Orange streusel covered the tops, and the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg immediately reached me.

“September 1st means pumpkin season. September 2nd means she starts emotionally blackmailing people into joining the Harvest Festival committee.”

I froze with my hand halfway toward a muffin. It suddenly didn’t look as appealing. “The committee?”

Clover nodded. “Yup, there’s a meeting tonight.”

“No, I can’t be part of it.”

She blinked, confused, her brow scrunching slightly. “I haven’t asked you anything.”

“You were going to.”

“I was just going to tell you the meeting starts at seven.”

“No.”

“At the town hall,” she continued, like she didn’t hear me.

“No,” I said again, softer this time.

“There’ll be fresh cider too.”

“Clover,” Beau warned.

“And June’s bringing pumpkin bread, the first batch of the season.” Clover sighed in delight.

“I can buy pumpkin bread from June at the bakery.” My gaze flitted about the workspace. Walter stood off to the side, fingers tapping the side of his silver thermos slowly. He had gone suspiciously quiet during my conversation with his daughter. And… my lips pull into a frown. So had Beau. I looked between all three Joneses. “What?”

“Nothing,” Walter said quickly.

That was the second time in twenty-four hours an older person had said nothing while very clearly thinking something.

I didn’t trust it.

Clover bit into a muffin. “They’re talking about the festival location tonight.”

My stomach tightened. “What about it?”

“Apparently the park isn’t working this year. Something about permits and the drainage problems from last season.”