Page 1

Chapter 1

Allison

Fall was one of my favorite seasons.

There was something about the way the leaves changed colors, the temperatures dropped, and everything became just a little more cozy. Whatever it was, it had me pulling out my phone to take a picture of the orange maple leaf that was hanging on the old tree outside my window. The first sign of the changing seasons, and I’d captured the image.

Moving to Illinois hadn’t been on my list of things to do with my life, but after a scandalous, very public breakup back in New York, it was time for a change. Besides, there were too many people creating big city life content already. The competition to get invited to the best events was fierce, and I was sick of it. Most of the others weren’t even authentic. My excitement was always genuine.

And, okay, moving to a little town in the Midwest was a bit extreme, but I liked how quiet this place was. When I’d made the announcement on my pages, my followers seemed excited. I still lost a few of them, but that came with any major platform or topic change. It just meant I reached a new audience.

Instead of sitting in bed any longer thinking about it, I got up to get ready for the day. The room was cold, and goosebumps broke out across my skin as I crossed to my ensuite bathroom.

The apartment I’d gotten was nice, but nothing in the town was very big. Everything here seemed to be on a smaller scale compared to New York, but it was something I needed to get used to. The change was good for me, and I needed to be a little more humble about my surroundings.

After taking a quick shower, I picked out my clothes and got dressed. There were some things I couldn’t sacrifice. If I were to be in front of a camera at all, it meant that I needed to style my hair and apply a full face of makeup. It drove my ex crazy that I could never be out the door before noon. On a good day, I could get ready by one in the afternoon.

Today was looking like a great day since I was all dressed and ready by twelve thirty. I grabbed a beanie, placing it over my loose blonde curls on my way out the door. The breeze felt good as I wrapped my knit sweater around my shoulders.

I made it just short of the sidewalk outside my place when I had to run back inside. I forgot my camera. I shot most of my material with my cell phone, but I used a really nice DSLR camera to take some truly amazing photos. A gallery, back in New York, even sold a few of my pieces.

The sun was high in the sky, still with a slight breeze that made me tighten my sweater around me. If I were going to get anything done, I needed to find coffee. I was normally a morning person, but I still preferred a little caffeine to make it through the day. Besides, was it even still coffee after they added all those delicious syrups and whipped cream?

When I’d driven into town a few days ago, there were loads of cute little shops and I couldn’t wait to explore all of them. Hopefully, with my help, the town would get more tourist attention. It was too adorable not to have people see the place. That made me remember Maple Lane Cafe, and the adorable signage on their building. If I were looking for coffee, that was probably be my best bet.

I pulled out my phone, typed the place’s name into my GPS, and discovered I was only a fifteen-minute walk away. Maple Lane Falls was so small, it looked like I could walk just about anywhere, which was nice since I’d never been much of a driver in New York. The traffic was always horrible and caused me too much anxiety. While I wouldn’t have that problem here, it was nice to know I still didn’t need the Jeep Compass my dad had gifted me as a going-away present.

The car was much larger than I would have gotten for myself, but Daddy had sworn that Illinois winters were so much worse than what we got in New York, and I’d be thankful for the all-wheel drive the SUV offered.

My friend Christy had given me a little rubber duck to put on my windshield. At first, I was confused, but Christy shrugged and explained that it was something Jeep owners apparently did. “It’s a Jeep thing,” were her exact words. I named the ducky Reginald; he was just a standard run-of-the-mill rubber duck, but he was so darn cute. During my drive, he’d kept me good company even if he couldn’t answer my questions. By the time we’d made it to our new home, I’d decided that I needed to find Reginald a girlfriend so he didn’t get lonely when I didn’t end up using my car all that often.

Maybe that was how it all started? You got one duck and suddenly it needed friends.

I smiled to myself as my GPS told me to take a right onto Moss Street, and I only had to walk three more blocks before I arrived at the adorable little cafe that sat on the corner of Maple Lane.

The second I opened the door, the smell of roasting coffee beans overwhelmed my senses. It was such a warm, comforting smell. I picked up my camera because the inside of the establishment was too precious not to capture.

“Go ahead and take a seat anywhere you like. I’ll be with you in just a moment,” a bright, bubbly waitress said as she zoomed between tables. This wasn’t the type of cafe I was used to, but I wouldn’t complain. My stomach gave a growl as I picked a booth near one of the front windows. The sun beating against my skin felt so good.

I didn’t wait long before the waitress came over plopping a menu on the table. She had the biggest smile on her face as she greeted me. Who knew people in tiny towns with nothing going on could still be this happy. “Good afternoon. I’m Lina. You’re a new face in town, welcome! What can I get you for lunch?”

Gah, she was so bubbly and nice, and if everyone in Maple Lane Falls was this friendly, I would be ecstatic that I moved there.

“I just moved to town the other day. I’m getting out and exploring today,” I explained.

Lina’s smile lit up her entire face. “It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a new face in town. We’re so happy to have you here.”

Do people really say stuff like that anymore? It only made me happier that she seemed so genuine. I picked up the menu she handed me. There were all sorts of things I wasn’t expecting. I knew I wanted to get my usual caramel macchiato, but all the food options were calling to me. The loud grumble from my tummy said it was a good idea to eat something and soon. I wasn’t a picky eater, so I figured it was worth a shot to ask the waitress.

“What’s your favorite thing to eat?”

Her grin only widened. “Well, that depends. If you’re looking for breakfast food, our Denver omelet is to die for. For lunch or dinner? I’d have to say one of our muffuletta sandwiches.”

I looked at the sandwich on the menu and hummed in satisfaction. There was just something so perfect about the combination of Italian meats, mozzarella cheese, and an olive spread.

“I think I’ll have the sandwich, and can I get a caramel macchiato as well, please?”

Lina nodded. She wrote nothing down and walked back toward the kitchen. In New York, that move would have made me nervous. A waiter or waitress who didn’t write things down was bound to make a big mistake. Not that my order was difficult, but it still put me on edge. Maybe things were easier in a small town, more regulars, less complicated orders, it made me think she couldn’t mess up an order as simple as mine then.