The pumpkin spice cafe

‘At everything? Life, I think. Definitely dating. And you guys warned me, I know, and I just don’t want to mess things up and I don’t want the town to hate me if I do.’

She bit down on her lip and waited for their judgment or anger or support. She still wasn’t sure which way it would go.

‘No one’s going to hate you, Jeanie,’ Hazel said.

Jeanie glanced at A

‘And besides, everyone is bad at life in one way or another,’ Hazel added.

Jeanie sighed. ‘It just used to feel like maybe I was good at it. I had my job, and I did it well and I just ... I don’t know, I did what I was supposed to do. And now, here ... it’s not as clear.’

‘There’s no ‘supposed to do’ Jeanie,’ Hazel said, her eyes earnest behind her glasses.

‘I know. That’s the problem, I guess. I feel a little lost.’

‘Look,’ A

Jeanie nodded slowly, trying to take that in. ‘Okaaay . . .’

A

‘Really?’

‘Of course.’

‘You’re not, like, mad at me or something?’

Hazel glanced at A

A

‘Right.’ Jeanie swallowed hard, thinking about the stack of real-estate papers currently sitting on her table, and the fact that at least one of her employees was working on some kind of quiet vendetta. And how she had no idea what to do about any of it.

‘Anyway.’ A

Maybe they were right. She was overthinking this whole thing. And overthinking was not her style anymore. She blew out a long sigh. Right, time to go soak in all the fall goodness. She would figure out who was sabotaging her business tomorrow. Not today. Not on Fall Festival day!

Not when she had a sweet, sexy man waiting for her to judge some adorable Halloween costumes. Duty called.

‘Okay, thanks.’ She finished her donut. ‘I’m off to judge the costume contest.’

‘Oh, God, I forgot you got roped into that.’ Hazel’s face paled.

A