Page 176 of The Path to Loving Him
I spot Hattie at the counter talking to a woman with red hair, wearing a silky Kaftan, and head toward her.
“Hey, Gabby,” Hattie says with a wave of her hand.
“Ooo, Gabby,” the redhead says. “You must be the new teacher in town.”
“Um, yes.” I wave shyly. “Hi.”
The lady holds her hand out. “I’m Ethel, the owner of Five Six Seven Eight.”
“Oh wow, it’s so nice to meet you.” I take her hand and give it a gentle shake. “I love your inn. I stayed there when I came here for my interview. It’s so charming, and one of the best sleeps I’ve ever had.” She doesn’t need to know it’s because I slept in a pair of arms that I can’t wait to get to later tonight.
“Oh, you’ve stayed there? How lovely. Did you enjoy the breakfast in the morning?”
“Yes, the fluffiest eggs I’ve ever had.”
She leans in and says, “The chef puts cottage cheese in them.”
“Ooo, really? It’s a terrific touch.”
“I’ll give my compliments to the chef.” She winks. “How are you liking Almond Bay?”
“I absolutely love it,” I say, leaning gently against the counter. There’s nothing like some small-town talk to make thisGilmore Girls-like dream even more of a reality. I got the grump, the cute town, and now the friendly chatter.
“Here for some cookies?” Hattie asks.
“Half a dozen please.”
“On it.”
I turn my attention back to Ethel. “My brother, Bennett, went to school here the last few years of high school, but we lived on the outskirts, so being able to actually live in Almond Bay is truly a dream. I love everything about this town.”
“It is a great place to call home,” Ethel says. “Now, Bennett, is that Bennett Brinkman?”
“Yes,” I say brightly.
“Did I hear that he had his first major league start this past weekend?”
Wow, news really does travel fast.
“He did,” I say. “I went to the game. He’s worked so hard to get there and seeing him on the big stage was everything I could have hoped for.”
“That is so wonderful. Not to be nosy, but can I assume your parents are no longer with us?”
Not to be nosy? Something tells me she is the definition of nosy.
“They’re no longer in the picture. Just me and Bennett at this point.”
“Well, what an accomplishment for you two. You must be over the moon.”
“We are. Thank you.”
“The whole town is rooting for him. Maybe after the season, we can have a party for our very own baseball star here. I love throwing parties and events for the town.”
“That she does,” Hattie says as she sets the bag of cookies on the counter. “You should have seen what she did for Aubree’s proposal.”
“You helped with it?” I ask Ethel.
“Oh yes, dear.” She leans her elbow against the counter. “It was quite the spectacle. We had dancers and a band, and I sang while Rodney drove his train around. Unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”
