Wake My Heart (Jasper Falls 1)

“Sure you are.” She stood and smiled. “But that’s okay. In an hour you’ll take it all back when you taste my burgers.”

He laughed. “Is that so?”

“Scared?”

“Not at all.” He followed her to her booth and decided he’d be eating his words to Luke as well. She was pretty.

When the festival started, the street filled with townsfolk. It was the first event of spring and everyone seemed ready to say goodbye to winter. He ran into friends from high school, employees from the lumberyard, regulars he got to know from working at the bar, and plenty of relatives. The only person he didn’t see was Maggie, but that was no surprise.

Not wanting to seem too interested, he waited until three o’clock to return to the vegan booth. Willow seemed happy to see him again, and he stayed for a while since she didn’t have much of a line.

“So, vegan means no meat or dairy?”

“No animal products of any kind.”

He pointed to the creamy cheese spread she’d been mixing on the burner. “What about that?”

“This is actually a mix of nutritional yeast, carrots, oil, and seasoning.”

“Yum,” he said dryly.

She flicked her gaze to him and smiled. “You’ll see.”

He really didn’t want to, but he agreed he’d taste her burger.

She served the sandwich on a toasted English muffin of a cardboard consistency and topped it with the fake cheese sauce, a leaf of crisp lettuce, and a bright red slice of tomato. It actually smelled pretty good.

He took an experimental bite and chewed. The texture was … different. But the flavors were explosive. “Wow.”

“See?”

He wiped his mouth. “It’s got a kick.”

“That’s the jalapenos.”

He ate the entire burger, but when she offered another, he politely declined.

“Hey, Ryan, I thought that was you.”

He turned and spotted Ashlynn, Kelly’s wife pushing a stroller. “Hey, Ashlynn.” He hugged her and bent to the stroller. “And look at this little angel.” He sometimes forgot the new babies’ names. There were so many.

“She’s a handful.”

Willow leaned over the counter and spoke in a voice only women could get away with. “Don’t let your momma say that. You tell her you’re perfect. Aren’t you, Bethany?”

Ah, Bethany. He never would have guessed that.

“So, what are you doing over here by the veggie burgers?” Ashlynn asked, then placed an order with Willow. “I’ll take a plain veggie and a small order of sweet potato fries, Will.”

He’d forgotten Kelly’s wife was a vegetarian. Willow started her order then asked, “You two know each other?”

“Ryan’s Kelly’s cousin.”

Recognition dawned. “Oh, then you must be related to Luke, too.”

Shit. Had Luke mentioned him the way he’d mentioned her? “I’m related to all of them. All eight thousand of them.”

Her smile turned nervous and she quickly turned to Ashlynn, thanking her for the tomato shipment from the farmers’ market.

Feeling uncomfortable now that Willow realized who he was and probably knew Luke had tried to set them up, he excused himself and stepped away. His life had become a labyrinth of blind dates and awkward encounters with exes. He was no stranger to navigating his way through uncomfortable situations.

By late afternoon, the streets and sidewalks were full, not only with Center County residents but also visitors from other towns. He’d been about to pack it in and head home when something by the firehouse caught his eye.

Men in blue T-shirts emblazoned with the local fire station’s shield worked an extended gas grill. They were a mangy bunch, but there seemed a collective sense of family among them. Women spooned out side dishes to those lined up at the tables, but what caught his eye was the small figure at the end, taking money and handing out napkins.

Maggie’s head turned and her stare found his. His heart sank into his stomach as they looked at each other. What was her association with the firehouse? He lifted his hand in a casual wave. It took her a moment but she did the same.

Should he talk to her? Maybe he could get in line and order something. He didn’t really have any room left in his stomach, but he’d suffer through another hundred burgers if it gave him an excuse to talk to her and ask how she was doing.

He couldn’t walk away without hearing her voice. He grabbed a plate and—

“Ryan…”

Confused by the sound of someone calling his name, he turned. Willow jogged over to the line where he stood. “You left before I could say goodbye.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

She smiled nervously. “I guess your cousin told you who I was.”

“Um, he mentioned you.”

Her full lashes flickered, and she bit into her lower lip. “Well, you seem really nice. If you ever want to go out, give me a call.” She handed him a napkin with a smiling radish on it and her number scribbled underneath. “I have to get back to my booth.”