The Pumpkin Spice Café (Dream Harbor, #1)

by Laurie Gilmore

He didn’t have a ton of friends; he probably shouldn’t murder this one.

... uh...’ Logan ran a hand down his beard, his cheeks above it pinkening, ‘... to help you sleep tonight. Before your big day.’

Chickens didn’t pretend they loved you until you proposed in front of the whole damn town at the annual Christmas-tree lighting and then suddenly changed their mind.

He stopped in front of the old fence that kept Harry Styles, his rescue alpaca, safely out of the driveway.

‘I promise, the next time you puke you can call me, okay? I’ll clean it up. I deal with all sorts of gross farm emergencies every day. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve had an alpaca spit on you.’

‘I think maybe you’re not used to being treated right, Jeanie.’ His words landed hard. Damn.

‘They are going to come in here all hopped up on their latest smutty book, cackling like a coven of witches. And then they’re going to want to know everything about you.’

Because nothing about Jeanie was ever what he expected.

She was well on her way to being the sunshine-y café owner she dreamed of being, instead of a big bag of anxiety and murder theories.

She wasn’t so much afraid of dying as she was of forgetting to live her life. Somewhere along the way, she’d forgotten to figure out who she was or what she wanted to be when she grew up.

Good old Logan, ruining town events with ill-fated marriage proposals and inappropriate erections.

‘Well, look who it is! Two meetings in a row!’ Annie came up behind him and planted a kiss on his cheek. Hazel followed her in and plopped down next to him. And, because apparently they were all friends now, and because the universe wanted to torture him, Jeanie hustled in after her.

How on earth was he supposed to sit next to her like everything was normal, when all he wanted to do was kiss her again?

It was possible that a secret relationship was even more stressful than a public one.

‘It wasn’t a break-in really. More like a break-and-run away,’ Jeanie said, attempting to reassure him with her smile, but all Logan heard was that something bad happened to Jeanie and he simply could not allow that.

‘The case of the Pumpkin Spice Mysteries.’ ‘Okay, Nancy Drew.’ She grinned. ‘Logan?’ ‘Yeah?’ ‘Are you going to kiss me?’

He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, always smiling, always teasing him. So soft and willing.

Jeanie was sitting on the steps outside the sprawling farmhouse Logan called home. It was beautiful. Old and for sure haunted, but beautiful.

Plus, she was nosy and really wanted to see where he lived and worked.

‘But I do think you should stay.

Estelle winked at her like she did not believe for one second that Jeanie was only here to chat.

Great. Even Logan’s nana was onto her farmer-seducing ways.

‘Taylor, Rihanna, Lizzo.’ He pointed to the three chickens in her lap. ‘That’s Lady Gaga and Britney over there. And this is Selena trying to climb on your head.’

‘You named your chickens after pop stars?’ she wheezed. Logan shrugged. ‘It fits the theme.’

‘Well, the goats are Marley and Dylan.’ ‘As in Bob?’ ‘Yep.’

‘And the alpaca?’ she asked, unable to hide the mirth from her voice. Logan grimaced. ‘Harry Styles.’

And now here she was in his room, on his bed, smelling like sunshine and dark roast, and he didn’t want to talk.

Who the hell was he kidding? He’d fallen for her the first time he’d spotted those hedgehog pajamas. And she was here now. He’d be a fool to waste it.

He was comforting; safe. But also sexy as hell.

True New Englanders love three things: the Red Sox, Dunkin’s, and fall.

Maybe New Jeanie was about to get the sexy farmer, even if he had seen her as a hot mess again this morning.

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

Her Logan. She liked it. She wanted to keep him, to keep this, to live in this perfect day for as long as she could.

He wanted her. He wanted to keep her.

He’d been an idiot to try and act like he didn’t want her, that he didn’t want everyone in this damn town to know she was his.

Damn, how was she so perfect? So, everything he wanted?

He was good and kind, and the abs, dear God, the abs.

And that if she wanted him to shout it from the freaking café counter during the morning rush, he would.

If there was one thing Jeanie had figured out over the last week, it was that she belonged here in Dream Harbor. She liked being here and she liked herself here.

I’m kind of a mess, and it’ll probably take me several months to unpack; and I overreact and overthink.

I meant it the other night, I like you messy, Jeanie.’ He stepped closer. ‘I like you every way. I like you in your buttoned-up blouses talking at town meetings. I like you when your hair is spilling down around you and you’re wearing that ratty old cardigan. I like wiping away your tears; and your laugh is my favorite sound.’

‘I’m in love with you, Jeanie.’

‘Probably since I saw your hedgehog pajama pants.’

‘Or it could have been since you enlightened me about the best snack foods.’

‘Well, I’ve loved you since I saw how many tiny pumpkins you could carry at once.’

‘Does pumpkin carrying rank high on a man’s attributes for you?’

‘Missed you,’ he said, before trailing kisses down her skin.

‘I love this woman,’ he announced gruffly, like he was expecting someone to fight him on it.

Here it comes. The heart attack that I’d been running from, Jeanie thought. At least she would die in a beautiful man’s arms instead of alone at her desk.

‘You’re taking the afternoon off,’ Logan whispered in Jeanie’s ear. ‘Sounds good to me.’