Falling For You - Love in Autumn Book One

Chapter Two

**This has not been edited or proofread.**

"Jamie, I'm heading out for my dinner break. If you need me, I'm right next door, and I have my cell phone," I told her, waving my phone in the air to show her.

She smiled at me. Jamie was a red-haired girl with freckles across her face, and currently, she had her nose stuck in a book. She promised me it would be a slow time of day considering everyone around here had a routine, and this was everyone's dinner time, so I should have enough time to go grab dinner with Chase and come back in time to do all of my closing procedures.

Max trailed at my side as I left the building, keeping close to me to keep strangers away. Chase was getting out of his truck when I turned, and the smile he shot me nearly brought me to my knees.

Was it normal for a man to affect me like this?

"You look great," Chase said with a smile as he walked up to me, respectfully keeping his distance.

I laughed a little at his charm. "I'm literally wearing the same exact thing I was wearing when you met me earlier," I teased.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but you didn't have a bit of sugar on your shirt."

My cheeks burned in mortification as I looked down at my shirt. Sure enough, I had a little bit of powdered sugar on my shirt. "Oh, jeez," I whispered, my face so hot it was radiating down my neck. "Can we pretend that's not there?" I sheepishly asked.

Chase laughed and held open the door to the restaurant, giving me space to slip by him with Max between us. "I'll do my best," he teased, "but I can't make any promises, especially when you smell like coffee."

Oh, my God.

Mrs. Margaret looked up from the counter where she was cashing out the tips for one of her waitresses, and she beamed at me. "Oh, Meredith! How has the first day been?"

I smiled warmly at her, only tensing a little as she came around the counter to wrap me in a warm hug, though Max stayed between us. "It's been great so far," I told her, and it really had been. Chase had done exactly as he said he would, and I've had everyone in town coming to get coffee on their lunch breaks, chatting with me as they did so.

You learned a lot in a small town. You found out who had a fight with their husband and who was dating who. You found out that grouchy Mr. Greene was actually very pleasant when his coffee was made perfectly and you threw in a small, free powdered donut with it to brighten his day.

I loved it here so far, and this small town still had yet to disappoint me.

"I've learned that just about everyone in this town gossips," I told her with a laugh.

She smiled widely. "Oh, hun, yes, we do," she told me, not even trying to deny it. "And just know, the gossip mill will be running wild when they hear about you capturing our town sheriff's attention so quickly."

"Nana, please stop giving her a hard time," Chase pleaded from behind me.

I looked up at him wide-eyed. He shrugged. "Yes, Mrs. Margaret is my grandmother," he informed me. "I'm related to just about half the town." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of his grandmother's head. "Peach cobbler tonight?" he asked her.

She swatted him with her towel, which made me giggle. "Don't I always have peach cobbler, boy? It's a wonder you don't weigh a ton," she scolded.

He flexed his biceps. My cheeks flamed, unable to help myself as I watched. He flashed me a knowing grin. "Gym keeps me in shape, Nana." He moved around her. "Come on; let's go sit before she keeps your attention all evening."