Page 12 of Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls #1)

When Sloane and I arrive at the town square the next day, Aunt Naomi is already there directing volunteers to their assigned places.

I watch her, in awe of how she can be in charge of so many people, have so much to keep organized and running smoothly, and still manage to be warm toward people and not at all frazzled.

In the gazebo, a violinist in a gaudy pink dress sets up her music stand.

Round white tables, ranging from two-tops to six-tops, are placed across the lawn.

Ceramic teacups with delicate fall patterns sit on matching saucers atop cream cotton tablecloths.

Golden-orange wildflower centerpieces donated from a local flower farm top off the look.

“Oh my goodness! You two look gorgeous,” Aunt Naomi says as Sloane and I approach.

“We look ridiculous,” I correct her.

“You don’t feel like you’re dressed for the Kentucky Derby?” Aunt Naomi asks, gesturing at her very large hat.

“I think we’d look a little extra even at the Kentucky Derby,” I laugh.

“Extra is good. You remember that,” she says with a wink.

“Do you need anything before we go to the raffle-ticket table?” Sloane asks, her eyes scanning the square for something—or someone.

“Oh no. You’re good to head over whenever you’re ready. You girls have fun!” Aunt Naomi waves at someone behind us, and she’s gone in a blink.

We take a short walk around the square, and Sloane points out what will be happening in the various locations throughout the day.

I’m so busy getting the tea party rundown that I don’t notice Cooper sitting at the raffle table until we’re standing right in front of it.

He’s staring at his phone and doesn’t seem to notice us, either, which is good because I can barely look away.

He has on a dark green tie and gray suspenders over a white dress shirt that fits him snugly in all the right places, and his sleeves are rolled up to just below his elbows.

Although I can’t see his full outfit behind the red brAMBLE FALLS APPLE CIDER TEA PARTY RAFFLE banner hanging from the front of the table, his top half is enough to stop me mid-sentence.

He finally looks up, catching me staring. “What’s up?”

“Um, what are you doing?” I ask him.

“What do you mean?” he asks, confused.

“Sloane and I are working this table. You should ask Aunt Naomi where you’re supposed to—”

“Actually,” Sloane interjects, “my mom made me a greeter.”

I look at her. “What? When?”

“She just told me this morning.”

Sloane has always been the worst liar. We could never get away with anything when we were younger if it meant her having to tell our parents a fib. And this lie is written all over her pretty face.

“But you just asked her—”

“Anyway, you two have fun! Bye!” She turns and nearly sprints away.

I sigh and sit in the chair next to Cooper.

“Sloane’s an awful liar,” Cooper says, scrolling on his phone.

“Yep.”

“So… why’d she tell Naomi to trade our jobs?” he asks, setting his phone right next to mine on the table between us.

“I have no idea, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because she can’t stand when people don’t get along and she thinks if we’re stuck next to each other all day, we’ll become friends again.”

Cooper nods but says nothing as he looks out at all the dressed-up people arriving. An awkward silence fills the space between us, the shared memory of his rejection last weekend hanging in the air.

Finally he says, “I ran into Dorothy last night.”

“Oh?”

“She brought Harley to Cheesylicious for dinner. Stopped by my table just to rave about you.”

I grin. “Aw. I really liked her, too.”

“Well, as a Bramble Falls native, I feel like it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re informed about the people here,” he says. “Especially if you might become friends with them.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know how Dorothy kept mentioning her walks with ‘her girls’?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, she and her friends are well-known around town as the Gossip Girls.”

“Like the show?” I ask.

“More like they’re the heart of the Bramble Falls gossip mill.”

My jaw drops. “Shut up. Cute elderly Dorothy? Not possible.”

“It is possible. They’re the eyes and ears of this place. They walk in circles around the town square every day, getting their steps in and sharing rumors.”

“Cooper, stop it right now,” I laugh. “I don’t know if I should believe you or not.”

“I’m not lying!” He laughs, gracing me with his dimple.

“Dorothy?” I shake my head. “This is so scandalous.”

“Just thought you should know, in case you end up talking to her more,” he says.

“Thanks. I’ll be careful not to share my deepest, darkest secrets.”

He grins at me, his eyes lingering on mine before a shadow is cast over us.

“Can I get two tickets?” someone to my right says. Cooper’s gaze is still fixed on me when I look away, giving a tall white woman with light brown hair my attention.

I pull two tickets off the roll, and she hands me two dollars, which I hand to Cooper to put in the cash box.

Once the woman leaves with her tickets, I put their matches in the large raffle-ticket spinners in front of the two baskets she is hoping to win—one with free passes to various upcoming Bramble Falls events, including the homecoming game in a couple of weeks, the double feature horror night at the drive-in movies in October, the community theater’s presentation of Wicked in November, and the Snow Ball in December, and one basket filled with treats from the Caffeinated Cat.

I haven’t tried the pastries there yet, but my mouth waters just looking at them.

“I need a harvest spice latte,” I say, realizing my stomach is empty. “Do you mind manning the table alone for a few minutes?”

“Um, yeah,” Cooper says, standing. My eyes wander to his dark gray dress pants, which fit him perfectly .

If staring at him were an Olympic sport, I’d win gold.

I swipe at my mouth just in case I’m drooling in public.

“I’m not going to let you walk all the way there on a bad ankle.

You watch the table. I’ll be right back. ”

“It’s been a week. My ankle is fine,” I argue, pulling my eyes back to his (impossibly handsome) face. “Even if it wasn’t, it’s literally across the street.” But he’s already on his way. “Cooper, stop! I can—”

“I can’t hear you!” he calls without looking back.

“At least take my credit card!”

He ignores me and keeps walking.

In the time that he’s gone, I sell twenty raffle tickets between four people, and all four put their tickets in the Caffeinated Cat basket. So when Cooper shows up with my latte and a dark red cookie, I’m ready to see what all the fuss is about.

I break it in two. Inside, swirls of something white mix with the buttery soft dough. I offer him the smaller half, which he declines.

I shrug. “Fine. More for me. What kind of cookie am I about to eat?”

“Red velvet marshmallow,” Cooper answers as I take my first bite.

It’s possible I moan.

Cooper laughs. “You like it?”

Okay, yeah, I definitely moaned.

“?‘Like’ doesn’t cover it,” I say after I swallow. “This is the sexiest thing I’ve ever eaten.”

Cooper’s eyebrows draw together, but he wears an amused smile. “Did you just call food sexy?”

“I called this red velvet cookie sexy, yes. Try to tell me I’m wrong.”

He laughs. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good. You should be fired from your job, by the way.”

“And why’s that?”

I gesture at what’s left of the cookie in front of me.

“Because I’ve been here two full weeks. I’ve gone to that café every single day for coffee.

And not once did you insist I get one of these.

Worst employee ever.” I shake my head, take another bite, and fill my cheek with the gooey goodness.

“And depriving me of these this whole time? If you didn’t already hate me, I’d fire you from our friendship. Worst ex-friend ever.”

Cooper shifts in his seat. “I don’t hate you.”

“Please.” I lick the marshmallow off my finger. Cooper’s eyes track it, and a strange warmth floods my cheeks. I put my hands in my lap. “You’ve made your feelings clear.”

“?‘Hate’ is a strong word.”

“Oh, okay. Would it be more accurate to say you ‘strongly dislike’ me?” I ask. “Because that would be disappointing. At least ‘hate’ implies something matters enough to be able to elicit such a strong feeling.”

“You mattering isn’t really the issue,” he grumbles.

“Okay, then tell me, what is the issue, exactly?”

A phone vibrates loudly on the table between us. We each look down to check where it came from. My phone is lit up.

Pen Thief Jake: Hey, you. Missed you last night What are you up to today? Working the ACTP?

He arches an eyebrow. “Pen Thief Jake? Is that Keller?”

“Yeah, he asked to borrow a pen on the first day of school and never gave it back.”

“Do all of your contacts have nickname reminders of who they are?” Cooper asks.

“Pretty much.” I take the final bite of cookie, closing my eyes as I savor the taste.

“Am I still in your phone?” His question is hesitant. Nervous.

I open my eyes. “Yes.”

He picks up his phone, hits a few buttons, and sets it back down just as my phone vibrates again.

Summer Cooper: What’s my reminder nickname?

“Interesting. I thought it’d be something like Crying Cooper or Pooper Cooper or Self-Tanner Cooper,” he says.

I snort-laugh. “Any of those would have worked. I guess I was being generous.”

Cooper’s bright eyes crinkle in the corners as he laughs, and I have to avert my eyes.

He is actually Too Much to look at.

Our laughter dies as the pretty girl from calculus and lunch approaches Cooper’s end of the table. She has sun-kissed highlights in her straight, long blond hair, a button nose with full lips, and a daisy-yellow dress. Her bright eyes are fixed on Cooper.

Which, understandable.

“Hey, Coop,” she says. “How’s it going over here? I thought you were a greeter today.”

“Hey,” Cooper replies, angling himself toward her. “Yeah, I was. Got swapped with Sloane, though.”

“I just saw the greeters sitting at a table drinking apple cider,” she says. “Sucks you don’t get to enjoy the party.”

Cooper shrugs, unaffected. “We’re having our own party over here.”

I laugh. “If this is your idea of a party, you need to get out more.”

He turns to me, a smirk playing on his face. “ You skipped out on Jake’s last night so that you could study, but I’m the one who needs to get out more?”

“Hey, I ended up watching Practical Magic with Sloane,” I say defensively. Plus, who needs a social life when I’m not going to be here long enough to make any real friends, anyway?

“Love that movie,” Cooper says.

“Really?” I ask, skeptical.

“Really,” he says. “The idea of being able to cast a spell so you don’t fall in love? If only.”

I tilt my head, trying to make sense of his comment, when the blonde clears her throat.

“I’m Chloe,” she says, cutting in and offering a small wave. “You’re Ellis, right? We sort of eat lunch together but haven’t actually met.”

“Yeah, nice to officially meet you.”

“Cooper said you two used to be friends,” she says.

“Yeah.” I glance at him. “Used to be.”

“I’m glad my old dress came in handy,” she says, her eyes trailing over me. “Looks way better on you than it did on me.”

“Thanks,” I force out. I try not to compare myself to other girls, but the idea of a who-wore-it-best moment between me and Chloe threatens even my sense of self-confidence.

She turns back to Cooper, whose eyes are on me. “Speaking of dresses,” she says, and he gives her his attention. “My mom and I went shopping this morning, and I got my homecoming dress. I’ll send you a picture so you can match the color.”

Oh.

Cooper and Chloe are a thing.

I don’t know why that never occurred to me. I’ve seen them together a thousand times over the last two weeks.

I also don’t know why I hate the idea so much.

Get a grip, Ellis.

“Sounds good,” Cooper says to her.

Chloe smiles. “Okay, well”—her eyes bounce between me and Cooper—“I’ll leave you two to your private party. Nice to meet you, Ellis. See you later, Coop.”

I stare ahead, out at the couples and families sitting at the tables drinking their apple cider and having a good time.

“The dress does look good on you,” he says quietly to my left.

I close my eyes and press my lips together. I know he’s trying to be nice and make me feel better, knowing I’m probably comparing myself to his gorgeous girlfriend since she wore it last year, but do we have to talk about the dress?

“Thanks.” I turn to him. “So, you and Chloe, huh?”

“What about us?” he asks, even though we both know what I’m asking.

“She seems nice. You two are cute together.”

“Oh yeah?” He chews the inside of his cheek and says nothing else as an announcement is made, reminding people about the raffle. People swarm the table, and Cooper and I are busy for the next twenty minutes, falling into an easy flow, working seamlessly together.

Once the rush clears, Cooper says, “Chloe and I aren’t together.”

“Really? Are you sure?” I ask.

“I think I’d know,” he says.

“Does Chloe?”

He draws his eyebrows together, in either confusion or annoyance—hard to say. “Yes, she’s aware. Why are you asking?”

I shrug. “Was thinking I might become one of the Gossip Girls.”

But my joke doesn’t land. Cooper only continues staring at me, waiting for a real answer.

“You’re going to homecoming together, and she definitely seems into you. I was just curious,” I say. “I’m only here a couple of months, but I’d still like to know what’s going on around me. That’s all.”

“Right,” he says. But he’s looking at me like I just admitted to being into him. Like I just asked him out. A combination of panic and embarrassment sends me into fight-or-flight mode.

“What about Jake?” I blurt, as if I care in the slightest whether Jake is single. And I think it’s safe to assume I’d know by now if he weren’t.

Cooper looks away. “Jake’s single.” He taps his thumb on the table a few times before adding, “And so is Slug, in case you were wondering.”

We both know I wasn’t.

“Okay, and what about Sloane and Asher?” Now, that is something I actually am curious about.

Cooper cracks a smile and turns my way again. “I mean, they say they’re only friends, but…”

“I know, right?”

He laughs and all the tension between us seems to dissipate.

A few minutes later, Aunt Naomi tells us we don’t need to sit at the table anymore. So Cooper heads over to where Chloe is hanging out, and I join Sloane, Preeti, and Asher at their table.

But no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop glancing at him.

And even if they’re not together, I can’t stop being jealous of whatever it is between him and Chloe.