Page 10 of The Cinnamon Spice Inn (Maple Falls #1)
EIGHT
MADISON
The cold, fresh air stung Madison’s cheeks. It was almost cold enough to see her breath in front of her face. A light fog floated through the streets, but the bright morning sun was quickly dissipating it, casting everything in a warm, golden glow.
She was wearing her old, worn leather hiking boots, a black woolen coat, and her mom’s emerald knit scarf, which she touched with a soft smile.
October mornings in Maple Falls could be downright chilly.
She didn’t know where she was going exactly but she needed this: fresh air and a chance to clear her head.
Maple leaves crunched underfoot as she walked.
The inn was set along the spring-fed lake, with a walking trail that wrapped around its entire perimeter.
The downtown area curved around the lake and housed all the independent shops and restaurants.
The other side of the lake was a residential district, home to the school, police department, post office, and bank, along with neighborhoods nestled among the trees.
A stretch of forest separated the two areas, with a small campground between them.
Now smoke drifted in the air from the handful of brave souls who still camped, even though nighttime temperatures were dipping into the forties.
Madison smiled, remembering the time she and Zach had spent a chilly night in a tent.
It had been his best friend Liam’s idea—a party at the campground to celebrate his and his twin brother Jackson’s twenty-first birthday.
Of course, the memory of what they’d done to stay warm made her cheeks flush.
She gave her head a little shake. If only things hadn’t ended the way they had.
Madison continued down Oak Way, the town’s main street. All the surrounding streets were named after local trees—Elm Drive, Popple Lane, Birch Road—which seemed fitting for a town named after a hardwood.
Shops were on either side of the inn along the lakefront. And now, Madison caught her first full glimpse of the lake since returning home.
She stood there, between the inn and the Little Lantern Bookshop, and gazed at the lake between the trees. It had been dark by the time she’d arrived last night. Now, the morning mist was nearly lifted and the sight was breathtaking.
A few boats were out fishing for early-morning walleye, and a pair of loons floated nearby.
The birds would be heading south soon, but for now, Madison enjoyed hearing their calls, even if they had a tendency to wake the town up at six in the morning.
Thankfully, the lake had a no-wake zone until 11 a.m., allowing nature, the fishermen, and the townsfolk to enjoy the tranquility without motorboats zipping around.
“Morning, Madison,” Dolores Humphrey called as she walked by, her little black schnauzer trotting along in front.
The dog wore a red sweater and a matching bow tie, looking very dapper, and judging by the way he held his head high and swished his tail just so, he knew it.
“Edith said you were back in town. Didn’t think I’d run into you first thing, but happy I did. ”
Mrs. Humphrey had been Madison’s first-grade teacher, and she looked the same as she had twenty years ago.
Madison wondered how that was even possible, but it was.
The retired teacher carried a takeaway coffee in her hand, and the sight alone was enough to make Madison know exactly where she needed to go.
“Morning,” Madison replied with a smile.
“Nice to see you too.” Just the simple act of greeting someone on the street made her think about how different things were in Maple Falls compared to the city.
It might have only been three years since she’d been home for the funeral, but it felt much longer.
Even then, she’d kept her head down and avoided people.
Losing her mom had been hard enough without adding everyone’s sympathy on top of it.
Madison never knew what to say when people expressed their condolences.
Sometimes, it felt like she ended up comforting them instead of the other way around.
The whole thing had been exhausting, serving as a constant reminder of how much she had lost. Madison shook her head, unwilling to dwell on the past, but she couldn’t deny how much being home stirred up old memories.
Still, as she walked toward the bakery, she smiled, taking in the seasonal storefront displays. It looked like the storm had knocked over a couple of planters, broken a few branches, and toppled a scarecrow or two, but she was glad to see no one else had any structural damage.
That was a relief, since the Maple Falls Pumpkinfest was next Friday.
Businesses were already gearing up, and it showed.
On the day of the festival, Oak Way would be shut down, turning the downtown area into a street fair with the festival spilling over to the community park along the waterfront.
All the downtown businesses participated, from a bouncy house in front of the bookstore to a hay bale maze sponsored by the Kettle.
There was face painting, pumpkin bowling, a kids’ craft table, and so much more.
The hardware store’s window featured a scarecrow dressed like a fisherman, complete with a flannel shirt, overalls, and a toy fishing pole.
In front of Harvest & Hearth, the culinary shop, a rustic wooden sign invited festival-goers to their cider-tasting event, boasting flavors like honey crisp, spiced pear, and mulled cranberry.
The chocolate shop, the Cocoa Corner, made Madison stop and smile.
The owner, Rita, had made a massive hollowed-out chocolate pumpkin, with a contest to guess how many candy corn pieces were inside. The winner would take it all.
Down the street, the hay bale maze was under construction in the town square, where children would soon race through tunnels of straw.
The pumpkin-carving contest was scheduled for next Friday afternoon, and if memory served, the winner always walked away with a fall-themed gift basket completewith a cozy blanket, spiced candles, and locally made treats.
The scarecrow-making competition was another festival favorite.
Businesses and families alike participated, crafting everything from traditional hay-stuffed farmers to elaborate, themed designs.
And, of course, the food. Madison’s stomach rumbled just thinking about it.
There would be fresh caramel apples, spiced cider served steaming in paper cups, hot kettle corn, and Maple Falls’ famous cinnamon donuts, served warm from the fryer.
The bakery always sold out within the first few hours, and people lined up early to get their hands on a dozen before they were gone.
Throughout downtown, bright orange pumpkins, stacked bales of hay, and chrysanthemums in deep burgundy, sunny yellow, light purple, and soft white decorated the streets.
Madison instinctively glanced over her shoulder at the front of the inn and sighed.
It’s not like she expected someone to magically decorate the porch overnight.
Still, the lack of decoration was a glaring reminder of just how much still needed to be done.
Thankfully, she reached her destination before she could spiral into further frustration. She pulled open the door to the Pumpkin Pie Bakery and stepped inside.
The bakery had a vintage farmhouse charm, with worn wooden floors and cream-painted shiplap walls. The chairs were black wrought iron with natural wood seats, and greenery filled the space—lemon and orange trees soaking in the abundant natural light from the windows.
The air was warm and filled with the scents of cinnamon, vanilla, and freshly brewed coffee.
Madison’s stomach rumbled as she caught sight of the display case—cranberry-orange scones and mouthwatering cream cheese danishes lined the first row.
The second case was dedicated to gourmet cupcakes, everything from devil’s food cake filled with chocolate ganache and raspberry jam to yellow cake iced with vanilla cookie buttercream, and lemon cake with cream cheese icing and a lemon curd filling.
But what caught Madison’s eye the most were the sugar cookies. They were easily the size of her palm, if not larger, and cut into adorable shapes like oversized leaves, acorns, apples, and pumpkins. Each was topped with a thick layer of fluffy, smooth buttercream frosting.
Madison’s mouth watered. She couldn’t deny it. If she had a vice, it was an addiction to coffee and buttercream.
“Madison Kelly, is that you? Oh my gosh, you’re really back!”
Madison froze for half a second before turning.
Emily Whitaker, Zach’s younger sister by eighteen months, was rounding the bakery counter, wiping flour from her hands before pulling Madison into a tight hug.
Madison was surprised by the sudden, familiar aroma of warm vanilla and fresh bread that clung to Emily’s clothes. It tugged at old memories of lazy Saturday mornings, splitting muffins and gossiping about boys before life had gotten so complicated.
She hadn’t planned on running into Emily today, and she honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.
They hadn’t seen each other since her mother’s funeral.
And even then, they hadn’t talked much. That day was a haze, but she remembered Emily had hugged her, said she was there for her if she wanted to talk.
But Madison hadn’t spoken to her in years.
When her mom was sick, she hadn’t been able to reach out to Emily in the way she would have once.
Because things could never again be the way they were before Madison and Zach split up.
Now, this long hug was definitely unexpected.
A knot deep inside her stopped Madison from softening into it, a resistance, a fear.
She couldn’t help wondering if Emily would suddenly pull away.
But Emily only hugged her tighter, and the knot in Madison’s chest loosened just enough for her to hug her back.