Page 53 of The Cinnamon Spice Inn (Maple Falls #1)

FORTY-SIX

MADISON

Madison held it together until she stepped outside City Hall. Above her, the bright autumn sun felt far too cheery for her mood. Her boots crunched on the fall leaves as she walked toward her father’s pickup truck, her mind reeling with the revelation—her family didn’t even own the inn.

She had come home to save her family’s legacy, but it wasn’t even theirs anymore.

Madison climbed into the pickup truck, slamming the door harder than she’d intended. Her thoughts spiraled. How had the day gone so wrong? She’d woken up that morning ready to tell Zach she was all in. Now… now she didn’t know what she was going to do.

She drove around the lake on autopilot. She’d made this drive thousands of times, but today it felt like she was floating outside her own body. She drove past familiar landmarks: the community gazebo, the farmers’ market lot where she and her mom would buy fresh bread and berries, the craft store.

Madison didn’t want to head back to the inn—not yet. She didn’t want to face Zach either. She was too confused, too torn up. Instead, she parked downtown, just a block away from the inn.

Around her, tourists and locals alike strolled up and down the sidewalks, smiling with to-go cups of coffee and shopping bags dangling from their gloved wrists.

She stared across the town square at pumpkins and hay bales artfully arranged for fall. Further down, a banner stretched across two lampposts: “THE CINNAMON SPICE INN GRAND REOPENING!” Gram must have ordered it.

Her chest tightened.

Everything her parents had sacrificed—their home, their savings, their security—they’d given it all so she could chase her dreams. So she could have opportunities they’d never dared to reach for.

And now, she had a chance to give it back. To give the inn back to their family. To finish what her parents had started, to honor every quiet sacrifice they’d made.

There was no choice, really. She had to take the job.

She had to save the inn. For them. For Gram. For every memory tucked inside those walls.

But that meant…

She looked down the street, where the trees blazed gold against the cloudy sky, where the lake shimmered in the distance beyond the rooftops.

It meant leaving this beautiful place. Leaving Zach. Because Zach would never leave Maple Falls. His roots were here. He’d said so himself.

The knowledge settled into her chest like wet cement.

She pulled her mother’s old scarf tighter around her neck, trying to brace herself against the chill. But the cold wasn’t just in the air—it was inside her, threading through her veins.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Madison climbed out of the truck and started walking blindly through the square.

The scent of pancakes and bacon from the café was warm and familiar, but she barely noticed it. Her thoughts were spinning too fast.

Was she really going to leave Zach again? Her heart screamed, No , but her mind said, Yes. This was what she had to do, for her family.

She was halfway across the square when she spotted Gram stepping out of the bakery, a to-go cup in her hand.

Madison hesitated.

Part of her wanted to turn around, run back to the truck, and keep on running until the world made sense again.

But a bigger part, a braver part, knew she needed someone to talk to.

And Gram had never been anything but honest with her.

Gram lifted her cup in greeting, her face lighting up until she caught sight of Madison’s expression. Her smile faltered, replaced by quiet concern.

“I’ve seen that face before,” Gram called, voice light but edged with worry. “And it’s never good.”

Madison’s heart twisted painfully. She felt like a little girl again—lost, unsure, desperate for someone to tell her it would be okay. To tell her what to do.

But she wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was the one who had to make the hard choices now.

“I just…” Madison shook her head helplessly. She glanced back toward the bakery, where Mrs. C. and Mrs. Bishop sat gossiping over cookies like nothing had changed. Like the world wasn’t tilting under her feet.

“I don’t know anymore.”

Gram stepped closer, wrapping an arm around Madison’s shoulders. “Come sit with me, darling. We’ll figure it out.”

Madison allowed Gram to lead her to a bench under the largest oak tree in the square. The grand tree was full of vibrant yellow leaves that seemed to soak up the brightness of the sun.

“Now, tell me what has you so worked up,” Gram said, taking a sip of her drink.

“I went to see the mayor.” Madison let the statement hang heavy in the air.

The look on Gram’s face said she knew exactly where this was going.

“You knew?” Madison asked.

“That your parents sold the inn?” Gram nodded.

“Of course you knew.” Madison stared at the ground, feeling left out and lost.

“I don’t think they meant to keep it a secret, not forever. Your parents did the best they could with what they had. They never wanted to make you feel bad about it.”

“But I do feel bad,” Madison said, her voice thick. “I feel awful. I feel like I never should’ve come back. If I’d stayed in New York, I wouldn’t have picked things back up with Zach, and accepting this job offer wouldn’t be so hard.”

“Job offer?” Gram tilted her head.

“It’s an amazing opportunity, Gram. Huge payday. I could buy back the inn, make my parents proud, fix everything.”

“Except for you and Zach,” Gram said knowingly.

Madison nodded, tears threatening to fall. “No matter what I choose, someone is going to get hurt, and not just me. But I owe it to my parents, don’t I? After everything they did?”

Gram reached out and gently patted Madison’s thigh. “Nonsense. This is your life, darling. Create one you love.”