Page 25 of Romantic

“Yes, that was totally inappropriate.”

“I have to work with what I’ve got. I’m not leaving any stone unturned with Project Eliminate Willoughby.”

“Speaking of which . . .” I pour pancakes on the sizzling griddle. “Annie came over while you were fake sleeping.”

“Oh really? What did she want?” Pepper asks with feigned innocence.

“You know very well that she was mad about the tarantula you left at her boyfriend’s.”

Pepper snickers. “How did you even catch a tarantula?”

“That was pure luck. I found it in my sink.” As the owner of this park, I inwardly groan. Guests will not be happy if they find pests like that in their cottages. We have so much work to do. “I put it in my backpack. Jack’s place was unlocked. It was easy to slip in.”

“You can’t do stuff like that. It’s not safe.”

“Give me some credit. I looked in the window first”

“About that . . . don’t go peeking in windows. You might see more than you want.”

“I only saw a little bit of kissing.”

I close my eyes and count to ten.

“Pepper, do we need to pack up and go home?”

“Noooo! We can’t leave!” she says with a little girl whine. I swear, one minute she acts like a fifteen-year-old and the next like she’s five. “We just got here! I have so many big plans.”

“Then I need you to promise to stop your matchmaking.”

“But Annie likes you. I know she does. You should have seen how annoyed she was about you starting to date again.” I can’t trust Pepper’s assessment. She wants us together too badly. Still, my heart leaps at the thought that she could be right.

“That doesn’t mean she wants to date me—or that I even want to date her.”

“Now you’re straight up lying,” Pepper scoffs.

“Maybe. But regardless, you have to stop interfering.”

“I know.” Pepper looks thoughtful. She closes her notebook. “I hate to have my genius thwarted. But so be it. I’ll end Project Eliminate Willoughby.”

“Really?” I expected more of a fight.

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to go home, and to be honest it was a little scary sneaking around after dark. Though it was worth it when I heard Willoughby scream like a little girl.”

“Woah! That’s an insult to little girls. Who, as we both know, are quite brave.” I put a plate of pancakes in front of Pepper. “That guy screamed like a jackalope.”

Colonel Brandon seems a man of great worth. —Sense and Sensibility

8

Annie

The morning sky is pale pink when I head out to the berry patch. As soon as I woke up, I decided I needed to pick berries in order to make a peace offering to Brandon. I said some cruel things to him last night. And worse, I only said them because I was trying to get some distance from him. If only he had put a shirt on. . . .

I blamed him, but I know he’s right. Pepper wouldn’t have left a tarantula at Jack’s if I hadn’t taught her the fine art of matchmaking. I totally deserved the tarantula, although I’m not sure Jack did.

Poor Jack. He apologized for freaking out about the spider when I finally returned. He wondered where I’d been. I gave him some story about taking Pepper home after I found her wandering outside. No need to tell Jack that Pepper sent the tarantula. I can’t have him angry at her, especially when it’s really my fault. Jack wanted me to stay longer, but I couldn’t be kissing Jack with my head full of Brandon. He had no business looking that good with his mussed-up hair and Clark Kent glasses.

I pick a particularly plump berry and pop it in my mouth. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and tart.