Page 36 of Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore

“Shhh, Xuxuzinho, pay attention,” he murmurs, nodding toward Rayna. “Let’s see what we’ll be doing over the next few months.”

Months? Holy crap. Monty is right. Maple Festival begins in September and lasts through mid-November when we celebrate the end of the season, and the beginning of winter, with the Fall Ball. Can we really fake it for that long? Will anyone believe us? I feel like I might be sick. I stare out at all the people in the crowd and I think they can read my expression. They know.

Liar! their expressions all say. Pathetic Penny had to go make up a pretend boyfriend! You really think we’re going to fall for that?

“Have we picked the fundraiser for this year?” Babs calls out.

Okay, so maybe they’re not focused on me at all.

I blow out a breath as Fletcher answers, “No, not yet. But we’ve had quite a few great suggestions. New planters for the sidewalk, new shelving for the library—”

“What about a gazebo? All small towns have gazebos,” Ruby hollers. “My husband can build it.” She nudges her husband and he stumbles out of his chair.

“Happy to help,” he says with a wave.

“We could really use new turf for the high school football field,” the gym teacher says.

“What about a dog park?” I hear my sister call as I turn to locate her at the back of the room, leaning against the door.

“You don’t have a dog,” I point out.

She swings the door of the hall open to reveal her mini Highland cow, chewing on the yellow leash Tally is holding the other end of. “No, but Daisy could use it.”

“No cows at the dog park,” Rayna shouts.

“We don’t even have a dog park,” Fletcher grumbles.

“But we could.” Tally points to Daisy again. “Look how pretty she is. Don’t you all want her to have a place to play?”

“You have a farm,” Babs says over her shoulder. “Acres and acres of land. But you know what I don’t have?”

Oh no. I can only imagine what is about to come out of this woman’s mouth.

“A hot tub.”

“We’re not getting you a hot tub,” Fletcher says firmly.

“Not for me.” She waggles her brows. “It’s for the senior center. A therapeutic heated pool. They’re excellent for circulation.”

“Oh, I like that idea!” someone else calls.

Soon, the entire room has devolved into people shouting what they think is best: a dog park or a hot tub, with most voting for the latter.

“You’re losing them,” Monty says loudly to Fletcher.

“What am I supposed to do?” he replies, looking around the room in desperation.

Monty stands up, sticks his fingers in his mouth, and then does the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen: he lets loose a piercing whistle that quiets the entire room. The ability to do that is one thing. But to shut up Babs and Rayna? That is one quality I’ll be sure to add to my must-haves in a future boyfriend list.

“How about, rather than fight over what we’ll spend the money on,” he says loudly, “we discuss how we’re going to raise the money?”

“What a good point,” Rayna coos. The way she looks at him, like he’s the smartest person in the room, has me rolling my eyes. “Well, we have all the regular favorites: apple picking, the fall dessert bake-off, pumpkin picking, and relay races, Halloween on Maple Lane, and, of course, the Fall Ball. The festival all kicks off at the Montgomerys’ next Saturday with the first official bonfire of the season. We’re always very appreciative of your family for hosting.”

There is no mention of the haunted hayride—we don’t have anyone to tell the stories and no one has set up the maze on the farm. I’ll have to talk to my sister about that. We can’t let the Darlings not participate in the festival this year. Daddy would hate that.

“But—” Rayna says, turning to face us again, “we’ll need more than just that to fund the seniors’ new hot tub. So I have a very special idea.”

“What’s your brilliant idea?” Ruby calls.