The Cinnamon Bun Book Store: TikTok Made Me Buy It (Dream Harbor, Book 2)

Hazel was hungover. But it was Thursday and she had a standing breakfast date with her dad on Thursdays, so here they were in their usual booth at the diner on the corner of Main and Central, the one with the best pancakes and mediocre coffee. She’d stop at the Pumpkin Spice Café on her way to work for something actually drinkable.

The diner was filled with the usual weekday crowd, which consisted mostly of very loud seniors. Hazel’s head pounded every time Amir Sharma raised his voice to argue with Rico Stephens about their ongoing football pool, and the crowd of retirees in the back corner was getting rowdier by the second.

‘You look terrible, Hazelnut.’

‘Thanks, Dad. That’s sweet of you to say.’

Her dad took a sip of his coffee. ‘You know I value honesty.’

‘I’m hungover.’

‘On a Thursday?’ The mayor looked truly scandalized. So maybe, ‘act like a teenager’ mission accomplished?

‘Yep. Logan and Jeanie had people over for a bonfire last night.’

‘And things got rowdy?’

Hazel snorted into her orange juice. Things hadn’t gotten rowdy, she’d just lost her mind, got drunk in a berry patch, and assaulted a fisherman. She wasn’t entirely sure this was the kick off to the last months of her twenties that she wanted, but it sure was reckless.

‘You could say that.’

‘I hope you didn’t drive home in that condition.’

Hazel refused to think about the drive home, or Noah’s forearms flexing as he turned the wheel, or the way he walked her to the door and helped her inside. She was not thinking about the kiss he left on her cheek or the way he said, ‘Goodnight Haze.’ Her nickname whispered in his deep voice sending chills through her body. Nope. Nope she wasn’t.

‘Of course I didn’t drive home like that.’

‘Just making sure.’

‘I’m twenty-nine, Dad.’

‘And yet somehow, still my baby.’

Her father was ridiculous and also adorable so she let it slide. Today he was wearing a tie covered in rubber duckies, a sky-blue button down, and his signature glasses that kept slipping down his nose. It was hard to stay irritated at him.

‘How’s Frank?’

‘He’s good, sends you a kiss.’ Frank was her dad’s husband and the whole reason they moved to Dream Harbor in the first place. He was another father to Hazel, but she’d probably always call him Frank.

‘And Mom?’

‘Mom’s good, starting to gear up for the school year.’ Hazel’s mother made the move with them to Dream Harbor and lived upstairs in the two-family house they all shared. Some people seemed to find it odd, but Hazel never did. Her parents had never been together in that way. Just two friends who decided to make a baby together and it had worked out just fine for everyone.

Hazel had no siblings unless you counted her mother’s two French bulldogs, Diego and Frida, which her mother definitely did. She taught art at the middle school and was known for the often scandalous, always nude, sculptures she made in her spare time.

‘Middle-schoolers are rough. I don’t know how she does it.’

‘Your mother loves a challenge.’

‘Hmm. I guess so.’ Hazel smiled at the new waitress as she set a heaping plate of pancakes in front of her. ‘Thank you.’

‘Mayor Kelly.’ Her father stuck out his hand as soon as the woman’s hands were empty. ‘I don’t believe we’ve met.’ He smiled his biggest smile and Hazel bit down on her lip at how delightfully nerdy her father was.

The woman smiled back and took his hand. ‘Maribel. Nice to meet you.’

‘Are you new to town?’

‘Yes. We moved in a few weeks ago.’

‘And how are you finding things so far?’

‘Very well, thanks.’

Hazel tuned out her father’s welcome speech as she dug into her breakfast. She already knew the ins and outs of Dream Harbor plenty well by now. But Maribel seemed pleased with the chat as she moved on to take Dot and Norman’s order, who were snuggled up together in the next booth over.

‘You know you can’t know every single person in this town, right?’

Her dad smiled indulgently, cutting into his omelet. ‘I can try.’

‘Dad, do you ever feel … I don’t know … stuck?’

He paused with a forkful of omelet halfway to his mouth. He lowered his fork. ‘Sure. Sometimes everyone feels that way, I think. Why? Is everything alright?’

Hazel waved his concern away with a hand. ‘It’s nothing serious. Just been feeling, I don’t know … restless.’

Her father smiled, resuming his eating. ‘Sounds like you just need a fun summer,’ he said between bites.

A fun summer.

I woulda kept kissing you.

Noah’s words echoed through her brain like they had been all night. She felt the heat rush to her face. She loved her dad, but she certainly wasn’t going to discuss that type of fun summer with him.

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’

‘Of course I’m right. I’m your dad.’

Hazel smirked, shoveling in the last of her pancakes. ‘Right. Okay, well I gotta get to work.’ She slid out of the booth and planted a kiss on her father’s cheek. ‘Love you.’

‘Love you.’ Her father waved goodbye as she left and by the time she was outside he’d already joined his deputy mayor, Mindy, and her best friend, Tammy, at the next table over. Hazel smiled at them through the window. Her father never tired of talking to people.

It was a warm morning, but not hot yet, and Hazel let herself appreciate the early sun on her face. The walk to the bookstore was short, and even with a stop at the café for her new favorite apple cider iced tea, Hazel was early. The store wasn’t supposed to open for another half hour which made it all the more surprising to find a certain fisherman propped against her emerald green door.

‘Noah.’

A slow grin crossed his face and Hazel clutched her iced tea tighter. Protection against that smile.

‘Hey,’ he said, all low and deep, the sound vibrating through her in that way that made her lose all coherent thought.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I just wanted to make sure you were okay.’

‘Of course I’m okay.’ She sounded grumpier than she meant to, but she was not prepared to face Noah yet, certainly not after last night. She was hoping to avoid him for at least a week or two. Or possibly forever.

‘Well, last night you seemed…’

‘I’m fine. I just need to get to work.’ She gestured toward the door where he was still leaning and blocking her escape.

‘Right, sorry, I just thought…’

He shuffled out of the way and Hazel unlocked the door, but she couldn’t very well slam it in his face, so she had no choice but to let him follow her in.

‘Was this place always called The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore?’ he asked, following along behind her.

‘Nope.’

‘Why’d you change it?’

‘The owner likes to keep things fresh.’

‘So … are there cinnamon buns?’ he asked, hope clear in his voice.

Hazel bit down on a smile. ‘Every Sunday morning.’ It was Hazel’s favorite thing about the rebranding; the smell of cinnamon and sugar every Sunday made working on the weekends a pleasure.

‘How did I not know this?’

Hazel shrugged. ‘It’s kinda new.’

‘Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were all right,’ he tried again and Hazel turned to face him. The morning sun highlighted gold streaks in his copper hair. He had a sunburn across his nose and cheeks but somehow he looked healthy and sexy instead of like a giant crustacean as she usually did. He had an uncharacteristically worried crease between his brows.

She sighed. He looked genuinely concerned about her. ‘I’m fine. Really.’

His gaze raked over her like he was assessing for damage, like somehow after he left her house last night, she’d managed to fall down a well or something. Her first big reckless night and Hazel had set off alarm bells in two of the men in her life. And she hadn’t even left the garden. A clear sign that she had been living far too safely for the past twenty-nine years.

Noah met her gaze and nodded, apparently believing that she was fine. ‘Great.’ His expression turned from worried to mischievous. ‘So, when do we start the clues?’

Heat crept up her cheeks at the memory of all the things she said last night, the things she asked for and confessed. That insane kiss. She hadn’t been that drunk, just loose enough to be honest. To do the things she’d really wanted to do.

‘You don’t have to do that. It was a crazy idea.’

His smile slipped. ‘Oh.’

I woulda kept kissing you.

What was she doing? This man, this very sexy man, was offering to spend the rest of the summer with her and she was just, what? Not going to do it? Wasn’t this exactly what she’d wanted? A chance to spend the last days of her twenties having reckless adventures?

And looking at Noah right now, sun-kissed and windswept, his brown eyes watching her, this idea felt very reckless. Spending time with Noah could backfire in any number of ways ranging from her going overboard off his boat to developing actual feelings for this man who had no real ties to this town and could up and leave at any time.

But Hazel was officially throwing caution, sense and practicality out the window. For the next two months. This morning, completely sober and in the bright light of day, Hazel was making a decision. She was going to do this for herself. She was going to take Noah up on his offer. And whatever else this summer handed to her.

‘However, there aren’t any new clues yet.’ She pointed to the neatly organized shelves behind him. His face lit up again. She was quickly learning that Noah’s emotions were never far from the surface of his handsome face and maybe all that staring at her and smiling that he did was … him actually having the hots for her?

She was getting ahead of herself. Noah offered to help her have a fun summer not be her summer fling. Right? Right. That would be weird. You don’t just ask someone to have that kind of fun summer with you.

Damn it. She was probably blushing up to her ears right now.

‘But you’ll let me know when there is?’

‘Uh, yeah. I mean if there are any more. Who knows.’

‘Well, if there isn’t then we’ll just have to make our own fun.’ His smile grew and thankfully Hazel’s iced tea was in a metal travel mug or she would have crushed the cup by now. ‘I’ve got a tour this afternoon but text me if you find anything.’ He tossed the words over his shoulder like it was all very casual. Like Hazel didn’t feel as though she just made some kind of nefarious deal with a very handsome pirate.

She was being crazy.

Noah was a friend. They were just two friends who decided to follow the clues left in her bookstore. Nope that still sounded crazy.

‘Okay, sure.’ She raised a hand in goodbye as Noah left. She watched him walk past the front windows and then disappear down the street. He was far too good-looking for this to end well, but it was too late now. She’d recruited the sexy, town fisherman to help her have an adventurous end of summer/end of her twenties and she was suddenly feeling as though she was in way over her head.

Hazel sighed and went to hang her bag up in the back office before it was time to open. She didn’t really think of it as her office since it was where everyone kept their coats and bags and contained the sofa where staff usually ate their lunches. But the desk was hers.

And it was the perfect spot to rest her head and think about what she’d just agreed to.