“Were you able to get your driver’s license renewed, Mrs. Evans?”

This wasn’t a question Sofia Locke, born into privilege and raised in affluence, had ever expected to ask. Yet, here she was, standing on the sidewalk, giving the elderly woman with the peach-colored perm her full attention as she waited for the answer.

“I did,” came the soft reply from across the low hedge. “But three people were in front of me and I had to wait fifteen minutes. I had my knitting with me, though, so it was time well spent.”

“I’m looking forward to that scarf. How are Gary and Mary doing today?”

“Oh, they seem to like the new food I picked up at the store. Gary can be a little too loud for my taste, but Mary seems to tolerate him well enough.”

Gary and Mary were not people. They were cardinals that Mrs. Evans doted on like her own grandchildren. Sofia’s conversation with Mrs. Evans was one of many she’d started having throughout the day since she’d come to visit Amber Falls. Her near daily sojourn from her brother’s office to her favorite coffee house brought her past all kinds of locals that she just couldn’t help but want to know better. In Atlanta, she had to drive almost everywhere to get where she needed to go, but in Amber Falls, the walkability factor was reason five hundred and thirty-six that she’d grown to love this place.

“How is your brother doing?” Mrs. Evans shaded her eyes from the sun peeking through the large maple trees.

“As ornery as ever, but I think he’ll be getting his comeuppance any day now. I can feel it.” She’d learned that Mrs. Evans loved it when she used big, and what some might consider old-fashioned, words—the more syllables the better.

“Love has a way of doing that to the most stubborn person.”

Sofia did not miss the raised eyebrows at this statement.

Her brother Sebastian was the head of their family’s company, Locke Communications. He was also a well-known curmudgeon in the town, since his arrival to take over the Amber Falls Bee last fall.

“I don’t know what you mean,” was her pithy reply, as she backed her way down the sidewalk.

“You will!” Mrs. Evans hollered as loud as her soft voice would let her.

Sofia gave a wave before turning around and continuing on, a breeze fluttering the hem of her short sundress. The week had turned warm and humid. Despite her attempts to dress for the heat, she could feel a bead of sweat between her shoulder blades.

She pushed open the door of Books and Beans and gave a sigh as a whoosh of air conditioning hit her straight in the face. The cool air pushed the humidity aside and replaced it with the aromatic smell of coffee. Sofia let the sweat evaporate on her skin, and a small shiver ran through her at the sudden temperature shift. Emma St. Claire, her favorite barista, was standing at the counter, her chin propped on her hand, attention focused on a book lying on the counter. Serenity flowed through her when Emma saw her and smiled.

“I don’t think I’ve seen it so dead in here,” Sofia observed.

“It happens sometimes on beautiful summer days like this. Besides, I had a big call-in order that someone should be in to pick up soon.”

Sofia sat at a stool across from Emma, nodding at her book. “What are you reading?”

Emma gave a cheeky smile. “I’m in my dark romance era.”

“Now that I can get behind. Which one?”

Emma held up the book for Sofia to inspect.

“Hm, gothic cover and purple-edged pages.” She ran her hand over the embossed wording. “I love this for you.”

“I love it for me too. Now I only need to find the brooding hero that goes with it.”

Sofia cocked her head and studied Emma’s appearance. Emma’s wavy, honey-blonde hair fell over her sun-kissed shoulders and Sofia wished she could pull off the fresh-faced, unfiltered look the way Emma did. She didn’t even consider leaving the house without at least concealer and mascara.

“You’re so All-American. Do you really want an actual Heathcliff, not some buff farm boy?”

“Oh yes.” Emma sighed and placed a bookmark into the pages, sliding the book onto the counter. “Farm boys are great, but I need the angst and substance.”

Sofia shook her head. “I don’t believe you. You don’t want a Heathcliff, you want a Darcy with maybe some extra baggage. No one has time for a Heathcliff.”

Emma pursed her lips and looked like she was going to continue to argue her point. “You’re right,” she conceded. “Reading about his moods is one thing, having to deal with them every day is another. Did you want some coffee?”

“I’ll take an iced coffee with a splash of French vanilla in it, please.”

Emma poured the coffee and asked over her shoulder, “What are you up to this afternoon?”

Sofia’s body temperature had evened out, and that meant that she was starting to sweat again. Even the air was having trouble keeping up with this heat wave, so she grabbed a coaster off the counter and fanned herself.

“I’m going to the university to meet about helping with costumes for summer stock.”

“So you’ll get to hang out with Wyatt Reed?”

Sofia grinned. “The one and only.”

Sofia noticed that Emma’s face got red and thought it must be because of Wyatt’s day job as an actor.

“Just because he’s famous doesn’t mean that he’s not down to earth. If anything, his turnaround from playboy to playwright is what should be talked about more than his past.”

“Playwright?” Emma set the coffee down on the counter. “I didn’t know that.”

Sofia waved her hand in dismissal. “I mean the about-face he’s done.”

“It was sudden, wasn’t it?” Emma’s voice was quiet and almost spoken to herself, not to Sofia.

“No one quite knows what happened, just that overnight Wyatt changed. I’ve tried to get Sebastian to tell me more, but he claims to know nothing about it. I wonder if Gabe knows what’s up?”

“Owning the busiest bar in town should make him an expert in all the gossip, come to think of it.”

“If that’s true, then you working for Devlin should give you a straight line to some of that pillow-talk.”

“What should working with me get her?” a voice called from the back office.

“Nothing,” shouted Emma while Sofia shouted, “Dirt!” at the same time.

The squeak of a chair sounded and Devlin Watkins, owner of Books and Beans, appeared in the doorway.

“I heard ‘nothing’ and ‘dirt’. Either one of you is lying, or you’re plotting to bury a body.” Devlin raised her brows. “Either way, I want in.”

Emma waved her hand in dismissal. “We’re just talking about Wyatt Reed.”

“Ok, I’m all in.” Devlin adopted the pose of Sofia and Emma. “Tell me all about it.”

“We’re trying to figure out what happened to him,” Emma explained.

Devlin leaned in. “If Gabe knows anything, he’s keeping a tight lid on it.”

“Bro code.” Sofia nodded. “That explains it.”

“Explains what?” Emma asked.

“You know. Guys are mysterious and want to seem like they have no emotion or feelings, so they cover for each other when something big happens, like it clearly did with Wyatt. Bro code.”

“I’m not sure.” Devlin hesitated. “I think that Gabe would’ve told me something if he knew it.”

Sofia snorted out a laugh. “That’s what he wants you to think, but if he knows anything about Wyatt, he’ll take it to his grave.”

“Not even the tabloids have gotten anything on him. Person magazine wrote up a whole supposed exposé on him with no facts and tried to present it as reality.” Emma took a sip of her own iced coffee, but Sofia noticed her eyes weren’t meeting hers. “I just want to poke at him until I get to his soft, gooey middle.”

Sofia shot Emma a sly look. “He obviously has a crush on you.”

“W-what are you talking about?” Emma stuttered. “I met him just the…the once last year.”

Sofia exchanged a glance with Devlin. “He’s withdrawn so much from public life that you just might be what he needs. Maybe he’s your baggage-laden Darcy.”

“I don’t think so, unless he’s suddenly into small-town girls. If anything, you’re his type, Sofia,” Emma pointed out.

“He doesn’t seem to want his normal type. He hasn’t been linked to anyone in over a year and hasn’t shown me the smallest bit of interest.”

Emma coughed and started to turn away. “Right, but—”

The door to Books and Beans opened with a jangle and Sofia jumped and whirled around, startled by the interruption. Devlin and Emma straightened, their eyes wide.

Wyatt stood at the door, as if manifested straight from their conversation, all six foot four of him, though clearly tensed at the women’s sudden movements, with his hands held up. “Am I interrupting something?”

Sofia was the first to recover and motioned him over. “No, of course not. We’re at an open business in the middle of the day.”

“You seemed to be in a deep discussion.” Wyatt ambled over and sat on one of the stools near the women. “I’m here to pick up coffee for the summer stock players.”

“I didn’t know the order was for you.” Emma moved over to the two four-pack drink holders and set them next to Wyatt.

“Someone else from the university ordered it.” A dimpled grin crossed Wyatt’s face. “Why? Would you have made it extra special if you knew I was coming?”

Sofia could see Emma visibly swallow at those words.

“I make it the same no matter who it’s for.”

“That’s too bad.” Wyatt’s voice deepened. “I was hoping for something a little extra.”

Emma’s face contorted in clear embarrassment and Sofia almost felt sorry for her. She noticed a tension between the two, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on what would be causing it.

Wyatt’s elbow brushed against Emma’s novel that was still sitting on the counter. He paged through it, a low whistle coming from his lips.

“Woah.” His eyes shot to Emma’s. “Is this yours?”

Emma nodded.

Wyatt continued to page through the book. “Holy shit, this is dark.” He lifted his eyes to Emma again. “Is this what you’re into?”

Sofia watched Emma sputter at the question and decided to spare her from Wyatt’s interrogation.

“What do you think she’d be into, Wyatt?”

Wyatt sat there, motionless, staring at Emma until he slammed the book shut. Emma reached out and grabbed the book and Wyatt held on to it for a second too long, but eventually let it go.

“I don’t know.” He held Emma’s gaze for another moment, then turned to Sofia. “Are you coming to the meeting today?”

“I am. I didn’t know you were getting coffee so I stopped to get my own first.”

Wyatt gestured to the to-go containers. “There would’ve been plenty for everyone, today is just an informal meeting with the major players—lighting, costumes, audio—that type.”

“What play are you doing?” Devlin asked.

“We chose A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“That’s one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.” Emma’s eyes took on a dreamy expression. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind…”

“…and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind,” Wyatt finished. “Mine too. I believe, beyond a doubt, that even though we can get some things so wrong, it’ll all work out in the end.”

“Let me guess.” Emma leaned in. “You’re a Puck, a sprightly fairy that flits around causing chaos wherever he goes?”

Wyatt shrugged, moving closer. “If that’s the way I’m perceived, I can’t help it.”

Emma and Wyatt stared, separated by the counter, but Sofia felt like something was drawing them together. She couldn’t wait to have that conversation with Emma.

“That’s sixty-four dollars and seventy cents,” Emma whispered, her voice hoarse, and she cleared her throat.

Wyatt blinked and sat back. “What?”

“For the coffees.” Emma gestured to the counter.

Sofia exchanged a glance with Devlin, trying to hide a smile at the encounter between the two.

“You’re not going to help out with the play?” Wyatt handed her a one-hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change. I meant it when I said we could use the extra hands.”

“With tips like that, I’ll deliver whatever you need, but Devlin will be gone and I’ll be here covering for her.”

Sofia swung her head to Devlin. “You’re leaving? Where are you going?”

“Gabe and I will be heading to Boston for a few weeks. Emma will hold the fort down while I’m gone.”

“Thankfully my sister will be here, too.” Emma slid the large bill from Wyatt into the register. “She’ll be able help out.”

Wyatt grabbed the coffee containers.

“Care to walk over together? I can help you with that.” Sofia reached for one of the containers.

“Sure thing.” Wyatt winked at Emma. “See you ladies later.”

Emma turned red under her fresh summer tan and Sofia gave a peal of laughter. This town just kept getting better and better.