Free Just Say Maybe: A Thistle Bend Novel by Tracy March

of the original buildings along Larkspur Avenue and painted sage green with lavender trim, it was Holly’s favorite cozy coffee shop and bakery.
    She got in line behind a middle-aged couple she didn’t recognize—likely tourists now that it was nearly summer and the wildflowers were in bloom. They confirmed it when the woman asked the man, “You think their cinnamon rolls are homemade?” The man wore a cap that read
I’d Rather Be Fishing.
    “They are,” Holly said, unable to resist. Because if you ate one thing in Thistle Bend, it ought to be the cinnamon rolls at Calypso Coffee—and the ice cream at Get the Scoop, and the fried chicken at the Canary…“They’re the best cinnamon rolls in the Rockies.” There was no debate about it. The rolls were made from the Montgomery sisters’ special recipe. Milly and Merri had been unable to keep up with demand for their renowned pastries, so they’d graciously shared the recipe with Ginny, the owner of Calypso Coffee. “They’re magically delicious.” Because all of the sisters’ recipes had a pinch of magic in the mix.
    The woman furrowed her brow and gazed at Holly as if she guessed Holly had been smoking something wacky.
    Holly shrugged one shoulder and grinned. “Just sayin’.”
    The couple ordered and stepped aside. They murmured to each other, lingering next to the display case, still perusing the array of fresh, irresistible baked goods inside.
    Holly set her fringed purse on the counter. “Mornin’, Ginny.”
    Ginny smiled. “Sun’s shining and coffee’s brewing.” Heavyset, sweet-faced, and calm, she was loved by everyone in town. Her wavy, strawberry-blond hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail—a perfect style for a woman who had to start baking at 4:30 a.m. “What can I whip up for you?”
    “A double-espresso macchiato, a vanilla latte, and two magically delicious cinnamon rolls to go.” Holly gave the tourist couple a sidelong glance and a slight grin.
    “That’ll get you going.” Ginny lowered her horn-rimmed reading glasses and set her gaze on Holly. “You look a little weary around the edges, but unusually bright-eyed before espresso.”
    The tourist woman shot an I-told-you-so look at her husband, as if Ginny had confirmed her suspicion about Holly.
    “Got a big day ahead,” Holly said. “With an interesting new client.”
    Who I kissed yesterday.
    Ginny’s pink lips curved up at the corners. “Ah, the glamorous life of a lawyer.”
    The tourist couple’s eyes popped open wide and they stared at Holly.
    She stifled a giggle.
    Ginny shifted her gaze between Holly and the tourists, looking a little perplexed. “I’ll have your order up in a jiffy.”
    Holly stepped aside just as the bells on the door jingled, announcing another customer. She glanced at the girl—about her own age and wholesomely pretty, with wavy brownish-blond hair.
    Just like Bryce’s.
    Holly’s heart leapt. “Ellie?”
    The girl focused on Holly, a sweet smile of recognition stretching across her face. “Holly! Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to see you.”
    Holly hugged her friend. Ellie had moved to Phoenix with her fiancé a couple of years ago. Since then, they’d seen each other only on video chats, but they’d fallen out of touch. “I didn’t know you were coming to town. And your hair has gotten so long, it took me a second to recognize you.” The smooth waves nearly reached Ellie’s elbows.
    Her lips turned down at the corners. “I’m not just visiting. I’m back to stay.”
    “Sweet. I’ve missed you so much.”
    Holly and Ellie had been friends since elementary school. They’d spent lots of time together, especially during the year before Ellie moved, when she had rented a space in the local artists’ gallery below Holly’s office. Judging by Ellie’s expression, she wasn’t as thrilled as Holly about her return to Thistle Bend.
    “Sorry I haven’t been in touch.” Ellie lifted her shoulders and let them drop, her blue eyes