She crossed the room, braced her hands on the worktable across from Whitney and narrowed her eyes. “What did you do?”

Whitney’s eyes widened. “About what?”

“What did you tell my sister about Tori’s fiancé and his hot cousin?” she asked, shooting a glance at Jane.

Jane kept packing her box. But she was clearly fighting a smile.

Shit. They all knew. Paige could tell.

Whitney shrugged. “I just…” Then she blew out a breath. “You should have told me it was a secret.”

“You told Josie who Mitch is?”

“I just said that you had a hot night with a guy with a sexy Louisiana accent.”

Okay, so that would…

“And I might have said the name Mitch.” Whitney bit her bottom lip.

“You totally said the name Mitch,” Jane said with a snort.

Paige groaned. “Whit.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you trying to hide this?” Jane asked.

“Oh, hey!” Josie swept into the kitchen just then from the front of the bakery. She gave Paige a big grin. “They’re right out front. He’s very cute.”

Paige shot Jane a glance. Jane met her eyes and gave a nod. Yeah, she got it. She knew Paige’s family. She knew Josie best, of course, and Josie’s romantic streak was just an adorable part of Josie’s adorable personality. When that romantic streak was about her own life. But when it was turned on the people around her and she wanted everyone to fall in love, it wasn’t quite as cute.

Jane had experienced that too.

“Have you talked to them?” Paige asked her sister.

“I waited on them,” Josie said with a nod. “But it’s crazy out there, so we didn’t really talk.”

“Oh, do you guys need help?” Paige asked. Hey, she was here now. She could pitch in. And avoid the table with Tori and Josh and Mitch and whatever they had told everyone about… whatever.

“Nope. Maggie and Cam both came in to help bake this morning,” Josie said of Zoe’s mom and brother—Whitney’s boyfriend. “And Grant and Aiden are out there helping Zoe wait on everyone.” Her smile was soft and affectionate as she mentioned her fiancé, Grant, and Zoe’s, Aiden.

Well, they really were covered. With all of those people, two of them big guys, there probably wasn’t room behind the counter anyway.

And, really, she probably did need to go find out what Mitch had told Tori and Josh about their little lie about Mitch and Tori being engaged. Paige’s cover wasn’t entirely blown because Josie still, apparently, thought Mitch was Tori’s fiancé.

Plus she wanted to see Mitch. She wasn’t able to forget the disappointment she’d felt thinking he’d hightailed it back to Louisiana. She liked him more than she’d wanted to admit.

“Go introduce yourself to the cousin,” Josie urged. “You and Tori are friends. Just go out and join them.”

Okay, so apparently Whitney had slipped about Mitch in front of Jane but not Josie? That was fortunate. She supposed.

And Josie was reading Paige’s hesitation as nerves about meeting a new guy. Well, that was better than her guessing that Paige was nervous that Mitch was going to upend all of her carefully laid plans.

“Oh my gosh!”

Paige had to jump back as the swinging door that led to the front of the bakery suddenly swung in, almost whacking her in the face.

“Hey, Kelsey!” Josie greeted Jane’s younger sister.

“Hi,” she said to everyone collectively. Then she focused on Jane. “Guess what?”

Jane turned and faced her. “What?”

“Look what Matt gave me for my birthday!” Kelsey held up the little heart-shaped charm hanging from the chain around her neck.

“Oh wow,” Josie said, moving in before Jane could. “That’s so pretty!”

Kelsey nodded, nearly squealing. “He said that now I can actually take his heart with me wherever I go.”

Paige caught herself before she rolled her eyes.

Josie, on the other hand, audibly sighed. “That’s so romantic.”

“Oh wow, Kels, that’s awesome,” Jane said.

Was it? Maybe. What did Paige know?

“That really is,” Whitney agreed.

Okay, so all of the women who were in actual relationships thought Matt had done something good here. Fine. The kid was a senior in high school giving another senior in high school a birthday gift after dating for about six months. He was Kelsey’s first serious boyfriend. There had probably been some pressure to make it meaningful. Paige probably needed to lighten up.

“His birthday is two days after mine,” Kelsey said.

“No way,” Whitney said.

Kelsey nodded. “Cute, right?”

They all laughed. “Very cute,” Josie agreed. “What did you get him?”

“It’s not as good as this,” Kelsey said, shaking her head. “I told him I’d play Warriors of Easton with him for an entire weekend.”

“That is good,” Jane said. “He loves Warriors and always wants you to play but knows you don’t really like it. That’s sweet. You’re putting him first and willing to do something that matters to him.”

“You think so?” Kelsey asked. “I mean, I’m going to suck at it.”

“How did he react?” Paige heard herself ask.

Kelsey looked over and shrugged. “He was thrilled, actually.” She looked back at her sister. “But it’s not something he can keep, like this.”

“It will be a memory.” Paige frowned. Why did she keep talking? But when they all looked at her, she tipped her head. “It will. You show up with all his favorite snacks and a Warriors of Easton sweatshirt and hat on to show him that you’re really committed to doing it right and truly settle in for the whole weekend, no interruptions. He’ll think that’s super hot.”

Then she winced. Oops, maybe she shouldn’t tell teenagers how to be hot.

But Whitney, Josie, and Jane were nodding.

“It’s true,” Josie said. “Our parents were all about making the little things sweet and romantic.” She shot Paige a smile. “Memories really matter. They do stay with you.”

Oh crap, Paige thought as Josie looked at her with what could have easily been described as pride. She was right. And her sappy, romance-crazy parents had rubbed off on her after all.

Dammit.

“I need to go.” She looked around. “Up front.”

At least up front she wouldn’t be opening her mouth in front of Josie and acting like she actually thought about romantic weekends and knew how to make things special and meaningful.

Paige took a deep breath and pushed through the swinging door to the front of the bakery. She immediately found Mitch in spite of the crowd of people.

I’d play stupid video games with him all weekend. For sure. Or go out on fishing boats on the swamp.

Dammit.

It seemed that he sensed her as well. He was sitting closest to the window at their table, not facing the kitchen door, but he looked over as soon as she stepped out. Their eyes met, and his mouth curled in a grin that sent heat skittering through her body. It was a knowing smile. A smile that said he knew her. Knew her body. Knew her thoughts. Knew that she would be here.