Paige couldn’t deny she was fascinated.

The conversation about Mitch’s role with the tourists had gotten sidetracked. She was pretty sure he’d intended that, but the whole topic seemed to be an ongoing discussion. Paige wanted to ask him more about it later. Then realized that it was none of her business what Mitch did with his job and his family’s business. If he didn’t want to do more, that was his choice. She didn’t know what that was about and it didn’t matter.

Paige opened her mouth to ask a question when suddenly there was a murmuring in the crowd and the sound of chairs scraping and people started to pivot in the same direction.

Paige frowned and looked as well.

“I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I’m absolutely crazy about you.”

Elliot, one of the programmers who worked for Aiden, Grant, Cam, and Oliver, the guys who had bought the Hot Cakes factory, was standing in front of the bakery case. He was facing his boyfriend, Max, one of the factory workers, who everyone in town adored.

Max’s eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open.

“When I bid on you at the bachelor auction, I knew we were going to have fun,” Elliot said. “But I had no idea what I was actually winning.” He dropped to one knee in front of Max. “A chance at everything I’ve always wanted.” He was holding a red velvet cupcake in one hand and a gold band in the other. “Max, will you marry me?”

The entire bakery sucked in a breath all at once and not a single person moved.

Including Max.

He just stood staring down at his boyfriend.

Paige felt herself leaning forward. Holy shit, was Max going to turn him down in front of everyone?

But Elliot didn’t look nervous. He just waited.

Finally Jane coughed from behind the counter. Her cough sounded like, “Max.”

Max shook his head. “Elliot.”

Elliot just kept the ring extended.

“Fuck, yes,” Max said, shaking his head slowly. “Damn.”

Elliot gave him a huge smile and got to his feet.

The big, burly man grabbed Elliot and pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly.

The whole bakery cheered, and Jane came rushing around the bakery case to throw her arms around both men.

Paige tried to swallow and found that her throat was tight. She blinked fast. What the hell? Were her eyes a little watery?

She sat back in her chair and glanced over at Mitch. He was watching her with a smile. She rolled her eyes at him. He laughed.

“Oh my gosh!” Tori said, then gave a happy sigh. “That was amazing. Do you know them?” she asked Paige.

“I know Max,” Paige said. “Elliot is from Chicago. They just met this past summer.”

“When you know, you know,” Mitch said simply.

She frowned at him. “Watch yourself, Bayou.”

Josh laughed at that. “He can’t help it. He’s a Landry.”

“What’s that mean?” Paige asked, not sure she really wanted to know.

“The Landrys have a long, proud history of big romance,” Josh said, almost smugly.

Paige groaned.

Josh chuckled. “That’s a bad thing?

“Don’t scare her off before I get her down there and can seduce her with beignets,” Mitch said.

“Romance scares you off?” Tori asked.

Paige glanced over to where Max and Elliot were accepting congratulations and she couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m not sure scared is the right word,” she admitted.

“That’s my girl,” Mitch said gruffly from across the table.

“Maybe you just haven’t—” Tori started but she gave a little, “Eek,” and then pressed her lips together.

Paige assumed Mitch had pinched her or something.

Well, good. At least he was getting the message not to talk about it all the damned time, no matter how he felt.

“Paige is gonna be my 'plus one' at your wedding,” Mitch told Tori, his eyes on Paige.

She should say no.

If she went to Louisiana she might not make it to Colorado.

“Oh yes,” Tori exclaimed, her eyes bright. “I was going to invite you anyway. Please come. Mitch will make sure you have fun.” Then she giggled. “I didn’t mean it like that but…”

“Okay, Tor,” Mitch said with a grin. “Paige knows what you meant.”

Paige didn’t care what Tori meant. She was concerned about what Mitch meant.

“It will be a ton of fun. You’ll love Autre and everyone,” Josh said. “Please come.”

Everyone. She was going to meet everyone.

The big, romantic everyone.

Ugh.

Paige looked back and forth between Tori and Josh. They were such nice people. Then she looked at Mitch. Then over at Max and Elliot and then at Kelsey who was standing with Josie and Grant and Zoe and Aiden wearing her new heart necklace.

Everyone was freaking in love.

There was romance and wedding stuff everywhere she looked.

She blew out a breath. Escaping sounded great, but escaping by going to a wedding in another little town with a whole bunch of people who loved love seemed like kind of the opposite thing she should do.

But then she looked at Mitch.

She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him yet.

Crap.

She felt herself nodding. “Yeah, okay, I’ll come to the wedding.”

Mitch’s smile was definitely pleased. But also a little knowing.

She was going to have to limit the texting and calls between now and the wedding. She didn’t want him to get the idea that they were dating or had a serious relationship going into that romantic weekend.

And she was only staying for a couple of days. Tops.

Twenty minutes later, they were wandering through the town square, stopping at every single booth.

They sampled hot cider—that was very hot thanks to the electricity flowing into the booth—and caramel apples and mini apple pies from Buttered Up and apple cookies and applesauce and even apple wine. It was all homemade and, frankly, delicious.

Most people claimed they wouldn’t touch another apple recipe for weeks after leaving the square but that never ended up being true.

They also checked out the craft stations where you could paint with apple cores and get a temporary apple tattoo along with the booths where people were selling everything from wooden apples to ceramic apples to towels embroidered with apples.

“Wow,” Mitch said when they were through the square and on their way to the yoga studio so Tori could take a look at the cats. “I mean, when you people adopt a theme, you go all in.”

Paige laughed. “For sure.”

“Oh, you bayou boys can’t talk,” Tori said. “There are alligators on everything in Autre.”

“The bayou is a way of life,” Josh told her. “We have to celebrate it.”

Mitch nodded his agreement.

After Tori checked over all the cats, which took a while considering all the ooh-ing and ahh-ing and cuddling that went on while she examined them, Mitch finally got to his feet.

“Guess we’re heading out,” he said.

Paige looked up, then scrambled to her feet. “Oh. Really? Today?”

Today was the day they were supposed to arrive.