Finn’s bed was comfy. I was tempted to crawl inside for another nap. Why was I so lethargic? I’d bet it was lack of exercise. A body in motion stayed in motion. But without a gym in town, my options were limited. A run along the river would be nice—minus the running part. I wasn’t a fan. What did the locals do for exercise? I doubted they all drove to Newburgh.

I sucked in a breath and sat up. Most people cited inconvenience as their excuse for not working out, and commuting by car to another town was certainly inconvenient. Which meant the residents of Pleasant Hollow were probably seriously out of shape.

Why couldn’t I organize a town-wide exercise program while I was here like Zoe did in Hart of Dixie? It would do wonders for the town’s collective health and bond them as a community. More importantly, I could use it in my piece as a bona fide example of one of the close-knit town’s “community events.” My brain whirred with ideas. Maybe I didn’t need to stop at an exercise campaign. I’d only been half-serious when I’d mentioned it to Finn, but why not also approach the cousins about hosting Oktoberfest?

My insides tingled with excitement. This could work. With some adjustments, Pleasant Hollow could live up to its quaint, cozy, and community-centric potential. I vaulted off the bed, eager to form a solid plan, but my chest tightened at the sight of Finn on the phone. His expression was pinched, but every so often, he’d glance up at me and smile. He was adorable. It was too bad our goals were at odds. My plan to bring the town closer together could negatively impact his purposes if it united them against outsiders. I liked the guy…a lot…but we barely knew each other. I had to put my career before lust and deliver the story I promised. He’d understand.

On a piece of notepaper, I scribbled, Gotta go. Have idea for story. Talk tomorrow. I held it in front of him.

His eyes scrolled the paper and his lips formed a smile. “Good luck,” he mouthed.

I whispered “Thanks” and let myself out.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

When I got back to my room, I called Kate to brainstorm ideas. And brainstorm we did. Kate tossed out suggestions like a champ. She was like the Energizer Bunny until I reminded her I needed to create only enough shared experiences to make for a convincing story about a Hallmark-like town.

“You must have some sort of baking competition. Like pie making.”

“No pie!” I practically shouted into the phone.

“Okaaay, no pie. What about cupcakes or gingerbread houses?”

“Pleasant Hollow doesn’t seem to like sweets.” I peered out my window. It looked like it was going to rain.

“That’s crazy talk.”