I managed a smile. He was like the sun breaking through a cloudy day. “No. I just…” I drew in a breath and released it. “My plan isn’t coming together the way I hoped.”

“You have a minute to sit?” He angled his head toward the counter I’d just vacated.

“Sure. But can we get a table?” I didn’t want to talk in front of Doreen.

I followed him to a booth in the back and gave him the SparkNotes version. “With just a little guidance from me, I thought Pleasant Hollow could become the sort of quintessential small town portrayed in the movies and my story wouldn’t be DOA.” I gazed longingly at the bacon on Finn’s plate. My mom’s parents hadn’t kept kosher in their home and neither did she. As a result, I enjoyed my share of BLTs and cheeseburgers.

“Take.”

“Thanks.” I plucked a piece from the top. “What do you think?” Crunch. The bacon was expertly cooked—well done, with just the right amount of thickness. It was too bad a bacon-frying competition was off the table.

“It sounds like a lot of work just for a story.”

My muscles tensed. “It’s not just a story. You know that.”

He raised a hand. “I know. It’s the story that can jump-start your career. It’s just—”

“You think it’s stupid, don’t you?”

“Not stupid. Ambitious.”

“I finally got my foot in the door after months…” Bite. Crunch. Swallow. “Years of rejections and drafting vapid content for no credit while surviving on my big dreams. Then I came up with this story and actually got a contract. I have to make it work.” I had to. “I can’t bear to start over from scratch after getting so close, especially with things up in the air with my mom’s and my future living situation.” My voice shook. Despite lagging behind some of my peers in terms of still living at home in my mid-twenties, it had never occurred to me that option could be taken away. It was a sentiment I didn’t dare express in present company.

Finn studied me thoughtfully. “Like I said, it’s ambitious. But if anyone can make it work, it’s you.”

I laughed. “You don’t even know me!”

“True.” He grinned sheepishly. “But it’s the sort of encouragement the guy in the movie would offer when trying to woo the romantic lead. Isn’t it?”

My knees wobbled under the table. “Are you trying to woo me, Mr. Adams?”

“Is it working?” He placed his hand over mine.

“Maybe.” Definitely. I was over fighting it.

“To be continued.” He motioned for the check. “Where are you off to next?”

“I don’t know. I had high hopes for Brothers and Pinkie’s and got nothing.”

“Only because the cousins are clueless and Judie’s in Djibouti.” His lips twitched.

My belly flipped. I like you.