Page 9 of Tempting Me

I snap my gaze to Grace, and she rolls her eyes with a smile.

“I’ll see you two later,” she says and heads for the door.

As soon as she's gone, Broke says, “You could be nicer.”

“I’m nice.”

“You do business with her family.”

“Technically, I work with her brother and not her. We all know how Grace can be.”

“Do we, though?” Brooke asks. “Because she’s nice to everyone, including you.”

“She was just laughing at me.”

“No, she wasn’t. She was laughing because when she came in asking if I had coffee left, I said yeah, I have a hunch Luca is about to walk in here to ask the same question. And then viola, you did.”

“Really?” I feel a bit stupid for assuming.

“Just because Shay doesn't like you doesn't mean Grace doesn't.”

Brooke hands me my iced black coffee with cream, and I hand her some cash.

“I actually think you and Grace would get along great. You should ask her out.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh.

I’ll admit, I've considered it, but this is a small town, and as I said before, the family she’s closest to hates me.

She’d never go for it.

Which sucks because, again, small towns don’t carry a lot of options when it comes to dating.

“Why is that funny?” Brooke asks.

“Because her best friend is Shay, so could you just imagine us all hanging out?”

Brooke sighs. “I guess you're right. Doesn't it bug you though, watching your brother fall in love and … I don't know. Being far from it?”

I study Brooke for a moment, and I'm about to ask her if watching her best friend Sadie and my older brother Hudson fall in love is bothering her, but then the door opens and Grace’s older brother, Dutton, walks in.

Brooke marches past me, flips the open sign to closed, and then points at it all while looking at her new customer.

“It didn’t say that when I walked in.”

“It says it now,” she snaps, and I can’t help it. My eyes widen because, holy shit, I’ve never heard Brooke use that snarky tone before.

Dutton shakes his head and then looks up to me.

“I have some work I need done at the lodge. Can you come by later this week?”

I nod. “Tomorrow. I’ll be there.”

“Thanks,” he says and leaves without even looking at Brooke once more.

Another bout of awkward silence fills the bakery asBrooke locks the door behind him. She huffs and then smiles at me as she heads for the kitchen.

“I guess I’ll just go out the back?” I ask. She nods.

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