Page 70 of Butterfly Sisters
She smiled. “And buying something to get two is your way of ensuring you make a little extra money.”
He nodded, his thin face twisting into a smirk. “People think they’re gettin’ a deal, but really I’m gettin’ rid of my woodandmakin’ a sale.” He tapped his temple. “Genius mind right here.” He handed her the tea, ripped her receipt from the machine and slid it across the counter.
“Couldn’t you also just sell firewood?” she asked.
“Naw.”
She laughed. “Why not?”
“Because Rudy sells firewood down at the nursery for five bucks a bundle, so why would anyone buy it from me? But you just spent…” He looked down at the receipt on the counter. “Two twenty-nine on that tea for two logs.”
Just as she’d begun to relax into the conversation, her amusement at Leon bubbling up, the bells on the door rang and Colton walked through with Smash.
“Hey, Leigh,” Smash said, walking over to her while Colton breezed past them to the back of the store. “Long time no see.”
“Hi, Smash,” she returned, trying not to let her attention wander to Colton’s whereabouts. “How’ve you been?”
“Can’t complain. Got a two-year-old at home, so we’ve had our hands full. Name’s Hunter. And Sheila’s due in a month with our second one.”
A smile of delight spread across her face. She’d have never guessed those two would end up together; Smash was laid-back and athletic while Sheila was mischievous and full of energy. “You married Sheila Leevey?”
“Sure did,” he said proudly.
Just as Leigh was mentally tucking away the reminder to give Meredith the update on Sheila, Colton whizzed past her, tossing a few cellophane-wrapped plastic baits onto the counter. “Wanna grab those for us and I’ll wait in the truck?” he asked Smash, heading to the door without saying a word to Leigh.
“Hang on a minute,” Leon said, stopping him.
With an irritated inhale, Colton turned slowly to face Leon.
“Leigh’s gettin’ some firewood, and by the looks of her high-dollar outfit, she’s not gonna wanna carry it out to her car. Y’all stay put and I’ll bring it up front so we can help her.”
“Leon, we’re kind of busy,” Colton said, fixing his gaze on the wall instead of Leigh, shaking his head.
This was ridiculous. He could at least acknowledge her presence.
“You ain’t gonna be busy till I ring up your bait, and I ain’t ringin’ it up till you help me get that wood in her car.”
“We’ve got it, Colton,” Smash said, throwing a ten-dollar bill onto the counter for the bait, scooping up the packets, and slipping them into his pocket.
Leon rang up the bill and put the change from the ten in his tip jar. “I’ll be right back.”
After Leon had left them up front, Leigh leaned to the right to put herself in Colton’s view. “Wanna say hello?”
“Hey,” he said as if it pained him.
“Wanna be adults about this?”
“I’ll tell you what I wanna do. I wanna get what I came for and head out without anyone ruining anything more than what she’s already done.”
“You ruinin’ things?” Smash asked with a sparkle in his eye, his gaze darting between her and Colton.
“She’s just out of touch withreallife,” Colton said.
“That’s not true—” she began, but Leon came up the aisle and lumped an armful of logs into Smash’s hands, then left again for more.
“Wanna show me where to put these, Miss Leigh?” Smash asked, heading for the front of the store.
Colton pushed the door open for them. Leigh followed Smash, walking past Colton, taking in his spicy scent.
