Page 34 of Make Mine Sweet
I press my lips together. “A bit.”
Nathan grins wide and slips away.
In the next moment, Amy moves in front of me to gather up my plate and empty glass, subtle as a sledgehammer.
“He just called me old,” I tell her.
“Out of the mouths of babes…”
I snag the last couple of fries off my plate before she can whisk it away. “You’re telling people I’m looking for work now?”
“Just him.” She hitches a shoulder. “And Mitchell Choi. And the volunteer Search and Rescue team lead.”
This woman is relentless.
“Anybody else? Is there a dance troupe in town you gave my name to?”
She leans on the counter, chin in hand. “Don’t give me ideas. I’d love to see that.”
My stern look doesn’t seem to affect her. “Stop meddling.”
“It’s small-town life. Everybody’s got their fingers in everyone else’s pies.”
“Leave my pie alone.”
Her gaze is full of sisterly affection. “I love you too much to do that.”
I grumble, but I guess I knew what I was in for when I came out here. Escaped my brothers but landed on Amy’s radar.
Hold up.
“Is that why you put Tess next door to me? So she can…what, assist you with your meddling?” By bringing me cupcakes and talking to me like I’m a person and smiling so hard it makes something under my ribs hurt?
Staring at me like I’m some kind of alienthingtoday probably wasn’t part of the plan.
“Yes.” Amy has no shame.
“You actually meant for her to keep an eye on me?” I don’t need a babysitter. Worse, the thought that Tess’s smiles and attempts to beneighborlywere all just for show makes my stomach sink like I’m scrambling down a mountainside.
“Maybe I hoped you could keep an eye on each other.”
I don’t know why she thinks Tess needs someone looking out for her, and I can’t ask. I might not have minded the job, but I don’t have the heart to tell Amy her grand scheme already failed. She’ll find out soon enough—probably when Tess comes to her to let her know she wants to move out.
ELEVEN
TESS
My cheeks hurtfrom fake-smiling all day, my stomach tied into so many knots I want to double over. I can’t stop thinking about every dumb thing I said to Ian yesterday. The way I shamelessly—and shamefully—stared at his body. The relentless fire in his eyes when he’d glared back at me.
His scowl stayed with me all night, a bad omen I can’t shake. Whatever hopes I had of being friendly neighbors with him burnt to a crisp beneath that heavy gaze.
Any thought I might have entertained of anything more, well…those were never going to happen anyway.
“Okay, girls, do you need anything before I go?” Mom still talks to us like she’s leaving us alone in the bakery for the first time instead of roughly the five thousandth. She’s got her small purse looped over her shoulder, ready to head out for the afternoon.
“We’ve got it,” Wren says next to me behind the counter. “Are you meeting friends for dinner?”
The question seems to take Mom by surprise, and she stops on her way to the door. “Yes, actually. Just a friendly get together.”
