Page 24 of Falling for Famine
Excuse me, what?!
My jaw hung open before Felix’s outcry sent my eyes jerking toward the kitchen door. “A boyfriend! You never told me, you sly little fox.”
“I, uh—”
But Ghost was already walking over after shaking Clara’s hand to shake Felix’s. “A pleasure to meet you, sir. I apologize for the sudden greeting so early into the day.”
Not only did I not recognize this guy in front of me, but he’d spoken more than three words to both of them. My brain couldn’t cope.
“It’s very nice to meet you…”
“Limos,” he supplied.
“Felix,” my Old Man greeted, his face lifted with such happiness I couldn’t intervene. “I thought…well, it’s very good to see my girl has found herself such a charming man.”
The girl in question was just standing dumbly at the door, still unable to form a sentence. Thankfully, there weren’t any customers yet because the place didn’t open for another hour. But my surprise wouldn’t have been any less if there were customers to embarrass myself in front of.
Felix gestured to a table near the back, insisting we both sit, and I did, though I couldn’t remember how, and I all but fell apart when Ghost’s arm went around my waist to tug me closer. Felix had a happy glint in his eyes as he looked between us and then rushed off to grab some treats. Clara was practically drooling as she stared at Ghost, but his eyes were on me.
I covered my mouth, hoping it looked cute and not like I was about to demand why he’d committed a crime. “What are you doing?” I whispered angrily.
His lips twitched and his eyes dropped to my mouth. “You’ll find out, little wisp.”
My cheeks burned with the return of his pet name for me, liking it more than I should. My body practically melted where I sat. It wasn’t fair how husky his voice got, like it gave him so much pleasure to say it. This was the farthest thing from distance, and he was leaving today.
I barely contained my growl as I tried to break his hold on me. His hand tightened and yanked as if to send the message all my efforts were made in vain. My body had betrayed me, shivering and igniting under his touch, but my brain hadn’t abandoned me just yet. Well, not totally. It was still helping me form plans to get myself out of it.
A joke! I’d tell them it was a joke.
I opened my mouth, but I didn’t have time to tell them Ghost was just being a jerk and playing a silly prank on them, because Felix was back out with a few plates covered in all my favorite treats. Clara was over at our table, too, holding a couple cups of coffee.
“I hope medium drip is okay for you,” she murmured, her hands shaking. She set out a few packets of sugar and cream, her green eyes on Ghost the entire time.
He looked at the cups, then back up to her. “It’s lovely, thank you.”
Oh-my-god, who is this dude?!
“Enjoy,” was her nearly inaudible reply, her cheeks so red it’d become her new complexion. She hustled back behind the counter, mouthing “So hot”to me before fanning herself.
A humorless laugh spilled from my lips, still not sure how to deal with the imposter next to me. “Limos was just joking—”
“So how long have you two been together?” Felix interrupted, and I nearly growled again.
Amusement sparked in Ghost’s eyes, and I hated that it was at my expense he’d been his most expressive yet. “Long enough to know I can’t go anywhere without her.”
My brain short-circuited. Clara pretended to faint and catch herself on the glass display. But Felix was all smiles and happy nods. It was obnoxious how genuinely joyful the old man was when it’d been nothing but lies told to him.
“That’s wonderful.” Felix’s eyes sparkled. “Now I’ll have something to tease her about. Revenge is sweet.”
My face was in my hands as I heard everyone laugh.
“I’d hoped to ask your permission for something, sir,” Ghost said in all seriousness, and my head popped up. If this asshole asked for my hand in marriage, I was going to flip this fucking table.
Felix seemed to be on the same line of thought because his whole face lit up. Being from an entirely different generation where getting hitched after a few weeks meant he’d think this was a perfectly natural development. He’d married Mary before going off to war, and they’d been together for a very long time.
I wasn’t sure how I’d walk back a marriage proposal.
Clara was making a lot of filthy gestures, and Felix had leaned in, almost as if he couldn’t believe it was finally happening. Damn him for looking so adorable and eager. I’d been killing myself every day to get that look out of him since Mary died.
