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“This is Ruby Jones,” I say, my hand falling to her waist.
She looks up at me and smiles and then says hello to Lar and Mar.
“You’re Pierre’s niece that I’ve been hearing so much about?” Mar asks Ruby.
She looks surprised. “Yes, I am. You’ve heard about me?”
“Girl, I daresay we heard about you within an hour of you getting to town. People around here like to keep tabs on things.” She winks at Ruby. “For weeks now, I’ve heard this guy’s been keeping you all to himself,” Mar teases. “You’re beautiful—I can see why. There’s a bet going on at Sunny Side to see who will be the next Landmark to get married. You guys are going down like flies.”
Ruby glances at me, mouth parted and her cheeks flushing.
“Welcome to small-town life,” I tell Ruby.
To Mar, I say, “And you wonder why I never come in…”
She laughs, knowing I’m messing with her, and then she points her finger at me, her easy grin disappearing, and I dread what’s about to come out of her mouth next.
“This should’ve been the first place you brought her.”
Not as bad as I expected.
“She hasn’t even been to the resort yet, Mar. And how ‘bout you don’t scare her off?” I stare her down and she blinks, her smile spreading over her face again.
“It sure is good to see you both,” she says warmly.
“Good to see you too. Got any apple turnovers?”
“You know, I believe there’s one left.” She looks down at the pastry case and points it out.
“We’ll take it and a few chocolate croissants.” I look at Ruby. “And anything else you want to try…”
“I’ll be good with what you picked. Sounds delicious.”
“But does anything else look fun?” I ask.
I hear a gasp and look up to see Mar blinking rapidly and fanning herself. “Did you see this coming, Lar?” she says, bumping his elbow with hers. “The silent studly one is pulling out all the right words. I amliterallyswooning.”
Ruby grins and leans on the counter, shooting me a sexy look over her shoulder. “So am I.”
Besides my one body part growing hard as a rock, the rest of me softens into mush.
“I like this girl, Callum,” Lar says.
Ruby laughs and my heart does that crazy flutter it’s been doing since I met her. I like her too. A whole helluva lot.
“What is that?” Ruby points at the pastry next to the eclairs.
“That’s a tarte tatin—it’s like an apple upside down cake,” Mar says.
“It’s beautiful,” she says. “Let’s try that. And then that should be plenty.”
“It’s one of my favorite things,” Mar says. “And if you like strawberries…I don’t always have these strawberry tarts here, but I just felt like making a batch. They’ve been getting rave reviews this morning.”
“We’ll take it,” I jump in. “You want to pick out your coffee, Sunshine? I’ll have the light roast.” I nod at Mar, who has paused her bustling and now stares at us as if she’s in a trance.
“Make that two, please,” Ruby says. “With room for cream and sugar in mine, please.”
Mar sighs and blinks slowly, shaking her head. “The two of you have made my morning. He calls herSunshine, Lar. Just pick me up off this floor right now because I am weak in the knees.” She points at him. “We’ve gotta head to Sunny Side before the day is over…place our bets.” She turns and gets our coffee, humming as she works. “It’s the quiet ones that knock us off our feet, isn’t it, Lar.”
