“I put my money on the double-delight. She’s pretty, but she’s fierce!”
“Don’t I know it.” He grimaced. “No doubt we’ll be down by a few regular customers by day’s end.”
“One must hope The Arcane Bouquet can weather the loss.”
“One must hope, Miss Talbot.”
A ball of warmth knotted under Luna’s sternum. She had grown so used to Mr. Grimm and his deadpan humor over the last few weeks, it was somehow natural, comfortable, to be back in his presence, even in the midst of the Saint Jollify noise.Some of the clamor and mayhem surrounding her faded, and she felt an oddly peaceful sense of just-the-two-of-them that she couldn’t quite define. Like the coziness they knew in the nook behind the counter carried with them wherever they went, so long as they were in proximity to one another.
They had progressed nearly to the front of the line when Bryony made her reappearance, dragging her dock worker along by the suspenders. At sight of Luna standing in line with Mr. Grimm, one carefully-plucked eyebrow rose up her forehead. She took the measure of Mr. Grimm—lingering a moment on the smeared powdered sugar on his front—lingering longer on his otherwise well-groomed appearance, his polished shoes, the square set of his shoulders, his refined facial features. Luna watched admiration spark in her roommate’s eyes. She dropped her hold on the dock worker’s suspenders and advanced with a certainbounce.
“Well, now, Lunaloo! You’ve found yourself a tasty one, haven’t you?”
Luna felt as though her ears were set on fire. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Mr. Grimm, but hastily said, “Oh, Bryony! This ismy boss.Mr. Nigel Grimm.”
“Oooh, your boss, is it?” Bryony’s red fingernails glittered in the late-morning sun as she extended a hand. “Bryony Braithwait,” she said, smiling broadly.
Mr. Grimm accepted her hand and bowed slightly over it. “Charmed.”
Bryony nearly dropped her teeth at this display of gallantry. She waved her other hand behind her back, shooing off the dock worker, who looked mildly perturbed but not particularly crushed. He shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered off, while Bryony took her place beside Mr. Grimm in line, though she still held more than half of her funnel cake.
It occurred to Luna suddenly that her roommate’s hair was red. Not a natural shade—more of a crimson, verging on magenta—but definitely in theredzone. Not to mention thick, curly, and bouncing along her shoulders, and while Luna was ninety-nine percent certain Bryony wasnotthe redhead she’d glimpsed in that tea-mug vision all those weeks ago . . . there lingered a one percent doubt.
“So, what are you doing here, Mr. Grimm, hmm?” Bryony asked. “Come to steal sweet Luna back to the old grindstone?” She took a lingering bite from her funnel cake. Until that moment, Luna hadn’t realized it was possible to make fried batter and powdered sugar so provocative.
“Not at all,” Mr. Grimm answered rather blandly. “I hope Miss Talbot will spend a very enjoyable day.”
“And will you be enjoying that day along with us?” Bryony asked archly.
Luna’s hackles rose at theus.Just that moment, however, the vendor beckoned, and Mr. Grimm stepped forward to place an order for two funnel cakes. “And extra napkins,” he added with a rueful glance Luna’s way.
Luna stepped a little closer to Bryony, intending to speak a word, only . . . only she wasn’t entirely certain what that word ought to be. Before she could make up her mind, Bryony tucked her arm through Luna’s elbow, leaned in close, and whispered, “Sly girl, you never mentioned your boss wasso cute.”
“Oh, didn’t I? I . . . hadn’t really noticed.”
“Idoso love me a posh older fellow!” Bryony continued, eying Mr. Grimm’s figure from behind. “They get real interesting behind closed doors, once you get ‘em out of that waistcoat and cufflinks. Mmmm!”
Luna’s mouth dropped open. A bundle of words leapt to her tongue, but they all sounded too exactly like something Auntie Aurora would say. Maybe Auntie Arabella had somethingpertinent buried deep in one of her trashy novels that might help, but . . . what? What was a girl supposed to say when her roommate spoke so overtly aboutundressing her employer?While said employer was onlytwo steps awayand buying funnel cake, and—
“Well, well, well, what have we here?”
“Green Mother!” Luna hissed. She turned swiftly in a swish of cherry-print skirts, and lifted her gaze. Then lifted it a little more. Up to the green-eyed smile of Officer Ward. He loomed over her, not in uniform, for once, but wearing a nice shirt and light jacket combo. No hat—his black curl was allowed to bob freely across his forehead, giving him a very young, fresh-faced sort of look. No tie either, and the collar was unbuttoned to reveal a tasteful V of manly chest hair.
His smile focused with great intensity on Luna.
“I hoped I’d meet you somewhere hereabouts,” he said pleasantly, his hands in his pockets, his stance both casual and cool. “Are you having a good time with your roommate?”
“Oh, yes. My roommate. Um.” Luna turned and twined her arm through Bryony’s elbow, drawing her close. Bryony was more than happy to be drawn, her overt stare taking in Ward and his magnificent proportions with evident pleasure. “This is her. She. Bryony, um, meet Officer Ward.”
“Just Ward, please,” he said politely and touched his forehead as though tipping a cap.
“Soyou’rethe fellow Luna can’t stop going on and on about!” Bryony declared, giving herself a little jiggle, just to be certain all her assets were working properly.
But Ward’s gaze couldn’t be drawn away. He turned to Luna again, his smile broadening. “Am I?”
“Bryony!” Luna hissed, wishing simultaneously to push her roommate violently away from her and cling to her like a lifetime.
“What?” Bryony blinked innocently before giving Ward another once-over. “Can’t say that I blame her!”
