“You like to pretend to be antisocial, but we both know the truth. You’ll probably talk to three different tourists by the time we get out of there,” I tease him.
We walk into Henry’s, and there’s definitely a crowd. He has a grocery section, home necessities, pet supplies, and even a small gift shop.
His store isn’t big, but he likes to offer as much as he can here so that we don’t have to always drive into Bend. He does excellent business during the summer months, so that’s probably how he makes most of his profits for the year.
“I’ll go get my stuff if you want to grab what you need here,” I tell Zane.
He nods, and I disappear to the personal item aisle. I’m out of shampoo and tampons.
By the time I grab my essentials, careful to hide the box of tampons with the shampoo and conditioner bottles, I weave my way past customers toward the front counter. I have to stand in line, which is a rare thing.
There are three customers in front of me, and I don’t see Zane anywhere. Hopefully, Henry will have a bag for the stuff. I’ve stopped being embarrassed about buying personal items from Henry because he never comments on it and simply puts it in a thick paper bag for me. It’s like smuggling a bottle of alcohol out of here, but tampons.
“How long are you in town for?” Zane’s deep voice carries over to me.
I glance around and see him standing in the gift shop section, chatting with an out-of-towner. I’m not even surprised. But this one raises my hackles.
She’s talking to him, and she’s got big eyes, looking up at him like he hung the moon.
Even worse, he’s smiling at her.
Now she’s giggling. Ugh.
There’s a tower of mugs on the shelf next to them, and I imagine toppling it to the floor between the two of them. Shattered pottery would be everywhere, but at least it would interrupt their weird flirting.
I shake my head. Bad idea. I can’t push over a mug display.
“We’re here for ten days,” she says. “Do you live close by?”
“Just outside of town a bit,” Zane replies. “You’ll have time to see a lot of things if you’re here for ten days.”
Shattering those mugs is sounding better and better.
The woman runs a hand through her hair, fluffing it a little. “Do you have any recommendations for me on where I should go?”
I notice she doesn’t say ‘we’ this time. Apparently she wants to make herself as available as possible.
I get distracted and shuffle forward when someone clears their throat awkwardly at me to get me to move closer to the checkout. Only one more person before it’s my turn. I take another big step so the people behind me can move up as well.
“It won’t be the only beautiful thing up there.” Zane’s voice carries over to me.
I’m not sure what he said before that, but I don’t like what it implies.
The woman giggles again—stinkin’ giggles—at his comment, then says, “I just can’t wait. Thank you for the recommendation, and if you have time, maybe you could come hiking with me.”
“You’re going to love it out here then,” Zane replies. I don’t know if he answers her question about hiking because I’m straining for all I’m worth to hear their conversation.
The woman says, “It sounds like I might need a personal tour guide to find all the beautiful spots.”
It almost sounds like Zane responds with, “You sure do.”
NowI’mclearing my throat awkwardly, but I don’t know if he hears me or not because it’s my turn to set my things on the counter for Henry. He glances over them quickly, swipes them all into a bag for me, and rings up the bill.
“Thank you,” I tell him as he rolls the top of the paper bag to seal it.
I tap my card and take the bag.
I pass Zane and the woman as I walk toward the door. She’s resting a hand on his arm now.
