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He’s silly if he thinks he can steer clear of Petal by avoiding her shop. She’s hardly there, which begs the question of how she manages to pay her rent. I asked. She has an online store. Nowadays, the brick and mortar shop is merely for show.
“If you’re worried about old ladies filling you in on their sex lives, you’ll want to avoid Clove’s Coffee Corner as well. She’s not as bad as Petal, but she does try.”
“This town is odd,” he murmurs and my stomach clenches.
What are you doing, Ellery? You know out-of-towners never stay and long-distance relationships don’t work. It’s fine. I’m not in love with Cole. I met him yesterday for goodness sake. I can have a bit of fun with the man without my heart getting trampled on. I’m no longer some naïve college kid.
I wiggle my eyebrows to cover how much his words hurt. “But fun. Am I right?”
I love Winter Falls. Are the people odd? You betcha. They’re also super fun. And no one judges anyone else here. You want to run around without pants on? Go for it. But be prepared for everyone to know your business. Because as much as they don’t judge, they do stick their noses where they don’t belong.
The timer above the stove beeps, and I rush to the kitchen before the pasta can overcook. “I hope you like spaghetti.”
“Who doesn’t love spaghetti?”
I glance over my shoulder to wink at him. “Correct answer.”
“What can I do to help?”
“You can get yourself a drink. There’s wine on the table, but I have beer in the refrigerator if you prefer.”
“Wine’s fine,” he says as he stirs the pasta sauce. He holds the spoon up to his nose and sniffs. “This smells delicious. Did you make it yourself?”
“My mom’s the cook in the family. Not me. She makes up these huge batches of tomato sauce each year when tomatoes are in season. Lucky for me, she always gives me a few dozen jars.”
I finish preparing the meal and we take our seats around my kitchen table. I always thought the table was perfect for two people, but I’ve never had a nearly six-foot-tall man sitting across from me before. Our legs press against each other. Maybe this table is perfect for two people after all.
“The garlic bread is delicious.” Cole moans around a bite, and I wish he was biting something else. Namely, any part of me would be fine.
“It’s my own creation. Don’t ask me for the recipe, though. It’s a secret.”
“Let me guess. If you tell me, you’d have to kill me.”
“Exactly.” I wink.
I finish my wine and he reaches to fill my glass but stops with the bottle poised above my glass. “You have to work tomorrow. Are you sure you want a second glass?”
Uh oh. Red flag. “Are you trying to tell me how much I can drink?”
His eyes widen before he quickly refills my glass. “Of course, not. I just meant working with a hangover is a bitch.”
“Good thing I don’t get hangovers then, isn’t it?”
He narrows his eyes on me. “You don’t get hangovers?”
“Nope.”
“Ever?”
“Never ever.”
“I think I hate you.”
“You can join the club. My sisters hate me, too. Although, their hangovers are their own fault. Mixing tequila shots with wine is a bad idea.”
“How many sisters do you have?”
I groan. “Four.”
