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“You really do look like him.” Blair leaned closer to Ryan.
“Maybe I could make some money doing one of them lookalikes I hear about?”
“That’s right, do you remember Newman thought he looked like that actor? No one bought it, mind.” Buster was now doing his best drawl too.
Blair looked back at her, and there was pity in his eyes that had her teeth snapping together.
“Want to have a drink and catch up?” His smile made her skin crawl.
“I have to work.”
“After, then, or tomorrow.” His smile didn’t slip. Surely he didn’t honestly think she’d want to spend time with him?
The last time she’d spoken to this man, she’d told him he was a size-ten asshole with a dick the size of a pretzel. Clearly his ego had blocked that out.
“So where exactly do you know my sister from?” Noah asked Blair again, in that tone she knew well. He was about to go into full interrogation mode.
“We studied business together,” Blair said, looking smug.
“It was a course,” Faith said. “A year-long business course with no degree at the end, just a certificate.”
Blair’s face flushed a bit at her words. “I’ve gone on to higher education,” he added quickly.
“Wow, go you. My sister has a certificate in baking,” Buster added. “She got first in her class for cupcake flowers.”
Of course, there was no sister and in fact Buster had international culinary qualifications and awards.
“I’ve had her cupcakes. They’re legendary,” Ryan said as Tex wandered in with Annabelle.
“Come and meet Blair, Tex. He’s one of those educated types,” Buster said with a silly smile on his face.
This town was full of really smart people. People who had left or stayed but taken the time to do degrees, build businesses, or do something creative that reaped rewards. In fact, for a small town, Lake Howling had some talented people residing in it.
“No way.” Tex was never slow on the uptake. He’d heard Buster’s drawl. “You’re not using big words, are you? Because I’ll struggle to keep up.”
“He thinks our fudge maker here looks like Ryan Lawrence, who is some kind of musical whizz kid,” Buster added.
“They love this kind of stuff. The surprise is that Ryan’s buying into it too,” Noah whispered into Faith’s ear.
“By ‘stuff,’ you mean deliberately lying and leading on our patrons?”
“The very thing.”
Faith watched Tex and Annabelle study Ryan. Blair, she noted, was studying the beautiful Mrs. Gelderman openly.
She remembered that about him too. The man had no shame in looking a woman over, even if she was with a man. She wondered how she’d ever been fooled by him.
“Faith and I are old friends,” Blair lied.
“It’s nice catching up with old friends.” Annabelle was frowning at Blair now because he was looking at her breasts.
“So, about that drink for old times’ sake.” Blair looked at Faith.
“I’m busy. See you around, Blair.” She walked around the bar and picked up the tray she’d just filled and went to deliver it herself to the diners in the restaurant.
Blair Coombs had been studying business and doing the same course she had been. They’d hit it off right away. Then one night he’d slipped something into her drink, taken her to his place, and tried to force himself on her. She’d managed to escape. The next day Faith had broken his nose.
Because Blair was popular, people had believed him when he’d set about trashing her reputation. Life for Faith had been uncomfortable and lonely after that.
