AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Morning, Carter.” I greet her with my most charming smile, laying that shit on real thick.
“No,” Cora says, pointing her index finger at me.
My smile stays firmly in place as I look at her, arching my brow. “Can't a man buy some doughnuts?”
“Sure. At the Cookie Jar,” she says flatly.
“C'mon now, Carter, you know Sugar & Spice has the best glazed croissants in a fifty-mile radius.”
She matches my expression, her eyebrow up and her mouth curving into a smirk. “I'm going to tell Melanie Cleary you said that.”
Melanie Cleary owns the Cookie Jar. She's around Ma's age and makes some of the best cookies I've ever had the pleasure of eating. But she doesn't do doughnuts, so I don't care if Carter runs her mouth about that.
I only smile at her. “I'll take a half dozen today.”
She holds my gaze for a beat, before blindly reaching behind her to grab a white box. She folds it into shape and stares at me, apparently done talking.
I look at the rows and rows of doughnuts. “I'll take a glazed croissant to start. And one of your bestsellers, whatever that is.”
She bends down and grabs an elephant ear pastry and puts it in the box. There's no way in hell that's their bestseller, but alright. It's fucking delicious and I'll eat it if Evangeline doesn't want it.
Carter arches her brow, daring me to question her. I just keep my smile and continue to order.
“Alright, a chocolate long john, a Boston cream, and one of your favorites.”
Her gaze snaps to mine, anger overruling her decision to ignore me. “If you think asking my favorite doughnut will make me like you, you're wrong.”
I tuck my hands into my pockets and lift my shoulders in a shrug. “Nah. But I am heading to meet your cousin, and since I know you wouldn't tell me her favorite if I asked, I figured I’d get a variety. And maybe I'd get lucky and her favorite is your favorite.”
“I thought I told you to steer clear of my cousin, St. James,” she practically seethes my name, slamming the box on the top of the bakery case.
I pull my hand out of my pocket and run the pad of my index finger along my brow. “Ah, you did. But see, the thing is, Carter”—I flash her a grin—”I'm shit at taking orders. Just ask my ma.”
Carter's eyes narrow, and for a moment, I think she's going to hand me my box of fried dough without a comment.
“You're a real asshole, you know that?” she sneers at me, sealing the white box with a big Sugar & Spice sticker.
I lift my shoulders, fixing a nonchalant smirk on my face. “That's what they keep telling me.”
I'll be damned if I ever let someone see how their shitty, unwarranted opinion of me affects me. Especially not Coraline Carter, Reaper-hater extraordinaire.
I grab the box off the case and take it to the cash register by the door. I hand the girl behind the counter some cash, and just as I'm about to turn and leave, I hear Carter call out my name.
“St. James.” Her voice snaps through the bakery, several customers turning to watch the exchange.
“If you hurt her, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life,” she says, her eyes flashing with warning.
“Don't worry, Carter. I don't plan on hurting her. In fact, I plan on doing quite the opposite. Long, detailed, time-consuming plans.” I arch a brow and leer at her, just a little. Enough to rile her up.
“Get the fuck out of here before I regret my decision to forgo violence today.”
I push open the door, the bell tinkling above my head mixing with my laughter.
23
EVANGELINE
A knock soundsat the front door when I'm inside the walk-in pantry. I've been wiping down the shelves for the last twenty minutes while Bane takes care of what he calledthe garbage and recycling situation.
