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“And he would be correct as well. Did you see the meat he threw at me the other night?” I act accosted by it in an attempt to get him to laugh.
It doesn’t work.
“AndI’mthe kid.”
We drop down the hill and are at the LaClare family grocery store—the only grocery in town—before I can get myself into a fight with my nephew over maturity and age. Nestled practically in the center of Centennial, this was just another place I called home as a kid. We used to ride our bikes down here and hang out in the office space over the checkout lines.
As I walk through the automatic doors, the wonderful warm aromas from Patience’s ovens float past us in greeting and escape to the parking lot to lure more people in. I lose my nephew in a flash as he hauls butt over to the café where Patience is leaning against the counter like she wants to sleep on it and stuffing her face with one of her famous cupcakes.
“I thought you didn’t eat your own creations?” I lean against the counter on the opposite side of her and smile teasingly down at the little reformed hellfire.
“Uck off.” She swallows and waddles away to grab an apple cinnamon muffin out of the glass display case for me and a slice of banana cream pie for Ridge.
I want to tease her so badly about her funny walk, but I don’t feel like having my muffin shoved up my nose. I’m thrilled for my friends. Patience had a baby after all us guys left, and she lost the little guy. Her life didn’t turn around right away and get better until Duke came back into it.
“The little one craving Momma’s baking?” I hedge.
She slides Ridge’s plate to him with a fork. He takes it all too willingly and runs off to a wrought-iron table while I stay at the counter to eat my treat.
Her tired expression screams of discomfort. “You have no idea.”
“Sure, I do.” I take a bite of the goodness. “I’ve craved your baking while I was gone. Going without felt like drug withdrawals.”
“And you know what that feels like?” Her brow arches.
“No, but I can imagine.”
“And you know what it feels like to have another life growing inside you who takes everything you have?”
“Again, no.” I smile at her with a full mouth. “I carry around half lives, though.” I pat my package.
“Right, and those need your full attention.”
“They do.” I nod in agreement. “Speaking of my junk.” I swallow and place my muffin down, getting serious. “I have an issue.”
“Who do we need to kill?” She doesn’t miss a beat. This is why I love this woman and why she’s one of my best friends. “Because I have to tell you, I can’t move that fast right now, and my husband is a sheriff’s deputy, which puts me in a predicament.”
“No one needs to die, Patience.” I laugh. “But I feel like I am. I’m a fish out of water here.”
Her small face pinches together in confusion before it lights up with a terrifying glee. “You’re actually having woman problems, aren’t you?”
This woman knows me far too well.
“Maybe.” I brush it off.
“You are!” She laughs. The shout causes some passing shoppers to pause and stare. “Who is my dear, sweet Chase having tochase?”
Sighing, I look over to check on Ridge who’s happily shoving his face before looking back at Patience. “Do you know Angie Reece? She’s Ridge’s math teacher—”
“No, shit?” She cuts me off. “Angie again, aye?”
“Again? What the fuck does that mean?”
Her eyes widen a fraction before she covers the move. “Nothing.” Shaking her head, she repeats. “Absolutely nothing. I know Angelica, also known as Angie.”
“You do?” I’m practically over the counter to get information.
“Sure, we went to high school with her.” She starts wiping invisible crumbs off the counter. “She was a couple of years behind us. She also comes in here to get something almost every weekday morning. I’ve started hanging out with her and her friend Lorelei from time to time with Mercy and Holt’s girl, Jody.”
