I groaned. “He was just being nice.”
Jensen chuckled. “Nice is offering you a ride. Offering to fix your car himself with rock star hands that are probably insured for millions of dollars? That’s something else entirely.”
I could feel the blood drain from my face. “I didn’t even think about his hands.”
Jensen stood, reaching over to still my suddenly staccato movements. “I was just giving you a hard time. You heard him. He does this for fun. He knows what he’s doing.”
I really hoped he did. I did not need a ruined billion-dollar career on my conscience. Jensen gave my arm a squeeze. “It’s fine. I just liked the attention he was paying you. Maybe Irma isn’t too far off in her predictions this time.”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “Nothing’s going to happen there.”
“Well, why the frick not? He definitely seemed interested to me. And, as my grandma said, he’s one handsome piece of man meat.”
I returned my attention to the scone dough in front of me. “Because I don’t want it to.” The words tasted sour on my tongue. It might be a lie, but I wished it were the truth.
* * *
I straightenedfrom my crouch behind the bakery case, sliding the door closed now that the shelves were freshly restocked.
“Hello again, Tessa.”
I lifted my gaze at the greeting. It was the man from the other day. Al. The one with lots of questions. I gritted my teeth but nodded quickly. “Hello.”
He eyed the bakery display. “What looks good today?”
I looked to Jensen for an assist, but she was busy helping another customer. “The huckleberry muffins are good.”
Al grinned. “That sounds great. I’ll take one of those for here, please.”
I grabbed a muffin with the tongs lying at the back of the case and put the pastry on one of our mismatched china plates. “Here you go.” I handed him the plate. “Jensen will ring you up.” I turned to head back to the kitchen, but Al’s voice stopped me.
“Can I ask you for some local recommendations?”
I slowly turned back around.Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude.“Sure.”
He gave me a grin that seemed just a bit fake. “What’s the best spot for some dinner grub?”
I toyed with the ties on my apron. “The saloon down the street has the best burgers in the county. Or there’s a Mexican restaurant two blocks over with greatqueso.”
Al rubbed his stomach. “A burger sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Is that your favorite restaurant?”
My eyes narrowed just a bit. “I have lots of favorites.”
He let out a low chuckle. “I guess you can’t pick just one being a fellow small business employee.”
I shrugged. “I better get back to work.”
“Oh, of course. Thanks again for the muffin and restaurant recommendation.”
“You’re welcome.” I turned again and was almost to the kitchen when a different voice called my name.What now?
When I pivoted, I came face-to-face with the man I’d sworn off a few hours earlier. My heart rate picked up speed. Liam stood to the side of the counter, motioning me over. He wore dark jeans and a plaid flannel with the sleeves rolled up on his muscular forearms. His hair looked just a touch darker than usual, as though it were still damp from a shower. The moss green in his eyes seemed to twinkle.
I glanced around the café. No one seemed to be paying us much attention. I let out a breath of relief and stepped towards Liam. “Hi.”
He grinned. This smile was nothing like the false one Al had worn. It was full of life. Genuine. “I’m just about to go pick up some parts for your car but thought I’d drop by and grab a snack first.”
My eyebrows lifted. “You’ve already started working on it?”
