Understatement of the century.
Next to Sadie, a college-aged guy blaring a hip-hop song on his phone started break-dancing. Beside him, another kid performed skateboarding tricks.
“What’s gotten into everyone?” Cade looked over his shoulder toward the café, nearly losing his balance as two girls in tutus pushed past him and pirouetted down the street. Something moving across the grass off to the side of Chug a Mug caught his attention. “Is that Owen?”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” Noah sighed. “He’s tightrope walking.”
Sure enough, Owen had tied a rope between two stakes, only about a foot off the ground. He wobbled across the line holding an umbrella, stepping down to regain his balance every two to three steps.
“Zoey!” Linc suddenly barked, making both Cade and Noah jump. “What are you doing?”
Unwavering, Zoey kept her eyes up as she continued juggling, side-stepping to stay under the pastries. “What does it look like?” She shook her bangs out of her eyes and attempted to execute a spin.
Three beignets rained down on her head.
Linc growled.
Elisa broke through the crowd and rushed to join them, wearing her Magnolia Blossom apron and a stricken expression. “There you are!”
Rosalyn was right behind her.
Cade’s throat dried at the sight of her blonde ponytail and wide eyes. He flexed his hands at his sides.
Rosalyn hurried to stand next to them, then stepped back as Noah pulled Elisa into his side. She turned toward the drama unfolding on the streets, angling her face away from Cade.
Cade swallowed. He wanted to tell her how ashamed he was of his reaction last week, but in the middle of this chaos wasn’t the place.
Noah planted a kiss on the top of Elisa’s head, oblivious to the tension lingering next to him on each side. “You don’t want to throw yourself in there, babe? Do a trick?”
“Yeah, right. It’s been like this for twenty minutes and the crowd keeps growing.” Elisa tucked her hair behind her ears and grimaced. “It’s like a really bad talent show.”
“Where’s Simon Cowell when you need him?” Linc muttered, shifting his weight.
“I will say the Blossom is doing great business.” Elisa shrugged. “We sold out of blueberry scones and Cajun muffins. I left Lucius baking a third batch so I could come see if you’d made it out here yet.”
Cade craned his head to see around the group clustered between them and the action taking place down the street—and give his eyes an excuse to land anywhere other than on Rosalyn. “Who is everyone gathered around over there?”
Linc, the tallest of them, stood on tiptoe to check. He scowled. “Some dude in a blazer.”
Cade took several steps down the road toward the cluster, his friends following. The crowd parted, and sure enough, standing in the middle of the hubbub was a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses, a blazer, and dark jeans. His temples were streaked with silver.
The group around them fell silent as Delia hobbled toward the man on her cane, chin lifted in the air. Several pink and teal shopping bags dangled from her free hand. “Do you remember me?”
The man frowned, tilting his head. “I’m sorry, I?—”
“No,I’msorry.” Trish breezed from behind the stranger, her tone cool as she stared down her nose at Delia.
Delia glared back at her. “I was here yesterday. You wouldn’t wait on me?”
The man’s eyes widened as he looked between the two women. He took a step back.
Trish moved closer to Delia, shouldering past the man. Her bored tone continued as she swept her gaze over Delia. “Oh…”
“You work on commission, right?” Delia inched closer to Miley, her expression haughty.
Trish offered a bored eye roll. “Yeah…”
Delia gestured wildly with her shopping bags. “Big mistake. Big!” She thrust the packages into the redhead’s face and shook them. Her cane toppled to the street with a clatter. “Huge!”
