"He's a jerk."
"I'm just saying…" She trails off.
"He's not a local," I remind her.
"You're not going to hook up with a local,” she tells me, and yeah, she’s right. That would be gross.
"I'm not hooking up with anyone. I've got my hands full as it is."
"It was only a thought. You could be the sunshine to his grumpiness. I mean, look at us."
"We're friends," I point out. "And this isn't a romance novel. Besides, that man dislikes me as much as I dislike him."
"Once upon a time I was an asshole to Paxton. Nothing pissed me off more than my attraction to him."
Oh, I remember, and Paxton is a sweetheart. I mean, the man is a vet. He can be rough when needed, but no one crosses Tilly, and now that she's claimed Paxton, no one is going to mess with him either. The last person that did is living to regret it.
"Yeah, but you're not really an asshole."
"You take that back right now,” she demands, and I roll my eyes. Tilly pretends to be hard, but she’s a big softy inside.
"You're only an asshole when you're being protective. There is a reason for it." Noah is that way all the time. Not that I have spent much time with him, but so far he’s one hundred percent asshole.
"We'll have to agree to disagree." Tilly heads out of the back door, and I spend the next couple of hours decorating the cake. I spend way too much time trying to get it right. For some reason, I don’t want to consider why.
My feet start to ache along with my hands, and the exhaustion is catching up with me. It would help if I ate something. That might give me some energy. I actually feel a bit lightheaded. I’ll have dinner after I drop the cake off, then I can crash for the night.
I ask the girls to close up for me so I can get this delivery over with. Maybe I’ll sit the cake on his doorstep, then knock and run? I’ll be back in my SUV by the time he’s opening his door. Although with my luck, he’ll step on it, and there’s no way I’m leaving that to chance.
I’ll deliver the cake and then be done with it. I’ll never have to see the man again.
But I should know better than anyone that things never go as planned. The moment I do, the universe laughs. Well, at least someone is.
Chapter Four
NOAH
“Fuck,” I hiss when the handle on the pan burns my fingers.
Stepping back, I search the drawers for an oven mitt. But of course my sister has hidden them in some secret space that is unable to be accessed by another human on the planet. And as fate would have it, right then there’s a knock on the door. I’m aggravated and trying to hurry, so I shout without really thinking about my tone.
“Come in!” The cabin isn’t too big, so they should hear me over the noise of me ransacking the kitchen.
“Um, hello?” a voice says, but it’s too far away for me to tell who it is.
“Back here,” I call out as I get down on the floor to look into the back of the cabinet. If this bread burns because Kim doesn’t have a potholder, I’m going to murder her.
I’m on all fours with my head stuck in a lower cabinet when I hear someone snicker behind me. I close my eyes and curse under my breath. Then, to make matters worse, I back out too quickly and smack the back of my head.
It’s probably better to pretend I don’t hear the second muffled giggle as I get to my feet and rub the back of my head.
“Be with you in a second,” I grumble as I grab the hand towel off the counter and use that to take the bread out.
“Something smells… toasty.”
Turning around, I see Molly standing there, her blue eyes filled with amusement. My chest does that funny thing again, and when I try to take a deep breath, my heart squeezes. Maybe I should call a doctor.
“My sister hid the potholders.”
