confusion. “Why do you always get so embarrassed? I can see you getting mad. But embarrassed? That doesn’t make sense.”
Shifting to the next section, Piper opened the door and began removing goods and shelving them in the clean section.
When she said nothing, he said, “I get it. You’re one of those girls who doesn’t like to talk dirty.”
“Shut up!”
“Or you do like to talk dirty and me taunting you brings back memories.”
Ignoring him, she took another armload of goods out of section two and put them into section one.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Devon told me you’ve been engaged twice. You probably know all the tricks.”
She still said nothing. Section two empty, she simply pointed at the bucket. He bent, filled the sponge with water, and applied it to the section he was supposed to clean.
“Come on. This is boring. At least liven it up by telling me about your two fiancés.”
“No.”
“Ah. She does speak.”
She said nothing.
“Just not about her fiancés.”
“I’ve embarrassed them enough already.”
“So you feel bad?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Even as she said the words, Cade could see her suddenly remembering that he actually had left someone at the altar—her friend. But, hey, what the hell? Maybe it was time they talked about this.
“No. I didn’t feel bad at all.”
“You’re disgusting!”
“Nope. I had a good reason for leaving Lonnie.” And the fact that Piper didn’t seem to know that caused him to wonder if Devon wasn’t correct. Maybe Lonnie hadn’t told her Hunter wasn’t his son? He glanced around, didn’t see many customers and could see Jen at her register, too far away to hear, but somehow he knew this wasn’t the place or time to suggest her friend might be a big, fat liar. “How about your reasons?”
She flushed again. “Just scrub.”
“No. I wanna hear.”
“If this is so boring for you that you have to talk about things that are none of your business, maybe you should handle it yourself.”
He caught her arm when it looked like she would turn to go. “But it is my business. The rumor is you left your grooms because you don’t want to be hurt like Lonnie. If I’m taking the blame I want to hear the story.”
She gaped at him. “ That’s what people say?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I just figured they thought I was crazy.”
He grinned. “Oh, darlin’, they think that too.”
Her spine stiffened. “Great.”
“Ah, sweet cheeks, you’ve gotta get a sense of humor.”
“The entire town laughs at me!”
“Who cares? I certainly don’t.” But at least now he knew what drove her, what he could use as leverage if they ever got into a serious disagreement. “You’re a hard worker, a good partner. That’s what counts.”
“You like working with me?”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” But he did like her. Sort of. She wasn’t anything that he’d imagined she’d be. Still, that was irrelevant considering he had no intention of spending an entire year here. He grinned at her. “Though I will admit to liking that little lust thing we have going on.”
With a sigh of disgust, she turned to go, but he stopped her again.
“Oh, no. You’re not stomping away and leaving this whole cooler clean-up to me. If I’m up to my elbows in soapy water, so are you. In fact, maybe you should scrub this section and I’ll dry?”
He tossed the sponge at her. Because she wasn’t ready, it thumped against her breasts then bounced to the floor. Horrified, she glanced down at the wet spot on her T-shirt, then up to his face.
He couldn’t help it. The combination of her horrified look and the wet spot on her T-shirt just did him in, and he laughed.
She swooped down and grabbed the sponge. As she dipped it in the soapy water, he assumed she was taking him up on the suggestion that she scrub this time, so it surprised him when she lobbed it at his chest. It bumped against him and fell to the floor.
“Do not ask me about things
Shifting to the next section, Piper opened the door and began removing goods and shelving them in the clean section.
When she said nothing, he said, “I get it. You’re one of those girls who doesn’t like to talk dirty.”
“Shut up!”
“Or you do like to talk dirty and me taunting you brings back memories.”
Ignoring him, she took another armload of goods out of section two and put them into section one.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Devon told me you’ve been engaged twice. You probably know all the tricks.”
She still said nothing. Section two empty, she simply pointed at the bucket. He bent, filled the sponge with water, and applied it to the section he was supposed to clean.
“Come on. This is boring. At least liven it up by telling me about your two fiancés.”
“No.”
“Ah. She does speak.”
She said nothing.
“Just not about her fiancés.”
“I’ve embarrassed them enough already.”
“So you feel bad?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Even as she said the words, Cade could see her suddenly remembering that he actually had left someone at the altar—her friend. But, hey, what the hell? Maybe it was time they talked about this.
“No. I didn’t feel bad at all.”
“You’re disgusting!”
“Nope. I had a good reason for leaving Lonnie.” And the fact that Piper didn’t seem to know that caused him to wonder if Devon wasn’t correct. Maybe Lonnie hadn’t told her Hunter wasn’t his son? He glanced around, didn’t see many customers and could see Jen at her register, too far away to hear, but somehow he knew this wasn’t the place or time to suggest her friend might be a big, fat liar. “How about your reasons?”
She flushed again. “Just scrub.”
“No. I wanna hear.”
“If this is so boring for you that you have to talk about things that are none of your business, maybe you should handle it yourself.”
He caught her arm when it looked like she would turn to go. “But it is my business. The rumor is you left your grooms because you don’t want to be hurt like Lonnie. If I’m taking the blame I want to hear the story.”
She gaped at him. “ That’s what people say?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I just figured they thought I was crazy.”
He grinned. “Oh, darlin’, they think that too.”
Her spine stiffened. “Great.”
“Ah, sweet cheeks, you’ve gotta get a sense of humor.”
“The entire town laughs at me!”
“Who cares? I certainly don’t.” But at least now he knew what drove her, what he could use as leverage if they ever got into a serious disagreement. “You’re a hard worker, a good partner. That’s what counts.”
“You like working with me?”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” But he did like her. Sort of. She wasn’t anything that he’d imagined she’d be. Still, that was irrelevant considering he had no intention of spending an entire year here. He grinned at her. “Though I will admit to liking that little lust thing we have going on.”
With a sigh of disgust, she turned to go, but he stopped her again.
“Oh, no. You’re not stomping away and leaving this whole cooler clean-up to me. If I’m up to my elbows in soapy water, so are you. In fact, maybe you should scrub this section and I’ll dry?”
He tossed the sponge at her. Because she wasn’t ready, it thumped against her breasts then bounced to the floor. Horrified, she glanced down at the wet spot on her T-shirt, then up to his face.
He couldn’t help it. The combination of her horrified look and the wet spot on her T-shirt just did him in, and he laughed.
She swooped down and grabbed the sponge. As she dipped it in the soapy water, he assumed she was taking him up on the suggestion that she scrub this time, so it surprised him when she lobbed it at his chest. It bumped against him and fell to the floor.
“Do not ask me about things
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