place.
Lauren rubbed her lips together . “I was wondering if breakfast was self-serve or if you had something prepared?”
The woman let the question hang and Lacy felt like a worm who had just been peed on by a stray dog. “Of course we have something. This is a bed and breakfast, after all. We’ll be out in just a sec, okay?”
“All right, then. Thank you.”
Lacy rumpled her nose and nodded in response as Lauren went back to the dining room. Crap, now Lacy was going to have to make breakfast since the robotic, room-stealing, bird hater wanted her food an hour before they started serving. Just as she thought it, Scarlett breezed through the back door pulling her hair up.
“Sorry, I know.” She hurried over to the cupboard, ditching her purse. “Louie didn’t come home last night so I was out looking for him.” Scarlett floated around, retrieving bowls and pans without pausing. “I finally found him in the neighbor’s garage and you know how he is about my wildlife.” She paused long enough to emphasize with air quotations and use the face that always accompanies stories of Scarlett’s harassing neighbor.
“That’s just because he would rather you be petting him than all those animals, Scar.” Em mylou grinned and Lacy laughed.
Scarlett’s neighbor was the best-looking guy in town, a couple years younger than the three of them. He had moved in a few years ago to manage the implement dealership. Every single female within a fifty-mile radius had thrown herself at him, but Lacy knew he was in love with Scarlett. Poor guy.
“Ha -ha, Emmy.” Scarlett broke eggs into a glass bowl. “Louie just had the surgery a couple days ago and shouldn’t be outside, but try and tell Mr. Marshall about that and see how sympathetic he is.” One breath and she was off again. Emmylou and Lacy may as well cancel their plans for the next two hours. Scarlett would be on this tangent about her rescue cat and the neighbor for a while.
Lacy exchanged a meaningful look with Emmylou. They both understood that the conversa tion between them was not over.
The three of them worked companionably for the next half hour preparing a breakfast fare in line with the menu choices of California movie stars. There wasn’t one thing they prepared that Lacy would eat, even if she were stretched on a rack and poked with sharp objects. It all looked like cardboard to her. She knew it was probably healthier than her particular diet, but she would n ever give up her beloved bacon.
These people and their food hang-ups. Bacon was not meant to be made from turkey. Ever. And why in the world would anyone give up the yolk of an egg? It was the part that had flavor and was great for dipping toast in.
Turned out they had timed it just right, with the exception of Lauren, who had wanted fruit and Greek yogurt. She had turned her nose up when Lacy informed her the only yogurt she had was key lime pie flavored. The crew had filtered into the dining room and were very pleased with her “upgraded” menu. They had all been kind and one guy even left her a ten-dollar tip. As she pocketed it and caught his heavy-lidded leer she wondered if taking the money signified some sort of deal for repayment.
She was saved from wondering when Kyle swept in and smacked the guy on the back of the head , causing his blonde hair to fly over his face. The thump gave even Lacy a headache.
“Stop gawking and get to the lobby!”
The guy obliged, returning Kyle’s half-smile.
As Kyle smoothed his buttoned-down shirt, Lacy took a steadying breath but couldn’t drag her eyes from him. She wanted to. God, how she wanted to be indifferent to him. She repeated over and over that he was just a good-looking guy in great shape. He was nice to look at, but her stupid heart kept getting in the middle of her thoughts and informing her otherwise. Maybe if she gouged out her eyes it would help. She started by closing them.
“Morning.”
Her heart jolted and her shoulders
Lauren rubbed her lips together . “I was wondering if breakfast was self-serve or if you had something prepared?”
The woman let the question hang and Lacy felt like a worm who had just been peed on by a stray dog. “Of course we have something. This is a bed and breakfast, after all. We’ll be out in just a sec, okay?”
“All right, then. Thank you.”
Lacy rumpled her nose and nodded in response as Lauren went back to the dining room. Crap, now Lacy was going to have to make breakfast since the robotic, room-stealing, bird hater wanted her food an hour before they started serving. Just as she thought it, Scarlett breezed through the back door pulling her hair up.
“Sorry, I know.” She hurried over to the cupboard, ditching her purse. “Louie didn’t come home last night so I was out looking for him.” Scarlett floated around, retrieving bowls and pans without pausing. “I finally found him in the neighbor’s garage and you know how he is about my wildlife.” She paused long enough to emphasize with air quotations and use the face that always accompanies stories of Scarlett’s harassing neighbor.
“That’s just because he would rather you be petting him than all those animals, Scar.” Em mylou grinned and Lacy laughed.
Scarlett’s neighbor was the best-looking guy in town, a couple years younger than the three of them. He had moved in a few years ago to manage the implement dealership. Every single female within a fifty-mile radius had thrown herself at him, but Lacy knew he was in love with Scarlett. Poor guy.
“Ha -ha, Emmy.” Scarlett broke eggs into a glass bowl. “Louie just had the surgery a couple days ago and shouldn’t be outside, but try and tell Mr. Marshall about that and see how sympathetic he is.” One breath and she was off again. Emmylou and Lacy may as well cancel their plans for the next two hours. Scarlett would be on this tangent about her rescue cat and the neighbor for a while.
Lacy exchanged a meaningful look with Emmylou. They both understood that the conversa tion between them was not over.
The three of them worked companionably for the next half hour preparing a breakfast fare in line with the menu choices of California movie stars. There wasn’t one thing they prepared that Lacy would eat, even if she were stretched on a rack and poked with sharp objects. It all looked like cardboard to her. She knew it was probably healthier than her particular diet, but she would n ever give up her beloved bacon.
These people and their food hang-ups. Bacon was not meant to be made from turkey. Ever. And why in the world would anyone give up the yolk of an egg? It was the part that had flavor and was great for dipping toast in.
Turned out they had timed it just right, with the exception of Lauren, who had wanted fruit and Greek yogurt. She had turned her nose up when Lacy informed her the only yogurt she had was key lime pie flavored. The crew had filtered into the dining room and were very pleased with her “upgraded” menu. They had all been kind and one guy even left her a ten-dollar tip. As she pocketed it and caught his heavy-lidded leer she wondered if taking the money signified some sort of deal for repayment.
She was saved from wondering when Kyle swept in and smacked the guy on the back of the head , causing his blonde hair to fly over his face. The thump gave even Lacy a headache.
“Stop gawking and get to the lobby!”
The guy obliged, returning Kyle’s half-smile.
As Kyle smoothed his buttoned-down shirt, Lacy took a steadying breath but couldn’t drag her eyes from him. She wanted to. God, how she wanted to be indifferent to him. She repeated over and over that he was just a good-looking guy in great shape. He was nice to look at, but her stupid heart kept getting in the middle of her thoughts and informing her otherwise. Maybe if she gouged out her eyes it would help. She started by closing them.
“Morning.”
Her heart jolted and her shoulders
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