no joy in the company of a smart and witty woman is not surprising to me, Lucas Elliot. You prefer them dumb and silent, right?”
Ah. Lucas Elliot.
West Elliot’s youngest son.
Also home for summer vacation, I presumed.
Roane had said that he and Viola did not get along, but witnessing it in real life was something else. They visibly bristled as they interacted.
Lucas braced his hands on the stall and leaned forward, bringing his head closer to Viola’s. She didn’t even flinch. “I prefer them sweet like honey.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Not sour like vinegar.”
“Oh, Lucas.” Viola fluttered her lashes comically. “With original metaphors like that, you should be a poet.”
I tried to contain my snort.
A muscle twitched in her opponent’s jaw, and he straightened to his full height. Both of them seemed to have completely forgotten Caro was there and watching their interaction with avid curiosity. That would make two of us.
“Heard your boyfriend dumped you for a cheerleader. Might be something in that, Viola.”
If she could have killed him with looks, he’d be dead. “Oh, please, I’m all aflutter to hear romantic advice from a boy who rumor has it arrives way too early every time.”
My eyes bugged out of my head, and I had to cover my mouth to stifle my shocked gasp. I was even more shocked when Lucas just smirked at her response. “Oh, my stats are clear on that count. I always make sure a woman is satisfied multiple times.”
“Well, you’ve certainly made sure there’s enough data to draw that conclusion. Better watch that, Elliot. An overabundance of research could lead to an STD in your spreadsheets.”
I was shaking now with the urge to belly laugh.
These two were entertaining with a capital E.
“You’re awfully concerned about my sheets. Maybe if you’d been more concerned about your own, the boyfriend wouldn’t have ended up tangled in the cheerleader’s. Her thread count must have been higher.” He grinned evilly.
A flicker of pain moved across Viola’s features before she smoothed it with a look of indifference, and my amusement instantly died.
I glared at Lucas, only to see he was no longer smiling. In fact, he was watching Viola warily. Perhaps he knew he’d crossed the line.
“Well”—she crossed her arms over her chest—“if you’re not going to buy anything, take your toxic attitude elsewhere. I’ve had my fill of immature dickhead for the day.”
Lucas’s expression hardened and he cut Caro a look. “You might want to think about who mans your stall in the future, or you’ll lose business.”
“I’m a woman.” Viola’s hands flew to her hips. “You may not recognize the breed since you’re only capable of attracting shallow girls. Now run along.”
With one last dark look, Lucas Elliot turned on his heel and strode across Main Street. He pushed open the door to The Alnster Inn but shot Viola a scowl over his shoulder before disappearing inside.
It was as we were packing up for the day, Caro’s baked goods long sold, that I spotted a woman watching us from the lane between the butcher’s and the inn. She dressed in much the same way Caro normally did and wore a severe frown of disapproval on her face.
Caro didn’t notice her as she and Viola laughed at something together.
It was her aunt Helena. I knew it in my gut.
I braced myself in case the woman was here to make a scene, but to my relief, after a few minutes of glaring at her niece, Helena turned around and walked back down the lane whence she’d come.
An uneasy feeling stuck with me, and I decided I’d ask Caroline if she wanted to stay with me again tonight. Her face was lit with joy as she talked with Viola. Despite her shyness, I could see she was brimming over with happiness that she was the only person to sell out of goods. This, plus the positive comments she got from customers, would surely go a long way to boosting her self-confidence. And I wouldn’t have Helena take that away from her on the very same day.
Just as I approached the girls to ask Caro if she wanted to stay over at my apartment, a slamming door pulled all three of our gazes toward The Alnster Inn. Lucas had stepped out of the pub and he wasn’t alone. Whether she’d been there all along or had just arrived, a tall blonde wrapped her arm around his waist as he slung his over her shoulders. Without a look in our