Chapter 4
Lark
“Hello, Lark,” Mrs. Canta says as she stops me on my way into the Daily Knead.
The bakery is owned by my best friend, Suzanne, and every few days I come and get a few loaves of sourdough.
Today, however, is a community food drive where I volunteered to help pack boxes to help local families who are falling on hard times.
“Hi, Mrs. Canta.” I smile at my mother’s closest friend.
“How is your mother?”
I hold back the eye roll because I’m pretty sure they spoke this morning. “She’s good.”
“I was so sorry to hear about the Stones causing trouble again,” she says with a sigh. “I do wish Ginny was still alive. She never would’ve stood for that kind of behavior from her children.”
I try not to remind her that this feud has been going on for damn near a century, and my father and Mr. Stone were doing dumb shit to each other before any of us kids were born.
In fact, I’m pretty sure my father slashed one of Tristan’s father’s tires at an auction about two years ago. While he’s never admitted it, the timing is awfully sketchy.
Instead of saying any of that, I just smile and nod. “It was so good seeing you, Mrs. C. I need to get in and get my order.”
She glances into the bakery. “Yes, Suzanne looks very busy.”
The snide comment irks me. “She’s doing a lot of good for the town by offering her bread for no charge.”
That seems to do the trick. “All right then. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“I’m sure you will.”
I enter the store, the scent of freshly baked bread assaulting my senses.
It’s like a warm hug, and I love coming in here.
Her store is adorable. The wallpaper features cute drawings of different breads and pies.
The counter lines the left side of the store with deep green wood paneling along the bottom and glass cases on top.
There are four tables along the right side with green chairs. Everything is homey and quaint.
Suzanne has had a hard time starting her business. Most of the women in this town have been milling their own flour and baking since they were kids. However, I love my friend and am proud of her for chasing her passion, so I do what I can to support her.
“Hey!” Suzanne says as she pokes her head out of the back at the sound of the door chime.
“Hey yourself! How are you?”
“Good, business was better today,” she says with a mix of relief in her brown eyes. She pulls off the apron that was wrapped around her and tosses it on the counter. “We almost sold out of the new pies I made.”
I smile. “That’s amazing, Suzanne!”
“Yes, I might actually be able to pay my rent this month and electric at the same time.”
“That’s a plus.”
“It’s a miracle. Honestly, if it weren’t for Veronica Stone, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to do it.”
I blink. “What?”
She pulls her lower lip between her teeth. “Don’t get all twisted, but Veronica is possibly starting some new business or something, so she came and bought a bunch of bread, pies, and a few other baked goods. She put in a custom order for next week, too, which will really help.”
I have no idea what the hell Veronica could be doing that she needs baked goods, but if it helps my best friend, I really don’t care.
“That’s great, truly.”
Suzanne sighs. “Thank you for not being stupid.”
“Why would I be stupid?”
We both know the answer to that. She was probably worried I’d be upset because of who is making a difference in her life.
Which is really unfair, because I try my best not to be mean just to be mean.
“No reason,” she says with a smirk.
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m so glad you’re here to help. I was told a few other volunteers are coming. Why are you here so early, though? We’re not supposed to start until six.”
Now it’s my turn to feel awkward saying something. In about an hour, I’m going to meet Jeremy and finally put an end to things. It’s time. I’m not happy with where things are or the road we’re going down. It’s just better for everyone if I end it now.
“I have to leave a little early to take care of something, but I wanted to help,” I explain.
“Take care of what?”
Just then the door chimes, and we both turn to see Tristan Stone enter.
My heart immediately starts to race. I haven’t seen him since our drive home. I’ve talked to him over text, dreamed about him, and imagined seeing him again, but my memory did nothing to prepare me for the reality of it.
He looks heart-stoppingly beautiful.
Do men look beautiful? I vote yes.
He’s wearing a plaid shirt and a pair of jeans that does his body good. His cowboy hat sits low, shielding his eyes and giving him a mysterious vibe.
Every part of me feels as though it’s come to life. My body is damn near vibrating, and I hate myself for it.
Slowly, his head lifts and he pulls his hat off. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Suzanne walks forward. “You’re not, Tristan. Are you here to pick up the order for your sister?” she asks, glancing at me and mouthing: Sorry.
I clear my throat and look down at my feet.
“Yes, I am…but also I was told I’m signed up to help with boxing something?”
“Oh! You’re volunteering?” she asks, and then, with wide eyes, looks to me.
“Yes, Sadie apparently signed me up.” The tone in his voice tells me that he is not happy about this either.
Suzanne grins. “I see. Well, let me go grab the order, and since you and Lark are both here, you can work on putting some boxes together.”
He looks to me. “You’re volunteering?”
I nod.
“Of course,” he says under his breath.
Suzanne squeezes my arm as she goes past me, heading into the back, leaving me alone with Tristan.
Great.
“Hey,” I say softly.
Boy, I’m so good at this.
He smiles. “Hey.”
“I really am sorry about the whole cops thing,” I get out, feeling even stupider than I did before.
“It’s no big deal.”
It is, but I appreciate him letting me off the hook. “Okay.”
“I mean, it kind of is,” he cuts in after I dropped it.
“You just said it wasn’t.”
He shrugs. “I lied. It’s a big deal. One that I think you should repent over.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I’m right on top of that.”
“Good, you should be.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Anyway. So you’re helping?”
Obviously, Lark. You already know that.
Slowly he bobs his head up and down. “That I am. And it seems you are as well.”
“Yup.”
I shift closer to him, and just as I do, someone walks in front of the big window, stops, and with mouth wide open stares. Like, not just looking, but face pressed up to the glass now. “Dear God,” I mutter.
Tristan turns where I’m looking and grunts. “Great. This will be in the damn paper. Headline will be something ridiculous like: ‘Stone Holds a Gatlin Hostage in Bakery’.”
“I think you’re lacking in imagination. It would be more like: ‘A Sticky Situation as a Stone Pins a Gatlin’.”
He chuckles. “Now you’re giving the Infinity Ridge Gazette a bit too much credit for their use of puns.”
“Probably.”
Tristan moves closer, his head coming near mine. My heart stops before finding its rhythm again. “We could really give them something to talk about,” he teases.
Or at least I think he’s teasing.
I hope he is.
Maybe I hope he’s not, but I am not going to be stupid on this.
No, I’m going to be smart, step back, pretend I’m righteously angered by his stupid suggestions, and go break up with my boyfriend.
Instead of that, though, my cheeks redden just a touch, and I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I think…I’ve already done enough stupid things.” I stare into his brown eyes.
He stares back. “Probably. You did get your truck stuck in the mud.”
My jaw drops, and I place my hands on my hips. “Excuse me, it was storming.”
Tristan leans against the glass case. “Yes, I’m aware, but I didn’t get stuck.”
“Well, aren’t you special,” I say, taking a step closer to him.
He pushes off the case, moving toward me. “I think I am.”
I think he’s an ass.
“You’re not,” I counter.
“I’m not so sure you believe that.” Another step.
God, if we keep this up, I’m going to be wrapped around him soon.
Just then Suzanne comes around, and we both jump back.
“Sorry! I had to find the other pies that I put aside.” She walks around, extending a box to him.
“Oh, good, you didn’t kill each other.” Then she looks to the window.
“What the hell are Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Canta doing plastered against the window?”
“Staring at us,” I say with a heavy sigh.
Suzanne laughs. “All right then.”
Tristan lifts the box. “Thank you. I’m assuming Roni paid already?”
“Uh, she didn’t. She said you’d take care of it…”
I love this right now. That is so something I would do to my brother.
“Of course she did.” He places the box down and then reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. “Here you go. Now what do you need me to do for this volunteer thing?”
I step in quickly. “You don’t have to help. I can manage it.”
“I’m here to help. Why would I not fulfill my obligations?”
“Maybe because you’re a Stone.”
I hate the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. I don’t think that way. Sure, my brothers and father do, but Tristan helped me. He had my truck towed, when he definitely didn’t have to do that. He’s a good father, and Emmy Jo loved him, which considering I loved her, must mean something.
“Yes, well, us Stones keep our word,” he clips the words back.
Yeah, I really wish I didn’t say that.
“That’s great, but I’m able to do it without your help,” I say, standing my ground.
I do not want Tristan around. It’s so much better if I’m not forced to be with him. All of this…tension isn’t good for either of us. We need space. A lot of it.
I glance at my best friend, needing her to put her foot down, hopefully in a way that kicks him out the door.
Instead of doing what I silently beg of her, she grins. “You know what, since you guys are both here now, it would be a huge help if you could assemble the containers that the food will go in.”
I’m going to kill her.
Tristan smiles as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Sounds great. Show me the way.”
Now I have two choices: I can follow him, pretending this isn’t the worst idea in the world, or bail out and look stupid.
There’s not a chance in hell I’m picking the second so…follow it is.
“Lead the way,” I say with a cheerful smile.
Suzanne takes us into the back, showing us where the boxes and tape are, and where the assembly line will start. Four more people are coming in about an hour. “Since the store is still open, I need to be out there, but since you’re both mature adults, I’m sure you can manage.”
She’s officially dead to me.
“Right,” I say through my teeth.
Tristan turns his head to me. “No problem on my account.”
Ugh. Stupid man.
After a short laugh through her nose, she heads out, leaving the two of us alone.
Yeah, this is going to be just great.
By some divine luck, we spend the first ten minutes in complete silence. The only sounds in the room are cardboard moving, the slide of the tape dispenser, and then the tear of the tape.
All of it fills the very uncomfortable space in the room.
I glance over at him, trying to seem circumspect, but of course he catches me.
“What?” he asks.
“What?”
“I asked you first.”
I huff. “I didn’t say anything, so I don’t know what you’re asking me a question for.”
He grins and then grabs for the box across my body. “You were staring.”
I was, but there’s not a chance in hell I’m going to admit that. “No, I glanced over and you happened to do it at the same time.”
Tristan raises one brow. “That’s not how I saw it.”
“Then maybe you were the one who was staring,” I counter.
Seriously, how does he know I was looking if he wasn’t the one looking at me?
“Nope. I wasn’t.”
“Well, gee, now that you say it like that, I just happen to believe you.”
His smile makes my chest ache just a little. Ugh. Why does this man affect me so much? He really needs to stop. I shouldn’t care about his chiseled jaw, his scruffy face, or the way his brown eyes make my legs weak. All of that should be irrelevant, and I don’t know how to make it so.
Instead, I think about him. I verbally spar with him. I text him, because I’m dumb. And now I’m breaking up with my boyfriend thanks to one stupid sentence that I can’t get out of my head.
Well, that’s not completely true. It’s a lot more than just that, but still, he planted the stupid seed.
I let it grow.
Tristan laughs. “Listen, you’re the one who can’t help but look at me. I get it. I’m a good-looking guy—at least I’ve been told that.”
I scoff. “They lied to you.”
He shrugs. “That may be, but again, you were staring with that dreamy look.”
My lips part, and I suck in a breath. “You! You are so full of it. If I was looking, which I wasn’t, it was to make sure you haven’t grown horns yet. Since you are evil.”
His grin does not make me feel gooey inside. Not at all. Not even a sliver of goo. I’m all solid.
Lies.
“Whatever you say, Gatlin.”
I glare at him. “I say you should shut up and do your job.”
He laughs. “See, I’ve still been making boxes while you’ve just been there slobbering over my good looks.”
I hate him.
It’s official. Whatever stupid feelings of desire I had floating around are gone. I don’t have a single inkling of it.
I point the tape dispenser at him. “It’s a good thing I liked your wife or I’d…”
“You’d?”
I groan at my stupid mouth and the need to get the last word. “I’d tape you to the chair and then tape your mouth closed!”
“I might like that,” he says, his voice low and gravelly.
Before I can say anything else, the door opens. “All right, you two, you have reinforcements, but, Lark, I know you have to get going,” Suzanne says as Angela and Tammy Draven enter. They are both a few years older and have kids that are Sadie’s age.
And here is my cue. “Yes, I do.” I lean in and kiss Suzanne’s cheek. “You’re going to pay for this.”
She grins. “I expect no less.”
I go to grab my wallet, but it’s not where I placed it. Instead, Tristan is holding it in his hand. I have no choice but to acknowledge him now. I take the offered wallet, our hands touching, and I swear I feel it all the way to my toes.
His eyes find mine, and I see something very familiar swirling there. Something like desire, but mixed with loathing. “Lark.”
“Tristan,” I manage to say without a shake in my voice.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Then I walk out, my legs quaking.
This is bad.
So, so bad.