Killian’s voice dropped low andfrustrated. “I told you I’d help out with those.”
She shook her head and moved back toher vegetables, lovingly reorganizing the ones that had been picked through.“How’s Ezra by the way? I haven’t heard from the greedy little bastard in awhile.”
Suddenly the cucumbers were superinteresting. I picked one up and shamelessly eavesdropped on their entireconversation.
“The same,” Killian replied evenly.“He wants to fire the chef at Bianca. He’s dating again. He won’t leave mealone.”
Jo glared at a pretty pile ofheirloom tomatoes. “He should fire that idiot at Bianca.”
“He can’t get anyone to replacehim,” Killian added as if reminding her.
I moved over to some plump, redstrawberries. Jo softened, turning an affectionate smile on Killian. “Whatabout the dating? I suppose that’s going the same way.”
Killian chuckled darkly. “Would yourisk being turned into a restaurant?”
“He did that to himself. Norespectable girl is going to go out with him only to be dumped for the sake ofhis empire.”
The nosy busybody inside me perkedup at this new information. Now if only they would turn the conversation toKillian.
“No respectable girl should date himanyway. He’s not interested in settling down. He’s married to the business.”
Jo snorted. “I’m sure he loveshearing that fromyou. You’re nobetter.” I pretended not to notice when she turned her attention to me, staringdirectly without saying anything.
Killian didn’t seem to notice heraverted attention. “I stay out of his business. And he stays out of mine.”
“Unless you’re both in the kitchen.”
Killian growled something I couldn’tmake out.
Jo’s voice softened, gentled. “Don’tleave him, Killian. You know he needs you.”
“Jo…” Killian warned.
She raised her hands in surrender.“Alright, I’ll stay out of your business. I’m just saying, you need each other.There’s no reason to fight every day of your lives.” I felt her gaze the secondit snapped back to me. “And what about you, Vera? Are you having successsetting up across the street fromLilou?”
I tried to pretend like I hadn’tbeen listening to every single word of their conversation. I lifted my gazefrom the strawberries and looked as innocent as possible. “Hmm?”
“Your food truck?” Jo pushed,unafraid of asking personal details. “How do you do over there across fromLilou? I can’t imagine you have the same clientele?”
Jo seemed to know a lot about thefood industry for looking like a simple farmer. I decided to grill Killianlater.
“We don’t,” I agreed. “I cater moreto the bar crowd. Our peak hours are different. WhenLiloustarts to close is when business takes off for me.”
“Did you plan that?”
I met her stare with courage Ididn’t know I possessed. Her question was simple, but her meaning was deeper.She wanted to know if I had intentionally set up across fromLilouto use its success to my advantage.
“My brother owns the bike shop,Cycle Life. He lets me park in his lot rent free.”
Her shoulders relaxed just a bit,and her claws retracted. Apparently, she believed me enough to move on. “Do youhave a lot of family in the area?”
“Not really. Just my older brotherand Dad.”
“Oh, so you’re from here?”
I subtly brushed my hand over myforehead, wiping the nervous beads of sweat out of sight. I felt like I shouldbe under an interrogation lamp. Her questions were simple enough, but it washer direct gaze, her shrewd insight that made me jumpy. She saw way more than Iwanted her to. “I am. I left for a few years to get my degree and check outlife outside of Durham. But I moved back a few months ago when my dad wasdiagnosed with bladder cancer.”
“Oh, my.” She wrapped an arm aroundher waist and settled her other hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, Vera. That isjust awful. What stage?”
