And then late Friday morning, Luke and Colby appeared again, little Colby chanting a familiar refrain.
Seth grinned at them. “Guess what I haaaave,” he sang, making showcase display hands at the small selection of glazed and chocolate donuts in the corner of his case.
Colby shrieked with delight, earning an eye roll from the teenage goth girl who’d ordered a black coffee and a plain brioche bun at opening, had parked at one of Seth’s tables, and had been typing furiously at her laptop for the past few hours.
Seth served Luke and his son, and Luke gestured to a table. “Mind if we sit and hang for a while? He’s really into chairs right now.”
Sure enough, Colby was already clambering up one of the chairs, stubby legs flailing for a minute before he got his grip. He barely reached the top of the table when seated, but he was undeterred, holding out his hands for more bites of donut, minus the icing.
“Not at all,” Seth said. Then, because he wasn’t one to waste a golden opportunity, “Hey, do you know a kid in town? Doesn’t talk much, maybe nineteen or twenty? Dark hair and brown eyes. Really, um…good-looking?”
Seth felt like a creep as soon as he’d finished speaking—had he really had to mention the good-looking part?—but Luke was already nodding. “Riley? Yeah, he’s a local, more or less. Lives deeper in the woods with his moms. Think he was homeschooled; we never saw much of them until this past year.”
Seth nodded back at him in a way that was maybe bobble-headed, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “Cool, cool. And is he in the habit of, perhaps, accosting people?”
“What?” Luke looked genuinely shocked by the question, which was mildly reassuring. “No. If anything, the kid’s overly cautious. Shy. Keeps his distance. You’re lucky to get two words out of him most of the time.”
The teenage goth suddenly spoke up. “I think they’re serial killers.”
Luke turned in his seat to stare at her while Colby muttered under his breath, “See-wull kehs.” Luke gave him another bite of donut without looking.
“Who is?” Luke finally asked, when the goth girl didn’t seem inclined to elaborate.
“The whole family.”
“Violet,” Luke chastised with a frown. “That’s unkind.”
Of course they already knew each other. The familiarity made Seth smile. The joy of a small town.
Violet swept black bangs out of her eyes, finally glancing up to give Luke a look of deep disdain. “I mean it as a compliment.”
“I’m not sure anyone would consider it a compliment,” Seth called cheerfully from behind the counter.
The look of disdain was immediately turned his way. “Washington has one of the highest serial killer rates per capita, you know. Statistics are in my favor.”
“Why do you think they keep to themselves so much?” Seth asked. He directed the question to Luke because Violet definitely already had her theories.
Luke rubbed a hand over his scruff, considering. “Rumor is they adopted him from a rough situation. Needed time to acclimate.”
“Oh.” So this Riley was, like, some traumatized kid looking for a little kindness. Damn, Seth really should have let him in the other day. What was a little intense staring to start the morning, anyway?
“They say you’re a spy,” Violet said, completely monotone, her focus back on her laptop.
Since Luke didn’t respond except with an aggrieved sigh, and little Colby seemed a bit young for espionage, she could only be talking to one person.
“Little old me?” Seth straightened in surprise, more or less delighted by the accusation. He’d been called a few things—a flirt, a die-hard optimist, a person with an unhealthy amount of energy in the early hours—but never something as exciting as a spy. “For whomst?”
“That creepy research institute.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Luke winced, like Seth might be offended by what he was about tosay. “There’s some scientific research station opened up this week,” he explained. “I think they study marine life? Or maybe forest growth? People were hoping they’d be bringing jobs with them, but they seem to have brought their own people. Nobody likes that much.”
“And you think they have an undercover baker on their roster?” Seth asked Violet, fighting to bite back his grin.
Violet looked up again, narrowing her black-lined eyes at him. “Timing’s suspicious.”
Seth leaned over his counter, placing his chin on his fist, entertained as all get-out. He might have a new favorite customer, sincerest apologies to the adorable Colby. “Are you here to keep an eye on me, then?”
