“What about in countries where they can’t grow food? Would you rather they starved?”
“So what, you’re an authority on it now? You didn’t say boo the other night at the meeting.”
“It’s not my town or my place to say anything.”
“Whatever, and I’m telling you it’s just not right.” Noah sounded lame, because she was right, and he likely didn’t know enough about it.
She turned and began throwing ingredients into the mixer. A cloud of powder plumed upward and coated her face.
“We have a ghost in the kitchen,” Buster teased.
She shot Buster a smile; him, she ignored.
“Lani—”
“I don’t have time for your small-minded talk now, Noah. I have to bake.”
He stood there feeling raw and pissed off and couldn’t do a damn thing about it because Buster and now Connor were in the kitchen.
“Whatever,” he muttered back, then walked out of the kitchen, through the shop, and out the front door.
Buster fell into step beside him after about ten paces.
“Go away and bake something.”
“I can do that any old time, but being with my friends is what really counts. Time to just hang out, relax, and soak up the love.”
“Asshole.”
“See,” Buster dug his hands into the pockets of his shorts, “you just can’t get that kind of love outside Howling.”
Noah sighed.
“You all good there?”
“Peachy.”
“She’s not Samantha, Noah.”
“Will you and everyone in this town stop saying that!”
“Militant Lawrence did not say that to you.”
“Ha.”
“Look, bud. You know me and my aversion to anything personal or mushy—”
“I do; that’s why we will leave that out of any conversation between us.”
“And yet, I find that since Willow came into my life—”
Noah groaned.
“I want those around me to be happy. It’s tough when you’re the local grinch, but the love of a good woman has changed me.”
“For the love of God, man, stop.”
“I shied away from women because of Jessica and the job she did on my emotions. I’m free now—”
