I laughed. “It’s tempting, but I’ve never gotten into a fight like that and I’m not starting now at twenty-seven.”
“Hey, that’s not too old to throw down,” she said. “Believe in yourself.”
“The sales we made today are for sure making me feel better about my farm’s chances.” We still had cartons on the table to sell, but the stack was a lot smaller than when we’d started this morning. “I know eggs always sell better around Easter, but this no longer feels like a leap of faith.”
“Damn right,” Lila said. “You’re going to do great. Now we have another problem.”
I frowned. “What?”
“We need snacks,” she said. “Do you mind if I go look around and grab us something?”
“Sure.” I glanced around at the nearby booths, seeing what options were available, but what I saw was a different kind of snack.
Carter Allory was one aisle over, browsing at a table covered with hand-knitted beanies. The old woman was happily showing off her creations to him, and he smiled and nodded along. She seemed to find him much more charming than I did.
“What the hell?” I muttered.
Lila noticed and followed my gaze. She let out a low whistle. “Well, well, well. It looks like I know what you’re hungry for. Now there’s a man I wouldn’t mind taking home from the market. Dear lord.”
“Stop, Lila.”
“Why, are you calling dibs? I know you saw him first, but you can’t lay claim to the hottest man to ever be in Kentucky.” She shook her head.
“Lila, you’re married,” I said. “And Jake is a good guy.”
She nodded. “He’s the best and I would never do anything to jeopardize our marriage. Having said that, tall, dark, and handsome over there is nice to look at.”
I didn’t tell her who he was. My heart was pounding and I didn’t trust my voice to stay steady when saying Carter’s name. “He shouldn’t be here.”
I meant in Halston. Carter was staying in Ferris at Honeyrose, which was miles away. That was the entire reason we had come out to this farmers’ market, to avoid anyone from Ferris. Seeing him here bugged me. I didn’t like it one bit.
Lila misunderstood. “I agree he shouldn’t be here. It looks like heaven is missing an angel.”
“Or hell’s missing a devil,” I said.
“Then he’s a handsome devil. It might be worth selling your soul for a night with him.”
I wouldn’t go that far, but at the same time, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. Carter wore dark jeans and a white button-up, which I supposed was his casual weekend look. Casual for him still seemed fancy. I suspected those clothes cost more than a mortgage payment.
But he looked damn good. His shirt clung to his thick arms, and his muscles flexed with every movement, making him radiate power even when he was chatting with an old woman selling hats. I felt a sudden urge to touch his chest.
Carter looked sideways and his gaze landed directly on me. I stopped breathing. The bastard smiled at me.
“Oh shit,” Lila said, giggling. “Busted. He’s looking right at you.”
“Shut up,” I muttered, hoping my face wasn’t as red as it felt.
Carter turned back toward the old woman, passed her some money, and picked up a cute yellow beanie from her table. Then he walked straight in my direction.
“Is he coming over here?” Lila looked around like she was looking for a place to hide.
“Don’t you dare leave me alone with him,” I whispered to her.
“Sorry, Shelby.” She was already backing away. “I’m gonna go find us those snacks now. Good luck!”
Some best friend she turned out to be.
Carter’s green eyes stayed locked on me as he approached, like nothing else in the world existed. With his gaze on me like that, everything around me faded as well. My senses focused into a narrow tunnel, with him at one end and me at the other.
