“From the bakery!”
Iris has pushed the blanket farther away from her face, and the scorn radiates from her.
“The bakery? I don’t…oh wait a minute…”
I think back to earlier today when I accepted a free sample from the bakery kiosk at the festival. The owner had recognized me from yesterday and called me over, and I didn’t want to be rude. Then, she kept loading me up with more free samples and actually tried to feed me.
I tell this to Iris. And I also tell her that half a dozen retirees were standing around with nothing to do but watch us and get ideas into their heads.
“She seems like a nice girl, but I’m not for her. I’m only interested in you, Iris.”
She stares at me for a long moment. “But you have to go back to Charlotte on Sunday.”
“Yeah, and that’s three days away. A lot can happen in the meantime.”
She looks away and stares at the fire. “I suppose it can.”
“Baby, you gotta spell it out for me. I can’t take a cryptic reply. Let’s have it. What else is on your mind?”
She sighs and then levels me with a fierce look. “A lot of people also saw you talking to Pete Hutchinson about the lease on Main Street.
Walton Porter at the brewery told Rowdy Fraser who told Ewan who told Maddie who told me that your brother is a contractor, and that you two came to town to buy up property and put in a Starbucks or something.”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up. “A Starbucks? Is that what you heard?”
She sits up straight, all indignant and fiery and beautiful, looking like a wild witch in the firelight, about to issue a curse on my offspring. “That’s right, we already have a corporate-chain juice bar, and we don’t need corporate coffee!”
“Are you done?”
“No, I’m not, I…”
She cuts herself off when she gets a phone notification.
“Hold on…”
I wait patiently, and from the look on her face, I have an idea what she’s just learned.
She types something back frantically.
The wait is eternal.
Finally, Iris stuffs her phone back into the pocket of her cardigan. She’s quiet for a moment, composing herself.
Quietly, she says, “Skylar got the lease.”
“Good,” I say. “I’m happy for her.”
She bites her lip. “Maddie said Pete’s sister, Riley, filled her in on all the details. Said you were responsible for that.”
“I don’t know about that. She got it on her own merit.”
Iris clears her throat. ‘I thought you wanted to stay here.”
I turn toward her. “Desperately, Iris. I’ve never met someone who made me want to up and move anywhere, let alone such a place with the most ridiculous gossip network I’ve ever heard.”
She laughs and stands up, stretching out her back. Then, Iris turns to me.
“I owe you an apology, Oliver.”
