Her mouth slanted down at the corners, and she took a moment to regroup before she whirled around and said, “Anyway, if you could find out the information regarding the soiree for me, I would be so appreciative.”
“No problem at all. I’ll look into it. What’s the best way to reach you?”
“Here.” Trinity held out her palm. “Hand me your cell. I’ll give you my number. Text is usually best.”
CHAPTER 12
Faith couldn’t even be jealous.
Trinity was the loveliest woman, and if anyone deserved happiness, it was the newly widowed florist with a heart for helping others and creating beauty in the community. She really was a gem of a human.
Still, it wasn’t the sight Faith had expected to encounter when she decided to take a break from the hustle of the bakery. She’d been prepared to see Mitch at their apartment complex. But out in the wild? Flirting with other women? That was something else altogether.
Faith’s palms were sweating. Had they ever done that before? She pressed them onto her thighs beneath the table, her head ringing with all the possible reasons why Trinity would be giving Mitch her number, landing squarely on the only plausible excuse.
Trinity was interested in him.
“You okay?”
Anthony stood at the table’s edge, eyes hooked onto Faith’s gaze, drawing her out of her intrusive staring session.
“I’m good.” She took the cup from him, at the same time pasting on a false grin. Blizzard Berry Burst, a new aromatictea on the seasonal menu that she’d wanted to try out for some time. It was supposed to be the perfect blend of sweet and tangy, something she’d been hoping to achieve with her own meringue kisses. Maybe this cup could provide a little necessary inspiration. Then again, maybe not. She wasn’t really in the creative mood anymore. “Thank you. And seriously, next time I’m paying.” Her hands curled around the sleeve hugging the cardboard cup. “You shouldn’t stay away so long, Anthony.”
“Based on the glares I got just from walking these drinks back to our table, I’d say I might’ve returned too soon, really.”
She hated that for him. Small towns had long memories, and Anthony’s grievances hadn’t been forgotten.
“Don’t let them get to you,” she said in an attempt to instill a little confidence. “I, for one, am glad you’re back.”
“Yeah? You seemed kind of out of sorts when I showed up at the bakery.”
Wasn’t that a fair reaction, though? It had been like seeing a ghost. The last person Faith had expected to encounter today had been the man who had shunned all of Snowdrift with a single newspaper article.
“Not out of sorts,” she corrected. “Just surprised. Last time you came back, you’d texted first.”
“Right, and then it somehow got around that I was going to be back in town. It was like the entire town had their pitch forks polished and ready the moment my wheels crossed the county line.”
“I’d thought everyone would be happy to have you back,” she explained her obviously misguided assumption.
“Youmistakenlythought that.”
Anthony was right. She’d assumed Snowdrift’s capacity for forgiveness had been greater than their penchant for a grudge. She’d been terribly wrong.
“As long as you’re not here to write another piece for the paper, I think you’ll be good.”
Anthony gave Faith a look she couldn’t easily decipher.
“You’re notactuallyhere to write another article, are you?” She pressed her upper half over the table, lowing her voice so no one could hear her but Anthony. He would be crazy to put himself—and the town—through that again.
“It’s my job, Faith.” He had yet to consume the coffee in his cup, but he rotated it in his grip, around and around like some sort of drinkable fidget toy. “You know that.”
“Sure, but that last piece you published about Snowdrift was less than flattering. Even you can admit to that much.”
“All I said was that if you wanted to head up the hill to enjoy a day in the snow, Tahoe is a destination that’s better equipped to handle the crowds. They have the proper lodging and amenities. That can’t be denied. Snowdrift doesn’t. I stand by the fact that I didn’t slander Snowdrift in any way, shape, or form. Just stated the truth.”
“Maybe you didn’t slander us in so many words, but people here read between the lines. You once called this place your home, Anthony. You know that’s how it works around here.”
He pushed his drink aside, discarding it completely. “If Snowdrift had better accommodations, then I would have included that in the article. Snowdrift Inn isn’t big enough to handle the potential reservations my readership could bring in. Why would I want to encourage people to visit a place where they wouldn’t even be able to lodge?”
