Page 15 of Beachside Kisses With My Enemy

“Uncle Burt approved this?”

There’s betrayal in her voice, but why? Does she expect the entire town to feel the same way about me that she does? She’s acting like she’s been personally victimized by the truck’s location. “Why so glum, Luce? New business is always good for the economy. You know that.”

She frowns. Tosses her hands onto her hips. “Maybe in most cases, but in this particular one, I am pretty sure your presence will be bad for business.”

Unbelievable. My presence is the thing she begged me for six years ago. Now I’m finally here and, sure, it’s later than it should be, but why has she done a complete one-eighty on me?

Perhaps I should apologize. Make peace with Lucy. Then again, maybe it’s better to be on her bad side. Besides, this is my livelihood she’s messing with.

I grind my molars. “I think we both know this has nothing to do with business.”

Lucy’s jaw drops.

A murmur goes up through the still-watching crowd. Can’t the busybodies just mind their own business? But maybe this is good, for everyone to witness sweet home-town princess Lucy Reynolds losing her stuff. They’ll know I did nothing to provoke her—nothing except dare to exist inside the same zip code as her again.

Thomas shifts. Looks at me. Back at Lucy. “Luce? Everything okay?”

She huffs, stomping that foot of hers in a way that’s far more adorable than it should be. “No, everything isn’t okay.” Lucy waves her hand at my truck. “His stupid truck is encroaching on The Green Robin’s territory.”

Thomas’s nose scrunches as he looks at the grassy patch of land where my truck is parked. It is close to the sidewalk path that leads up to the restaurant next door, but it doesn’t go over. “But he’s not.” Thomas scratches behind his ear. “He went through the process that all businesses have to comply with. I don’t?—”

“Fine, he’s not technically encroaching,” she says. Thomas is the one who’s talking, but I’m the one and only recipient of her glare. “But the spirit of encroachment is clearly there.” Then her attention shifts back to Thomas, and her face softens. It’s like she’s a different person with everyone but me. “Why wasn’t I informed?”

Why in the world should she expect to be informed? I take a step closer to her. “I asked them to keep it on the down low.”

Her cheeks turn red. “You asked them to lie for you?”

Does she really think that little of me? I may have unintentionally led her on when we were younger, but to call me a liar? That’s low, even for her.

Thomas blanches. “He didn’t ask us to lie for him.”

“No, he didn’t,” I reply, taking another step closer to her. The toes of our shoes are nearly touching now. Lucy’s taller than most women, and the distance between our glares isn’t far. The distance between our lips isn’t too far, either. I push the thought aside. “He merely didn’t want his business broadcasted all over town before it was necessary.”

Lucy rolls her eyes. “Stop talking about yourself in third person. You’re not that important.”

She’s one to talk. “Why do you care, anyway?” If anyone would care, I’d think it would be Winona Lambert, the Robin’s owner. It is unfortunate that the only place I could park my truck permanently happened to be next to one of the only other restaurants in town.

But such is life—and business.

“Maybe because I’m the restaurant’s manager right now while Winona is gone for three months. I’m the one responsible for making sure the restaurant stays afloat and that no outside source encroaches on it.”

Oh. Shoot. “I didn’t know that.”

“Sure you didn’t.” She tilts her chin sky high.

I open my mouth to protest, but close it again. She’s got her mind made up. I won’t waste my breath trying to convince her that all of my plans don’t revolve around making her life miserable.

“So I don’t know what game you’re playing, Flake, but you can just turn that truck right back around and head home to L.A. where you belong.”

“I will. Eventually.”

Thomas lifts a finger. “I think?—”

But Lucy doesn’t seem to remember he’s here—a fact that brings me waaaaay more satisfaction than it should—because she speaks over him. Right to me. “You can’t park your truck here.” Her eyes blaze.

Lucy might not be aware of it, but I’m conscious of the crowd that’s still gathered. The one that seems to be straining to hear what we’re discussing. I lean in and lower my voice. “I have paperwork in my truck that says I can. So you’d best get over it, Sunshine. Because it’s here to stay. And so am I.”

Her eyes narrow. “For now.”

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