Page 15 of A Hot Sauce Halloween

Vincent glances up from the register as he hears the entry chime and gives a quick nod in greeting. I charge forward, beelining around the tables with my eyes locked on him. He leans back slightly, feeling my harsh glare as I stop in front of the counter.

“I peed my pants at the pumpkin patch?!” I ask.

He instantly cracks up, throwing his head back in laughter.

Monica’s concerned head pops in from the back but she doesn’t say a word.

I sneer at the deep, happy lines on my brother’s face. “That’s not funny, Vin!”

“Come on,” he says, taking a breath. “That’s a little funny.”

“No, it’s not. Why would you make up something like that?”

“One of these days, you’re gonna look back on this and laugh because you brought it on yourself.”

I squint and drop my handbag on the counter. “Give me some coffee,” I bark.

He grabs a to-go cup. “Coming right up.”

Monica walks closer, her eyes wide and amused. “Hi, Anna,” she says. “Are you having a good day?”

I glare at the back of Vincent’s head as he pours my coffee, feeling words building on the tip of my tongue. “Yes, thank you.”

She pushes her red locks back behind her ears, sensing the tension between us. “Would you like a pumpkin spice cookie—”

“Okay, seriously, Vincent, what’s your problem with Jake?” I blurt out.

“I don’t have a problem with Jake,” he says. “I employed him, didn’t I?”

“He thinks you hate him.”

“I don’t hate him. He’s good at his job.”

“He thinks you hate him being with me.”

He presses the lid on the cup and sets it down on the counter, slightly shrugging his broad shoulders. “I just think you can do better. Is that wrong?”

“He’s Charlotte’s father,” I say. “It doesn’t get better than that.”

“Yeah, Charlotte’s ex-con father,” he snips.

“And you would have been an ex-con, too, if you hadn’t have lucked out on a deal from a judge,” I argue. He flexes his jaw. “Just cut him some slack, Vin. He’s trying — and succeeding, in my opinion.”

“Yeah, but…” He pauses.

“Yeah, but what?”

He sighs. “Don’t you think you’re moving too fast with this guy? I mean, he basically moved in within a week of knowing you, you got engaged three months later, and now…” His voice falls.

“And now…” I grunt. “Evey told you, didn’t she?”

“It’s too fast, Anna,” he says. “Way too fast.”

I shake my head. “When you know, you know.” My lips twitch. “And besides, some of us aren’t patient enough to admire someone from afar for a whole year before gathering the balls to make a move.”

He tilts his head. “Message received.”

I pick up my coffee and handbag. “Is there anything Jake can do to change your mind about him?” I ask. “Your approval is really important to him, Vin. He looks up to you.”

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