Page 20 of After the Vows

“Uh oh. Do I need to phone the police the girls are back in town?” The owner, Parker, asks when we enter the bakery.

Maya snorts. “Chloe would love you to phone the police. A particular police officer, in fact.”

I elbow her. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Yet,” Parker mutters before raising her voice. “What can I get you?”

We order several coffees and more cookies than we need considering it’s only an hour before lunch. But no one can tell me not to eat cookies ever again.

Paisley glances around the bakery as we wait for our order. “It’s extremely quiet.”

Huh. She’s not wrong. We’re the only customers in the place. Usually, it’s packed in here. Although, now that I’m thinking about it, I remember it’s been quiet the past few times I’ve been in.

“I don’t think the bakery’s doing well,” Sophia whispers.

I don’t understand. Parker bakes the best cookies on the island. She should be raking in the dough. Pun intended.

“Your order is ready,” Parker announces before we can discuss the issue further.

We grab our coffees and cookies and wave goodbye. We exit the bakery and begin to make our way back to the brewery.

“Chloe!” Natalia shouts from across the street where she’s walking with her dad. I wave at her since my mouth is full of cookies, and Lucas scowls at me.

What’s his problem? I thought since I helped Natalia out with her first period, he’d lighten up. I guess not. Too bad his scowl is sexy as hell.

“Who is she?” Sophia asks.

“It’s her neighbor’s daughter,” Nova says.

Sophia gasps. “The neighbor, as in the sexy cop next door, who won’t give her the time of day?”

I flick my hair over my shoulder as if I don’t care about Lucas. “I don’t want Lucas to give me the time of day.”

Sophia rolls her eyes. “Tell me more.”

Paisley clears her throat. “I can summarize for you. Chloe showed up at Lucas’s house naked.”

“It was an accident.” It wasn’t but I’m willing to die on this hill.

Paisley ignores me and continues, “Lucas wasn’t interested and his daughter, Natalia, asked why she was wearing a raincoat when it wasn’t raining.”

“If the scenario you’re explaining had happened, and I’m not saying it did, it was because I didn’t know about Natalia. Like I said, it was an accident.”

Sophia bursts into laughter. “How do you accidentally show up at your neighbor’s house naked?”

“I forgot to put on clothes when I went over to borrow some butter. If it’s a crime, arrest me.”

Maya snorts. “She wants Lucas to arrest her.”

She’s not wrong. I’ve had more than one sexy dream of Lucas, handcuffs, and me naked in bed. I nearly fan myself but considering how closely Sophia’s watching me, I shove the rest of my cookie into my mouth instead.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Usually, if a man isn’t interested, I move on. But Lucas has me all out of sorts. I blame the heat that exploded between us when we touched. I want to explore it. Find out if we can burn up the flames.

But Lucas has made his view perfectly obvious. He wants nothing to do with me.

Chapter 8

Loneliness – can occur even when surrounded by the four best friends a woman could ask for

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