Page 13 of The Rancher's Secret Relationship

Jealous Guy

"Surprises are foolish things." ~ Jane Austen

KADY WAS ABLE TO BREATHEa little more easily over the weekend, with Slade having to fly out of town for another meeting. For a small cafe owner, the man seemed to have so much money to burn on airfare, and Kady wondered if perhaps he was some kind of in-demand barista that wealthy people all over the country wanted to work with.

For Sunday brunch, Farica decided it was time to let Kady spread her wings a little and let the younger girl meet guests on her own. Seeing how shy Kady was, Farica had spent the past few days physically keeping her company every time a new guest came in. While their new waitress did extremely well entertaining women and kids, her tongue seemed to instantly tie itself in knots the moment any good-looking guy would come in.

And unfortunately for Kady, the ratio of attractive and unattractive men in Hartland was...well...1:0.

Farica flashed the girl a thumbs-up sign as she saw Kady literally exercising her jaw to move. "You can do this," she said encouragingly. "You just have to smile and be yourself. That's all. Okay?"

"Okay."

"You can do this."

"I can do this."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Then go get 'em."

"I'll go get 'em."

But when the other girl only stood there, Farica had to swallow back a laugh and point towards the cafe, saying meaningfully, "Like, um, now?"

Kady turned red.Oops.She quickly turned and bumped into the counter right away.Double oops.But even as she felt her nerves starting to fray, she made herself move towards the first occupied table, telling herself all the while,I can do this. I can TOTALLY do this.

Granted, Hartland's local community seemed populated by genetically blessed individuals, but so what?

Farica had told her to smile and just be herself.

She could do that, right?

But the moment Kady arrived at the table where the Blackwood twins were seated, and she started forcing her lips to move, she could feel her mouth contorting into something else.

A hush of silence gradually fell over the crowd as everyone saw the way Kady's face was slowly transforming.

Oh my,Farica thought. She blinked, and then she blinked and blinked again. She'd really like to think that was a smile on the other girl's face, but it kinda...well...

The other girl's lips stretched wider, and Farica gulped back a laugh.

Oh my,she thought again.

The only way to describe Kady's smile was to liken it to one of those creepy demonic faces in Lucy Hale's Truth or Dare.

Kady's distress turned into concern when the Blackwood twins started coughing and a moment later, everyone else, Farica included, was coughing alongside them.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked anxiously.

Aidan and Thornton could only keep coughing, the only way for both men to keep themselves from laughing over the waitress' failed attempt at smiling.

Kady started wringing her hands. "Should I call 911?"

"It's, ah, fine now," the police chief finally managed to say. "Sorry about that."

"Must be something in the air," his twin said gruffly.

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