Page 135 of Rough Around the Hedges

“Oh.” I slurped the icy, milky mix from the bottom of the cup. “Normal milk?”

“I prefer coconut,” Cara answered. “But you can use any one you like, really. Most people use oat, but the coconut adds a bit of sweetness so I don’t need sugar.”

Right.

The kids these days were all about their health.

Ugh.

Was twenty-nine really old enough to be using a phrase like ‘the kids these days?’

Then again, if I ever ended up with a split personality, I was pretty sure my second one would be a ninety-year-old woman with a penchant for yelling at people to get off her lawn, so it wasn’t really that far-fetched.

“Ha, ha.” I stuck my tongue out again as the heat returned. “Is ebber enbing,” I gasped.

“What is going on here?” Susan asked, staring at me. “Put your tongue away, Rose.”

Sabrina quickly explained it, and right as Susan pulled a bottle of water out of her bag, George exploded out of his shed with a lolly stick in his hand.

“Carolina Reaper!” he exclaimed happily. “Found the tag on the floor!”

He couldn’t have done that ten minutes ago?

I gratefully took the uncapped bottle from Susan and glugged the cool water down. That was the last time I ever agreed to be George’s taste tester, that was for sure.

The water and matcha combined did their job, and after a good ten minutes of Susan ranting at George about the importance of keeping his labels in order and him batting his eyelashes flirtatiously at her, my mouth was somewhat back to normal.

“I feel like I walk into chaos every time I come here.”

My head jerked around at the sound of Oliver’s voice. “Then stop coming here,” I said dryly, catching Cara dipping her head as she blushed.

Yeah.

I get you, girl.

Fortunately, I had a reputation to uphold, and that did not involve blushing at handsome men.

It involved getting put into a jail cell for timeout and having one-sided conversations with my chickens.

“Ah, but then I’d get to miss out on your delightful personality, Rose.” Oliver leant against the fence, meeting myeyes with a damningly sexy smile. “And a day without your mild verbal abuse is simply too boring.”

“Your masochistic tendencies are coming out, Your Grace,” I said drolly, capping the water bottle. “You should be careful before you shatter everyone’s holier-than-thou view of you.”

Susan snorted.

Oliver’s smile widened. “Now, don’t be daft. I know nobody here sees me as a saint of any kind.”

“At least you’re self-aware. You need one good quality, I suppose.” I stretched as I got up. “Hey, George? Have you got that chilli you were just asking me about?”

George blinked at me. “Huh?”

“I’d try it for you, but I’ve got a split lip. Just there, look.” I tapped the outer corner of my lower lip. “Why don’t you ask our most noble duke over there to taste test it for you?”

“Oh.” He paused. “Well, if he wouldn’t mind.”

Hey.

Why hadn’t I received such concern from him? He’d practically shoved the thing down my throat!

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