Page 70 of The Love Ambush
Ryland:We’re not afraid of Deacon, Levi. We’re hoping a vacation will make you less annoying.
Me:Damn, Ry. And I thought you were the nice one.
Ryland:None of you Neanderthals listen to nice. If I tell you we all just want you to have a fun, relaxing vacation, will you believe me?
Me:Seems suspect.
Ryland:Exactly.
And that’s it. None of them will tell me any more. And I’m still alone with nothing to do. How the hell does a person even relax? I could relax if I knew the Patrick house was going well.
Okay, fine. I probably wouldn’t relax, but I’d feel better. For about five minutes, until I’d wonder if Sebastian remembered that the homeowner wanted built-in bookshelves only on three walls of the addition.
Shit. I send him a quick text to remind him, and he texts back, promising to hang me up by my thumbs from a clothesline if I don’t leave him alone. Do people even use clotheslines anymore? Cash is right. Sebastian is as old as dirt, and he acts even older.
He might be only eleven years older than me, but it’s enough for him to have grown up with entirely different technology than I did.
I text Sophie again, but get no answer. Then I text Emily, in case Sophie’s phone died.
While I wait to hear from someone, I pace the sidewalk. I’m fully aware I’m probably overreacting, but I have no idea when the movie started. What if it’s over and they’ve been looking for Gentry and their phones are dead and Liza took her kids and left them alone in a strange town and…
I force myself to stop, and box breathe for three minutes. I’m catastrophizing. They’re probably fine.
My phone dings with a text.
Emily:Movie just started. Txt ltr.
Okay, then. Guess I have a couple of hours to kill.
What do normal people do with downtime? I can’t buy anything, because I don’t have room in my suitcase to take it home with me. If I was home, I’d hit the gym, catch up on one of my two jobs, or play a video game if I was completely desperate.
I step into the next shop I pass, one with a window display that includes an actual chocolate fountain and a toy train that’s running in a continuous loop. Inside, the smell of sugar and chocolate slaps me in the face like a childhood fantasy come to life. “Welcome to The Gourmet Candy Shoppe. How can I help you?”
The man behind the counter smiles distractedly, his focus on a laptop. He’s big and brawny, with a thick beard. Not who I’d expect to see at a candy store.
Wait, didn’t Gentry want chocolate? “If I want to make a gift box for my girlfriend, what would you recommend?”
I have his full attention now as he steps out from behind the counter with brisk efficiency. “That’s easy.” He shows me a section with box sets laid out. “What’s your girlfriend’s favorite kind of candy?”
“She wants chocolate, but I’m not sure what kind.” Shit. I don’t want to screw this up. “Maybe I should wait until she’s with me.”
“Hard to go wrong with chocolate,” he says. “What you need to get her is the mixed set. It’s got all my chocolate bestsellers. Something for everyone.”
“That sounds perfect.”
He rings me up and upsells me a few more candies for myself, Emily and Sophie. It’s not a hard sell. I’m pretty sure I’m already sugar drunk just from smelling all the candy. It smells sweeter than any candy store I’ve ever been in.
“You lived here long?” I ask as he’s bagging my purchases.
“All my life,” he says. “You’re part of the wedding that’s happening over at the new resort, right?”
I take a step back. “How do you know that?”
He holds up a hand. “I’m not a stalker, relax. This is a small town, and we don’t get many tourists this time of year. Plus, the owner of the new resort is a friend.”
My shoulders drop, and I relax. Maybe working for Annabelle is making me paranoid. “It’s a beautiful resort from what I’ve seen. I’m not actually staying there, but I’ve heard all good things.”
“Oh, you must be staying with Jo.”
