Page 20 of For The Weekend
“That’s nice of you,” I say, trying to sound polite while also giving him an out to leave. “But as you can see, I’m pretty swamped at the moment.” I gesture at the customers milling around my booth. It’s a blatant hint, but Kyle remains planted in place.
“Yeah, no problem. I can wait.”
I bite my tongue in frustration. I hate being outright rude,but I’m losing my patience for all his awkward small talk and habit of getting into my personal space. As I’m debating how to extricate myself from this conversation, Roman steps up right next to Kyle.
“Hi, Daddy!” Mazie jumps from her chair, handing him one of my business cards. “Look it! There are two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve! Twelve cimanin buns!”
“Cinnamon,” he corrects gently, “but good counting.” He holds his palm out for her to slap even as his eyes trace over me, assessing me silently, before slanting to the man next to him.
Kyle smiles and sticks out his hand. “I’m not sure if we’ve ever officially met. I’m Kyle.”
Roman shakes his hand, and from the sudden streak of red that crosses Kyle’s face, I’m assuming it’s a hard grip.
From the size difference, it’s like watching a black bear against a chihuahua.
“Shouldn’t you be selling insurance or something?” Roman asks, voice a tad deeper than usual.
“I work at the bank,” Kyle corrects.
Roman merely grunts.
“I’m, uh…just talking to Eloise here about the big turnout today.” Even to my ears, Kyle’s lighthearted tone sounds brittle.
Roman’s gaze flicks to me briefly before returning to Kyle. “Yeah. She has a lot of customers here. A lot of work to do.”
His tone is neutral, but the undercurrent of warning is evident. Kyle shifts his weight, clearing his throat. “Well, I should probably get back.” He turns to me with a tight smile. “See you around, Ellie.”
I resist the urge to shout at him, “Don’t call me that!” But he scurries off without another word. Once he’s safely out of earshot, I exhale in relief.
“Thank you,” I say to Roman. “Sorry about that.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. If he keeps bugging you, let me know.”
I nod, both surprised and warmed at the idea of having a protector. “Yeah. Okay.”
Before I can say anything more, Mazie pulls on his arm. “Are you done working?”
He peers down at her with a softness that makes my chest ache. “Yeah. We can walk around if you want.”
“Fu—”
“Mazie.”
She redirects her excitement to me. “Wanna come with us?”
I hesitate, not wanting to intrude, but Roman gives me an almost imperceptible nod.
It’s Mio who physically pushes me to go. “Morgan’ll be here soon. I can take it from here. Go hang out.”
I meet Roman’s eyes. “Okay. Let’s go.”
“Your apron,” Mio reminds me, and I unknot the bow at my waist, tossing it to her. Mazie places her free hand in mine, and my stomach flip-flops at how this adorable girl has clung to me so quickly. With her between Roman and me, she swings her hands, and for one outrageously improbable second, I think that we make a cute picture, the three of us together.
A merry little trio.
As natural together as cinnamon and sugar.
I push the thought aside as we meander down the street to check out the other stores and vendors. Mazie regales us with random stories and shrieks of glee when she spots a beanbag-toss game.
