Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“Come have a coffee with me in Flora’s,” Carianne said without preamble. “I’ve got a table. C’mon.” She was heading inside before I could say no.
With another wistful look at Callie’s Wee Cakery, I followed Carianne into Flora’s.
“Lewis!” Flora waved past her crowd of customers at the farthest end of the small café. “Look at you! How are you?”
Everyone stared at me, only half of them locals, and I grimaced at being the center of attention. “Good, Flora. You?”
“All the better for seeing you, son. Have a seat. I’ll have Effie bring you a coffee. What do you want?”
The customers waiting to be served glowered. I smiled apologetically. “Cappuccino, Flora, thanks.”
“Coming right up.”
Carianne grinned from ear to ear as I took the seat at the small bistro table. I bumped it with my knees because my legs were too long for the furniture. Carianne reached out to stop her coffee from spilling. “Preferential treatment from Flora, huh?”
I shrugged. Flora had always been nice to me. Trying not to come off as impatient, I shot the bakery another look through the window.
“They’re closed.”
I looked back at Carianne. “What?”
She gestured to the bakery. “They sold out ten minutes ago.”
“Already?”
She nodded. “Tourists are loving Callie’s new pastries.”
“That’s impressive.” Though disappointing for me.
“I’m glad I saw you, Lewis, because I wanted to ask you something.”
“Here you go.” A young girl I didn’t recognize placed a cappuccino in front of me.
“Thanks.”
Her cheeks bloomed bright red when I smiled at her, and she muttered something under her breath before practically skittering away.
Carianne snorted. “My god, how does it feel to make women turn to mush around you?”
I stared at her, bemused. “Excuse me?”
She laughed. “I think your cluelessness makes you even hotter.”
Last Sunday, I hadn’t known what to do with Carianne’s flirting. I thought she was joking around, but maybe I was wrong.
“I’ve always liked you, Lewis,” Carianne confessed abruptly. “Like, really liked you. Would you fancy going out on a date?”
Stunned, it took me a second to muster up a response. And then first I glanced around to make sure no one had heard her. I didn’t want it getting back to Callie. There was no sign anyone was listening in, thank fuck. I’d never really paid much attention to Carianne before. She’d always just been Callie’s friend and then Fyfe’s girlfriend for a while. But she had similar coloring to Callie. Blond, blue-eyed. She was a bonny girl. Or woman, now. Yet, I hadn’t even recognized that about her because … she wasn’t Callie.
And Callie would forever be the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
Deciding not to beat around the bush, I answered honestly, “As flattered as I am, Carianne, I’m still in love with Callie, and I came home to win her back.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “After all this time?”
“After all this time.”
“After she dumped you like a moron?”
Irritated, I gave a slight shake of my head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. No one knows what happened between me and Callie but me and Callie.”
Carianne flushed and looked down at her coffee. “I’m sorry. I didn’t … I love Callie. I just have always thought she was silly to let you go.”
“Like I said, there’s more to the story than that. I fucked up back then too.”
“Did you hurt her?”
It was none of her business, so I didn’t respond.
Carianne sighed. “Well, now I feel like shit for even asking you out. I always assumed Callie broke up with you and was over you.” Guilt crossed her features. “She did tell me it would be weird for her if I asked you out. I thought she was being petty. Ugh. I’m an awful friend.”
Hope lashed through me and in my self-absorption, I blurted, “She said that?”
“She said that.” Carianne shook her head. “All this time … you know, last Sunday I thought she was acting kind of jealous when I was flirting with you, but I assumed I was being paranoid. I mean, she had that gorgeous French boyfriend. I really thought she was over you.”
Aye, she didn’t have to keep reminding me of that. “She was jealous? Do you think?”
“Oh my God.” Carianne rolled her eyes. “I hadn’t a hope in hell, did I? You are so gone for her.”
I gave her a sheepish shrug.
“Fine. Even though I’m slightly heartbroken because I’ve been harboring a crush on you forever,” she admitted without embarrassment, “I am going to help you because you’re both my friends and you deserve happiness.”
“Help how?”
She leaned forward. “When I was dating Fyfe, I was ready to break up with him because I fancied my best friend’s boyfriend more than I fancied my own boyfriend.”
“Harsh.” I felt the need to say on Fyfe’s behalf.
“Aye, but true. Anyway, I then heard that Olivia Smith fancied Fyfe and was waiting for me to dump him.”