“Well, at least it’s nice that Raven is hiring so many locals.” He changed tactics.
“Hardly. Who else is she supposed to hire?” Heather giggled again. “I mean”—she motioned to the town— “there’s barely anyone left, and it’s been ten years.” He saw something close to anger cross her eyes.
It was obvious how Heather felt towards Raven. But since the girl had been bouncing between jobs all over town, he figured she needed the work just like everyone else in town.
“You know, rumors have it that Raven’s come into a great deal of money,” Heather added.
“Oh?” He tried not to recoil when her hand moved to his chest. The last thing he wanted to do was lead the girl on.
“Yes.” She pretended to straighten his collar as she shifted her hips closer to his. “It would be a shame if she spent it all on the resort only to have it fail.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but then Heather’s eyes moved past him, and such a look of pleasure crossed her face that he glanced over to see who had caused it.
He felt his entire body go on guard when he noticed Raven standing a few feet away, assessing the pair of them. Each time he saw her, his body reacted the same way, telling him it was past time to find someone to help him release his pent-up sexual frustration.
It was then that he realized that Heather had practically wrapped herself around him. And they were standing in the middle of an aisle in a very public place.
Reaching up, he dislodged Heather and took a step back. “I’d better get back to shopping,” he said, stepping away.
“Don’t forget to come see me later,” Heather called after him as he continued down the aisle.
He noticed Heather making her way to the checkout counter as he headed towards the freezer section in the back.
He hadn’t planned on talking with Raven, since he figured he’d see her in the morning, but when he was reaching for some chicken, he heard her directly behind him.
“You don’t want that kind,” she said easily.
He glanced over at her in question. “Oh? Why not?”
“There was a report on the news about a possible E. coli outbreak. It shouldn’t be on the shelves.” She glanced around as if looking for someone who worked there.
“Thanks.” He set the container back and put a different brand in his basket. “I wouldn’t think someone as busy as you would have time to watch much news.” He watched her grab a container of some cold cuts.
He didn’t normally spy on what women bought at the store, but the difference between Heather’s and Raven’s carts was striking. Raven had some feminine products, shampoo bottles, a loaf of healthy grain bread, some sliced cheese, fruit, and spicy mustard.
“Not a big cook?” he asked, motioning to her cart.
She glanced at his basket, and he looked down at the items he’d already gotten. Besides the chicken, he had a few steaks, some raw veggies he planned to grill up, a couple bags of potato chips, a large bag of dog food, and toilet paper, since Blue had decided to chew on his last roll that morning.
“I don’t have a kitchen in my rooms,” she said easily. “Having a dinner party?”
“My gran is coming over,” he answered. “She likes red meat.”
Raven nodded slightly. “Oh? I would have thought that you and Heather…” She glanced to where the woman had left out the front door.
His eyebrows shot up and then he laughed. Just the thought of him and Heather together, in that capacity… it was beyond humorous.
Chapter Five
Fire in the heart sends smoke into the head.
Raven didn’t know what had caused her to say what she’d just said to Cade.
When she’d turned the aisle in the grocery store and had seen Heather wrapped around Cade, she’d been… jealous.
Maybe it was her and Heather’s past rearing its evil head. Maybe it was the fact that she still, after all these years, couldn’t stand the other woman.
Whatever the reason, she’d tried not to think about it, until she’d bumped into Cade and then the words had just flown out. She regretted them the instant they left her lips, and she felt her face heat. Then he started laughing at her, and her temper reared its head.
After all, she’d been gone for ten years. She had no idea about any of the dynamics in the town. After what she’d witnessed earlier, it seemed clear that he and Heather were… involved.
“After the little display earlier, I assumed.” She narrowed her eyes.
He sobered and shrugged. “Heather has had a thing.” He rolled his eyes slightly. “She’s been…” He shook his head. “I’ve been avoiding her for a while now.”
“Oh?” She felt herself settle down again. “I guess not much has changed in that arena.” She stepped past him to continue her shopping. She hadn’t expected him to fall in step with her.
“How about you?” he asked. She stopped and glanced at him.
“Me?”
“I haven’t heard about anyone following you into Cannon Falls. Did you leave a trail of broken hearts in San Diego?” he asked casually.
How had they gotten on this topic? Oh, right, she’d started it.
“No,” she answered. “No trail of broken hearts that I’m aware of.” She put a bag of her favorite chocolates in her cart. Even though her rooms didn’t have a kitchen, she figured she could keep some of the basics so she wouldn’t have to run down to the kitchens all the time.
The small fridge was plenty large enough to hold a couple days’ worth of meals, and she was tired of using the tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner each day.
“My gran was excited to hear that you were back in town. She wouldn’t mind a visit from you.” He stopped her by putting a hand on her arm. “You should come over tonight. She’d love to catch up with you.”
Raven’s first instinct was to decline. But Janice Williams had been one of Raven’s favorite teachers. The woman had been a close friend to not only her grandmother, but her mother as well.
She hadn’t had a chance to talk to the woman since coming back in town. It had been on her to-do list. She had something special that she was supposed to give her from her own grandmother.
Thinking about it, she figured that having Cade there as a buffer might make the difficult situation a whole lot easier.
“I’d like that,” she finally said.
“Great.” He pulled out his phone and held it up. “Put in your number. I’ll text you the details.”
Here, she hesitated. She hadn’t given anyone in town her private number except for Carrie and Darby.
Shortly after the fire, someone in town had leaked her number, and she’d spent the next year getting hate calls at all hours of the day. She understood that there were still a lot of people in town that blamed her and wanted her gone.
“I won’t share your number with anyone,” Cade finally said softly, “if that is what you’re worried about.”
Straightening her shoulders, she took his phone and added in her contact information.
“Great,” he said, tucking his phone back in his pocket. “I’ll text you the details later.”