“Not nearly much as I’ve missed you.” He grabbed her ass, making her squeal, and turned to Grant. “What are you doing here? I know for a fact you get your coffee needs met at that abomination down the street.”
For his part, her ex recovered remarkably fast. “I was just stopping by to invite Jules here to the swimming hole this weekend. You’re welcome to come, of course.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” He didn’t take his gaze off the other man, something dangerous glinting in his eyes. “If you’re done here…”
“Yeah. Sure. I’ll be going.” Grant strode out of the shop at a clip almost fast enough to be called running.
“You made the puppy piddle his pants. That was mean.” Aubry snickered. “I like it.”
“So glad you approve.” He combed a hand over Cujo’s back, and Jules’s mouth dropped open when the tabby arched into his hand, purring like a jet engine. His gaze traveled around the café and landed on where his mom and Lenora were watching avidly. “You ladies like the show?”
Amelia laughed. “I always thought that boy was a brat.”
A brat. Well, that was one way to describe Grant.
Adam eyed the uneaten sandwiches on the plate between them. “You eat some of that, you hear? You’re too skinny by half.”
She arched a brow, the expression so similar to her son’s that Jules had to bite back a laugh. “I was just getting to it before you started that prize cock show.”
“Mama.”
“What? I’m old, but I’m not dead. I know exactly what you were up to.” When he turned back to Jules, Amelia leaned over and sent her a wink.
He sure does love his mama. It made her like him even better knowing that.
Adam leaned against the counter, giving Cujo another stroke. “So Grant wants us to come to the swimming hole?”
She ignored Aubry’s muttered agreement. “I get the impression Grant still doesn’t believe the rumors that we’re together.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to kick it up a notch.” His grin did funny things to her stomach, and her traitorous mind jumped back to what he’d said before their date the other night, and how good he’d felt when he made her come.
She pressed a hand to her flaming cheeks, hating that he made her blush so easily. “I guess I’m going to have to find a swimsuit.”
He blinked. “You don’t own a swimsuit?”
“Well, I do. But, you see—”
“What Jules is trying to say is that to describe her suit as ‘matronly’ would be to put it kindly.”
“Aubry, shut up,” she hissed, blushing even harder when Adam laughed. “You shut up, too. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a suit that will keep all my goodies in place no matter how I’m moving.”
His hands skated up her sides and back down to her hips. “Do you need some help picking out a suit?”
Danger! It was all too easy to imagine the kind of trouble they could get into in a fitting room with her scantily clad in a bathing suit. “Uh, no, thanks. Aubry will help me.”
She might have imagined the disappointment that flickered over his face, but it was gone too fast to be sure. “In that case, I’ll pick you up at eleven tomorrow.”
“How do you know what time they’re going?”
“Because it’s a party at the swimming hole. They always start at noon.” He hesitated, almost like he thought he should kiss her good-bye or something, but then he seemed to think better of it, because he turned on his heel and marched back through the door to the kitchen.
It took Jules a few seconds to get control of her body enough to follow him. “Hey, hold up!” She caught him just inside the door out to the back parking lot. “Why’d you come in this way?” And what are you doing here in the first place?
“I’ve been working on my mama’s place, so I was picking up a few things at the hardware store across the street and saw that jackass walk in here. Figured it was a good time to remind him of our fake relationship.”
“Oh.” She had no business feeling the disappointment that made her stomach dip. He was doing her a favor. That was it. “That’s smart.”
“Hang in there. He might not believe yet, but he will after by the time we leave that party.” And then he was gone, disappearing through the door and leaving her to wonder if she should be looking forward to tomorrow or scared out of her godforsaken mind.