I broke the kiss with a chuckle and shook my head. “Please tell me that will stop once they get used to us?”

Roane grinned. “It’s hard to say with these people. This could happen every time they see us until the day we die.”

Although I laughed, as I turned to Viola to answer her question of “when did this happen?” inside I was thinking, Until the day we die?

Had Roane just implied forever?

First those three little words were implied and now “forever”?

I tried not to get too excited about it and failed.

“I’m so happy for you, Evie, but I have to admit I’m jealous too.” Viola gave me a sheepish smile. “I’d love a little romance in my life.”

“Well, look no further than the Romeo across the street,” I replied quietly so no one else but our table would hear.

Roane groaned. “Ah, angel, you just can’t help yourself.”

I really couldn’t. I shot him an unrepentant smile and turned back to Viola.

Viola’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Across the street,” I repeated. “A certain someone who uses antagonism to cover how he really feels.”

“Oh, fuck,” Roane muttered.

Viola’s frown cleared and turned to something between confusion and, dare I say, hope. In fact, it was a very similar look to the one on Lucas’s face this morning. “You cannot be serious. Did he say something to you?”

“He didn’t need to.”

She scowled. “What does that mean?”

“It was written all over his face. And he’s way too interested in you. When a guy is indifferent, you know he’s not interested. When a guy goes out of his way to bother you, he’s interested.” I raised an eyebrow at Roane. “Am I wrong?”

He glowered at me, his answer gruff. “No.”

I tried not to be too smug. “See.”

Rolling her eyes, Viola pushed her chair back and stood. “That’s hardly evidence, Evie. Come on, Caro. I’ve got my laptop upstairs. You can show me the house you’re going to look at.”

As soon as the girls had left, Roane leaned into me. “You’re right. She likes him.”

“Told you.”

“Don’t push this.” He curled his hand around my arm, his expression serious. “Just because she likes him doesn’t mean something should happen between them. There’s too much history there. I don’t want Viola hurt.”

His protectiveness was something I adored about him. I kissed the tip of his nose and promised, “I won’t push it. I’m not going to do anything more. I was just . . . planting a seed.”

“Well, let’s hope that seed doesn’t take root under two houses and cause the earth to shift beneath them.”

I grinned. “Very Shakespearean. I think you’re a poet who doesn’t know it.”

Gentle amusement lit his dark eyes, but he said, “I’m serious, Evie.”

“Yes. And I hear you. But you’re also very sexy, so why don’t we stop talking about this and hurry back to the bookstore for a quickie before Caro comes home?”

Roane’s chair screeched across the floor before I’d even finished the sentence, and as he hurried out of the pub, my hand in his, shouts of good-natured but mortifying encouragement followed us.

Normally I’d be disconcerted that an entire pub full of people knew I was about to commence having hot sex with my boyfriend.

My boyfriend.

However, due to the aforementioned boyfriend, I was too happy to care about anything but him.

Twenty

Although I had encouraged Caro’s venturing out to rent her own place, I missed her when she left. It didn’t help that her departure happened so abruptly. We all took time out of work the next day to see the house in Beadnell, and Caro and I fell in love with the place as soon as we walked in.

The kitchen was big enough for her to bake from home, and the views were spectacular.

After Roane asked a bunch of questions about utility bills, council tax, heating costs, maintenance charges, and all the boring but necessary stuff, he gave Caro his blessing.

As long as he got to install a security system.

She agreed.

Two days later she’d moved into her new home. Furthermore, Caro had talked with Tony, and although she didn’t want to work for him, they came to an agreement that he could sell a selection of her baked goods two days a week at his bakery, but it would cost him. This snowballed into Caro having business cards designed and asking Roane to hand them out to local businesspeople, some of whom had already tasted Caro’s baking over the years. She got bookings within a day.

She’d started to see a therapist, and I could see the positive affects her sessions were having on her. Every day she seemed to grow more confident in her choices. This was helped by the news from Roane that Helena hadn’t exactly been destitute—just greedy and spiteful. Caro seemed to relax knowing that she hadn’t left Helena in desperate straits. Roane made it clear that Helena wouldn’t be coming after Caro for money or to cause her upset. She was too afraid Roane would make good on his promise.