Read Online Flirting with Love by Melissa Foster - Free Book Online Page B

the middle of a city block. The wall to her left was lined with freezers and glass-front refrigerators, filled top to bottom with fresh bottles of milk, freshly made butter, freshly laid eggs, and homemade jams. A few feet in front of her was a large counter with scales, two cash registers—the old-fashioned type with heavy metal drawers and a pull-down lever on the side. Behind the counter stood a thick-waisted woman wearing overalls. Her straight gray hair was cut just below her ears, and her fingers flew over the register as she moved items from the scale to the other side of the counter.
    Elisabeth spent twenty minutes filling a basket with goat’s milk, butter, fruits, and vegetables, and by the time she was done, the woman behind the counter had finished helping customers and was busy shucking corn.
    “You’re Cora’s niece,” the woman said as her eyes slid down Elisabeth’s dress, landing—and remaining—on her heels.
    Maybe I should stick to my cutoffs and boots. “Yes, ma’am. Elisabeth.”
    “Elizabeth, I’m Wren.”
    “That’s a beautiful name. Actually, mine’s E- lis -abeth.” She hadn’t had this issue in Los Angeles. Everyone had funky names.
    Wren arched a brow, but didn’t comment.
    Okay, that was it. Elizabeth it was. She didn’t need to further alienate herself from the community over a letter. She shrugged off the mounting frustration from a day of being looked at like she was an alien and forced a smile.
    “I love your setup. Would you ever consider selling some of my fresh fruit pies if I used your fruits?” The idea had just come to her, along with a whisper of hope.
    “We don’t sell pies.” Wren’s eyes never left the register as she rang up Elisabeth’s purchases.
    So much for that idea . “It was just a thought. What hours is the store open?” she asked as she gathered her bags. She picked up a flyer about the county fair from a stack on the counter and stuck one in a bag.
    “Honey, this is Trusty, a ranch town. What hours aren’t we open?” She harrumphed, with a shake of her head and a mocking smile as she turned back to the corn she was shucking.
    Another big, fluffy dog walked lazily into the barn. Elisabeth’s heart squeezed. This was her lucky day. She’d found a place to buy fresh dairy, fruits, and vegetables and got to put her hands on a few cute pups. It had been hard not to go crazy over Storm, but she hadn’t wanted Ross to think she was more interested in his puppy than in caring for her piglets.
    “May I pet your dog?”
    “Be my guest.”
    She felt Wren’s eyes on her as she set the bags back down and crouched to love up the dog. His fur was so thickly matted that she couldn’t bury her fingers beneath it. “What’s his name?”
    “Barney.”
    Elisabeth kissed Barney’s nose. “Hi, Barney. You’re so handsome. I bet you love it here with all this room to roam.”
    Wren smiled, and it softened the scowl that had drawn her graying brows together. “He likes to chase the rabbits and get all mucked up, that’s for sure.”
    “Do you brush him?” Elisabeth turned her face so Barney could lick her cheek.
    Wren’s silence drew Elisabeth’s eyes. The scowl was back in place. Oh no . “I didn’t mean that like it probably sounded. I groom dogs.”
    “Well, if you’re looking for business, it’s a waste around here. He’ll just look like this again ten minutes after you’re done.”
    Elisabeth refrained from going into a speech about how it was bad for the dog’s skin and his fur to remain matted.
    “I can only imagine. How many dogs do you have?” She’d counted three.
    “Six. Didn’t have the heart to give the litter away.” Wren shook her head again, this time at herself, Elisabeth imagined.
    She rose and gathered her bags, formulating an idea on the fly. “Thank you for everything.”
    Elisabeth skipped going to Ross’s to deliver the thank-you cupcakes. She didn’t need one more person to look at her like she didn’t