Love at Cupid's Cove--A Valentine's serial-- Terri Reed

“You and Duncan Hines, huh?”

Lacy started. Water from the nozzle in her hand sprayed all over the kitchen window.  She’d been so lost in thought, remembering the way a certain handsome man’s blue eyes had lit up when he laughed that she hadn’t heard her roommate, Daisy Mae, enter the apartment they shared over the bakery.  Busying herself with the dishes, she replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, right.”  Daisy carried a pizza box to the island counter. The smell of pepperoni and cheese and greasy wafted in the air.  Lacy could feel her arteries clogging already. Her mouth watered and her tummy grumbled. 

“I heard you two were frolicking down on the pier this afternoon. Someone even mentioned a cupcake fight.”

Someone had seen her and Duncan?  Had witnessed her throwing a cupcake in his face?  Lacy’s hand tightened around the dish sponge.  Heat flooded her cheeks.   She had no idea what had overcome her.  She hadn’t lost her temper like that since…well, for a very long time, but for some reason Duncan’s amusement at her expense made her lose reason.  She’d flung the cupcake impulsively, which only made him laugh harder.  And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she’d found the way his eyes crinkled at the corner appealing.  In fact she found him appealing.  There was something about him that struck a chord with in her.  Strange given they’d had only two conversations.   

She met Daisy’s green gaze.    “Frolicking?  Who even uses that word?”

“Mr. Valentine and Mrs. Drake, that’s who.”  Daisy hitched a hip on the stool.  She lifted the lid on the box to reveal a heart shaped pepperoni pizza.  She took a slice. “The whole towns a buzz with the story. What happened?”

Lacy blew out a frustrated breath.  The one draw back to a small town was everyone knew everyone else’s business. Lacy dried her hands and hoped Daisy didn’t see them shaking.  “He helped a pelican who’d gotten tangled in a line.  It was really sweet.”

“No fight?” Daisy tossed her white blonde hair.  “I was hoping you’d given it to him good.”

Lacy frowned, suddenly feeling protective of the man who’d laughed at her.  He’d seemed so lonely and alone today.  Her heart had ached for him.  Maybe because she understood loneliness.  She’d felt its sting for too long.   “Why?  What do you have against Duncan?”    

Daisy’s green eyes frosted over.  “”You’re not from around here, so of course you wouldn’t know.  Believe me, he’s not someone you want to get involved with.”

True Lacy had arrived in town six months ago to open her bakery so she wasn’t privy to the social histories of the inhabitant of Cupid’s Cove.  Up until today she’d found everyone in town friendly and generous.   But something about Duncan Hines set the residents on edge.   

What could Duncan have done to turn a town against him?