Page 82 of Prickly Pair
I poured filling into a tray of pie crusts and pushed them into the oven. I heard the bell go off up front and grabbed a towel, wiping anything sticky off my hands before darting to the front.
A man stood in front of the bakery case. He had to be from out of town, because I’d never seen him before. He wore a brown suit, and reminded me of a vulture.
“Hi,” I said. “What can I get ya?”
“Nothing,” he said. “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind me asking them.”
I frowned. “Um . . . Sure? I guess? What about?”
“The Whynot family,” he said. “My name is Phil, and I work for a debt collection agency. I wanted to see if you know anything about Mr. Whynot’s passing, since you’re close with the family.”
What the fuck?I didn’t like anything about what he just said. First, how did he know I was close with them? Second, why in the hell would a debt collector be snooping around?
“What’s the name of your agency?” I asked sharply.
Phil narrowed his eyes. “If you could just answer my question?—”
“No, I don’t think so,” I said. “You can leave.”
“Evie—”
“We are not on a first name basis. Get the fuck out of my bakery before I grab my rolling pin,” I growled.
He gave me a horrified look, but it felt fake. This guy wasn’t scared of me and that made me anxious. But the door flew open, and all my anxiety subsided when Mateo stepped in.
His eyes darted to me and he scowled, his shoulders immediately stiffening. “Got a problem?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “This guy won’t leave.”
Phil scoffed, but his energy was a lot different now that there was another man in the room. My stomach twisted as he shot me a dirty look and stormed out of the bakery, pushing past Mateo.
“Are you okay?” Mateo immediately came around the counter and gave me a hug.
“I am,” I exhaled. “Thank you.”
He released me, his brows still drawn together. “What was that? I’ve never seen him around.”
“He said he was a debt collector,” I said.
“What?”
“He was asking about the Whynots,” I whispered.
Mateo’s scowl deepened. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know,” I said. I shivered, wishing I could purge that snake-oil vibes out of my bakery. “I’m glad you showed up. I was about to grab my rolling pin.”
He let out a curse in Spanish, shaking his head. “Next time, call me immediately. Or one of your boyfriends.”
I snorted as I pulled out a fresh croissant for him. He took it as he leaned back against the counter, his eyes wandering around the bakery. “I haven’t been over in too long, and I wanted to check on you.”
“You’ve been busy,” I teased. “How are . . .things?”
I’d yet to hear a follow up from Avery about anything baby-related. June and I had been anticipatingsomething, especially since she’d mentioned once again her period was late.
Mateo bit into his croissant and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Hmm. You know something I don’t. I know a leading question when I hear one.”
We stared at each other until I broke first, letting out a snort. “It’s nothing.”
