Their food came, and Melissa tipped her chin to indicate the heaping plate of french fries she’d also delivered. “Fries because why not? They were hot and crispy.” She winked at Caroline.

Caroline popped one in her mouth, wincing at the heat, but they were so good. “So awesome. Thank you. I’ll call you tonight. I need to go grocery shopping first because I have peanut butter and a box of stuffing. I did maybe eat pie for breakfast.”

The Proffits, the people who’d owned and run the Honey Bear for near thirty years, wanted to retire. Their son was an architect and didn’t want the business. Melissa and her fiancé had owned and run a cooking school. Something bad had happened, and Melissa, who was Maryellen Proffit’s niece, had moved to Petal seven months before to take over and run the Honey Bear and seemed to be happy she had.

“Okay. We close up at five thirty so any time after six or so.” Melissa hustled off to help some customers while Caroline and Polly chatted an hour more or so before Caroline needed to get going or she’d never get her grocery shopping done.

On the sidewalk, after Polly had bussed her cheek and click-clacked away in her heels, Caroline could only smile and shake her head at what a total force of nature Polly Chase was. Edward was a really lucky man.

Chapter Three

Caroline stared up the box she needed.

On the top shelf.

Naturally.

Sighing, she looked through her cart to for something to use to tip it down. Nothing that would work.

Muttering a curse, she stretched and just barely missed it. She’d totally climb the shelves if she had to but the last time she’d tried it, she’d ended up knocking a bunch of jars down and they broke and it was pretty embarrassing. Heaven knew she had enough to work against as it was without an incident on aisle ten with cereal.

“Lemme get that for you.”

She looked to the side at the very tall cowboy who’d sidled up to use all his height to retrieve her box of cereal.

“This here?” He pointed at the natural cereal she liked.

“Yes, thanks.”

He grabbed it.

“Can you please get two? I figure I may as well just have a backup now, you know in case you aren’t around the next time I’m here.”

He pulled one more down and turned to drop them in her cart. That’s when she realized it was Royal Watson. All grown up.

He faced her and all her parts stood up and cheered. Like a full-stadium wave.

“Hey, it’s Caroline Mendoza.”

Oh. That accent. All Southern charm. Sexy and slow, like he tasted every word, savoring it before he let it go. She did love a Southern drawl coming from a man who used words like ma’am when they opened doors and retrieved things from high shelves. She knew it was pretty old school of her, but damn she didn’t even care.

“Hey, it’s Royal Watson. Thanks again for the assist.”

His grin made her want to moan.

Back in high school, he’d been two grades ahead. He’d been that super cute older boy who probably never noticed her existence. And of course by the time she’d grown into her body, he’d grown into his everything and she’d left town.

He had great hands. She tore her gaze away from them and her brain from imagining them on her because hello, grocery store, in front of people and all.

As if he knew what she was thinking, he got just a smidge closer. “It’s good to see you. You’re in town. For a visit or?”

She laughed, putting a hand at her hip. “Come on now. Are we pretending you haven’t already heard I moved back to Petal? I may have forgotten my share of things about living in small towns, but your business is everyone’s business.” And her past had so much meat for the gossip table, she knew tongues had been wagging ever since she signed the lease on her apartment three weeks before.

“All right. Well, my Aunt Denver is famous for two things. First, she makes the best coconut cake in a hundred-mile radius. Maybe even the whole state of Georgia, but there’s some serious old-lady cake competition out there so I can’t be totally sure. Second, she’s got a nose for gossip that is, as my uncle says, unparalleled. I was just being neighborly and was gonna let you divulge all the details to me yourself.”

She pushed her cart and he followed. “Yes, I’m back for good.”

He loped along at her side. “I may as well come with you. You’re what they call size challenged. In case you need something else from the top shelf, I’ll come in handy.”

“Oh you’re not going to use the S word? Go on then. Short. I’m short.”

“Why, Ms. Mendoza, I do believe you’re yanking my chain. I think you’re more fun sized than short.”

She blushed. “I don’t know why they have to have shelves that are so high to start with. How do all the little old ladies get their cereal anyway?”

“Darlin’, they eat Cheerios and mother’s oats. All that fancy organic stuff is on the high shelf ’cause it’s just you city girls who eat it. I’d check the sell-by date on it, just in case it went bad in 2010 or something.”

“There’s not a darned thing wrong with wanting healthy options.”

He grinned again. “I’m teasing. Well, I’m telling the truth, but also teasing. Heck, we converted the farm into an organic operation three years ago. I’m always happy when people want the healthier option.”

“You did? That’s awesome.”