Not long after, I got off my cell, only for it to ring again.

This time it was Caro. A very frantic Caro. Her oven had broken, and she had a three-tiered cake to bake, along with individual cupcakes and vol-au-vents for an anniversary party.

I offered her my kitchen.

•   •   •

Closing my shop again, however temporarily, was not ideal, but at the sight of Caro’s panicked look when she rushed downstairs to tell me she didn’t have enough eggs, I couldn’t not offer to go get them.

That’s why I found myself weighed down by plastic bags filled with eggs as I marched out of the convenience store and abruptly slammed into a hard body.

The eggs!

I winced, not even caring I’d bruised my cheek on someone’s shoulder as I looked down into the bags. Oh man, those babies had better be okay.

Glancing up at the person I’d crashed into to belatedly apologize, I gaped in shock.

It was West Elliot, up close and personal.

In the nearly four months I’d lived in Alnster, this was as close as I’d gotten to the man.

Lucas must have inherited his eye color from his mother, because West’s were dark. He was a tall, strapping guy, still rugged and handsome. However, there was a hardness to his eyes and his mouth that I didn’t like.

He flicked his cold gaze down my body and back up again. “You’re the American.”

I tried not to roll my eyes.

That was me. The American. I had a feeling I could live twenty years in this village and I’d still always be the American!

“Yup. You’re West Elliot.”

He gave me a lift of his chin before his gaze fell to my left hand. He scowled. “Rushing into that, are you not?”

I scowled back. “Not sure that’s your business.”

West’s lips pursed as he studied my face.

“Well, if that’s all, I have eggs to deliver—”

“I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.”

Surprised, I faltered. “Uh . . . that’s nice.”

“Which is why I think you should know the truth.”

Something about his tone caused a shiver, not the good kind, to skitter down my spine.

Disapproval darkened West’s already frosty expression. “I know what it’s like to be made a fool by someone you trusted. And if you’re a good lass, like everyone says you are, you don’t deserve that.”

The uneasiness settling around me made me irritable. “And what’s the truth?”

“Roane Robson is lying to you.”

I felt my defenses rising. Bad-mouthing Roane was the wrong move with—