These two were entertaining with a capital E.

“You’re awfully concerned about my sheets. Maybe if you’d been more concerned about your own, the boyfriend wouldn’t have ended up tangled in the cheerleader’s. Her thread count must have been higher.” He grinned evilly.

A flicker of pain moved across Viola’s features before she smoothed it with a look of indifference, and my amusement instantly died.

I glared at Lucas, only to see he was no longer smiling. In fact, he was watching Viola warily. Perhaps he knew he’d crossed the line.

“Well”—she crossed her arms over her chest—“if you’re not going to buy anything, take your toxic attitude elsewhere. I’ve had my fill of immature dickhead for the day.”

Lucas’s expression hardened and he cut Caro a look. “You might want to think about who mans your stall in the future, or you’ll lose business.”

“I’m a woman.” Viola’s hands flew to her hips. “You may not recognize the breed since you’re only capable of attracting shallow girls. Now run along.”

With one last dark look, Lucas Elliot turned on his heel and strode across Main Street. He pushed open the door to The Alnster Inn but shot Viola a scowl over his shoulder before disappearing inside.

It was as we were packing up for the day, Caro’s baked goods long sold, that I spotted a woman watching us from the lane between the butcher’s and the inn. She dressed in much the same way Caro normally did and wore a severe frown of disapproval on her face.

Caro didn’t notice her as she and Viola laughed at something together.

It was her aunt Helena. I knew it in my gut.

I braced myself in case the woman was here to make a scene, but to my relief, after a few minutes of glaring at her niece, Helena turned around and walked back down the lane whence she’d come.

An uneasy feeling stuck with me, and I decided I’d ask Caroline if she wanted to stay with me again tonight. Her face was lit with joy as she talked with Viola. Despite her shyness, I could see she was brimming over with happiness that she was the only person to sell out of goods. This, plus the positive comments she got from customers, would surely go a long way to boosting her self-confidence. And I wouldn’t have Helena take that away from her on the very same day.