“Do that,” Brent said, walking past Mr. Hunk as he exited the store.

She nodded and hoped her face didn’t show what she really felt. “So, how was your meal?”

Really, Lauren!

“Excellent. Some of the best biscuits and gravy I’ve had.”

“Good, well, I have your packages ready.” She pointed to the three bags sitting on the counter.

“Perfect,” he said, reaching for his wallet and pulling out an American Express card.

Lauren almost laughed. Yes, they took credit cards. Yes, the machine was ancient. But no, they did not take American Express. Her father’s reasoning—their rates were too high.

He held the card out for her to take. “Sorry, we don’t accept American Express.” She was embarrassed. Truly red-faced and humiliated.

“Well, try this.” He took another card from his wallet.

“Visa,” she said. “That we take.” She reached under the counter for the machine, and one of the carbon copies she used to get an imprint of the card number.

“Oh, boy,” he said. “This is a tap and go.”

“A what?” Lauren asked.

“Tap and go. Touch the terminal,” he said again.

“This,” she said, pointing to the machine on the counter, along with the carbon slip, “is all we have.”

Mr. Hunk burst out laughing. “Tell me you’re joking.” He was shaking his head, but his grin was such a turn-on, Lauren laughed with him.

“Sadly, I’m not joking. This is it.”

“Then it’s a good thing I always carry a couple of blank checks with me.” He put the credit cards back in his wallet and took out a check.

Lauren couldn’t wait to see his information on the check. “Checks are fine,” she said, smiling. “Just make it payable to Razzle Dazzle Décor.”

“How much?” he asked, accepting the pen she held out to him.

Lauren gave him the amount, and he didn’t flinch. Not even a little bit. He wrote out the check, and she was about to ask to see his driver’s license so she could write the details on the back of the check as her father always did, even if he knew the customer, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask this man one more question that would make her appear to be even more of a country bumpkin.

At that moment, she would have gladly strangled her father if he were there. Instead, she pushed the CASH button on the ancient register, the same National Cash Register machine her grandfather had used in his day, pulled the handle, and the drawer opened. She placed his check inside, then closed the drawer.

Mr. Hunk watched her, seemingly fascinated. “Is that original?”

Puzzled, Lauren asked, “This?” She nodded in the direction of the register.

“Yes.”

She took a deep breath. “Everything is original here. My grandfather used the same machine in his day.” Lauren thought he would laugh, but he appeared intrigued.