Read A Moment on the Lips (A Whistle Stop Romance, #3) for Free Online

company from outside the area?” When he nodded, her gaze narrowed. “If you don’t want to be neighborly, all you had to do was say so. You didn’t have to let me go on about how we could work together.”
    “That’s not it—”
    She held up her palm. “Save it. I have customers to attend to. You stay on your side of the wall, and I’ll stay on mine.”
    She stormed off, leaving him alone on the sidewalk. He kicked at a pebble. Why hadn’t he explained about his father’s death and that his own diagnostic tests regarding heart disease had been borderline?
    Because it wasn’t her business... Nah, the truth was, he would have explained if she’d have given him a chance. The knowledge didn’t ease him. The fact that he wanted to tell this beautiful stranger intimate details about his life scared the hell out of him.

CHAPTER FOUR
    C losing time.
    And none too soon.
    Piper took what comfort she could from her evening routine. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to rest, she’d sent her two employees home early. The way she saw it, the more work she had to do, the less she’d dwell on her plans being dashed by the sexy Mr. Montoya.
    The chime of the little brass bell over the front door had Piper calling out, “We’re closed.”
    She’d been so distracted that she’d forgotten to flip the lock on the door. She wondered what else she’d forgotten that day. Then again, maybe it was better she didn’t know.
    “Piper, where are you?”
    She immediately recognized Ana’s voice. “I’m back here in the kitchen.”
    She’d been friends with Ana as far back as she could remember. They’d grown up on the same block. Their mothers had been friends. And they’d been in the same grade in school. It was the makings of either a life-long friendship or mortal enemies. Luckily, they’d had enough in common that they quickly became BFFs.
    Ana stepped into the kitchen and looked around. “Where is everyone?”
    “I sent them home.” Piper really didn’t want to get into details. The pain of her dream going up in smoke was still too raw for well-meaning words of sympathy.
    “How come they got to go home early and yet you’re still here working?”
    Piper flashed her friend a brief smile. “Because I’m a terrific boss.”
    “You’re also good at avoiding issues when you don’t want to talk about them.”
    Oh no. Ana knew something. Was it Mrs. Noel? Had she overheard something? Or had one of her employees repeated what they’d overheard? Come to think of it, anyone could have told Ana. She sighed. She’d been so caught up in her conversation with Joe that it never dawned on her that they might be overheard. Although, this bit of gossip would barely be a blip on the radar compared to the breakup of her engagement. At least, she hoped it would be.
    ”Okay. What did you hear?” Piper put the mop in the bucket and rolled it out of the way.
    Ana’s eyes lit up. “What haven’t I heard? You have the gossip lines burning hot.”
    Piper groaned. “What are they saying?”
    “That you and Joe are already an item.”
    “Fat chance. How do you know Joe?”
    Ana shrugged. “We met briefly when he went around introducing himself to the other business owners. He’s definitely a hottie.”
    “If you’re into the hard-headed type.”
    The smile slipped from Ana’s lips. “So the rumors aren’t true?”
    “No, they’re not true. Joe and I are definitely not an item.” Not that the idea hadn’t flitted through her mind once or twice. Even though he had a very long stubborn streak, he was still devastatingly handsome when he smiled. “The part where he bought the vacant shop next door and ruined my chance to really grow my business pretty much killed any chance at romance.”
    “I’m so sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to expanding.”
    She wished she hadn’t told anyone about her plans until she’d had a signed deal. Now she had to eat her words. Not that her friends, the Bachelorettes of