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A part of her wanted to crumble the paper and throw it out without looking at it. The last thing she needed was to have him on her mind. The man was like a mite. He had a way of getting under her skin, like a bad rash.

Tori was scratching her arm when Allison waved through the window. The pretty wild-haired woman scowled and Tori motioned for her to come inside.

“Oh my goodness. I can’t take it. I was hoping not to have to walk inside.” Allison pretended to swoon. “It smells like heaven in here.”

“You always say the same thing. Want to eat a late lunch with me?”

“And you always feed me, which means I am going to be your best friend forever.”

Tori went to the drink station and poured two glasses of water and then looked through the kitchen door. “Two small salads, one lasagna and one pesto special,” she called out. Then she turned around and went to an empty booth and put the glasses down.

Although they’d already paid, her last table remained and she made sure their glasses of water were refilled. Tori ensured they didn’t need anything and listened as the older couple described their drive across Montana. They owned an RV and were having the time of their lives. Their bright smiles made Tori’s heart happy. “I hope you decide to stop back through and tell me about the rest of your adventure.”

The couple quickly agreed, promising to bring pictures.

Soon, there was only one table with a couple of women who had notebooks out and had finished their meal. They were either studying or doing some sort of business and had asked Jessie for coffee and to be left to themselves for an hour.

“They tipped me twenty dollars just to remind them to leave in an hour,” Jessie said, holding up the bill with a smile. “Cool, huh?”

Tori agreed. “Very cool.”

She slid across from Allison. “So why did Tobias send me flowers. And more importantly, why didn’t you tell him to shove them up his…”

“Because like anyone else, he is a customer and I do what I’m paid to do. Besides, they are so pretty.” Allison admired her handiwork. “I love yellow, don’t you?”

“They are very pretty. But really, Allison, what the hell did he say? I am not in the mood to deal with him. To make matters worse, he and his dingbat fiancée just left. They had the nerve to come here for lunch. Here!”

Tori got up at hearing Marcos’ call.

“I have some juicy gossip. You’re going to die laughing. That Tobias is a riot,” Allison said as Tori walked away.

How did this turn into a Tobias chat? Tori had no desire to hear about his latest dumb action. It was time to move one. What she needed was a day to herself. There had to be a single, attractive man she could date and give the town no reason to think she was available and waiting for Tobias. Because she absolutely was not waiting on that idiot.

The sooner Laurel Creek accepted the fact she was dating someone and he was about to be the Mr. to Mrs. Bimbo, the better things would be.

Mind made up, she sat back down as Allison looked up. “Do you want to go to Billings with me this weekend?”

“Sure, but let me tell you what happened at Shooters this weekend. Tobias…”

“I don’t want to know what he did. He’s an idiot and he’s engaged and I don’t care.”

Allison waved her words away. “He told Mimi that she was his going to be his next ex-wife. She started screaming and stormed out. Left him there.”

Allison continued the tale. “Taylor took him home after he showed up at our door half-dressed and a bit too tipsy to drive himself home. He kept talking nonsense about how you and him were going to end up together one day.”

“That was the night he…we…”

Allison’s eyes widened. “Oh, well shoot. I didn’t think about that. So you undressed him then?” Her friend giggled.

“It’s not funny. Besides, I told you, I had drunk half a bottle of wine and he was…tipsy.”

“Mmm, hmmm,” Allison lifted lasagna to her mouth. “I’m going to pay for this lunch. It’s too good to be free.”

Tori picked at her plate and then ate a forkful.

The chicken pesto was amazing. She made a mental note to ask Marco to make it a regular item for Tuesdays. She glanced across to the women, who were still engrossed in conversation. “That’s why you have to help me find a boyfriend. I need to stop leaving any possibility of Tobias waltzing through my front door.”

“I thought you hated him,” Allison said. She continued before Tori could reply. “Then again, it’s a thin line between love and hate.”

“There is no love in it.”

“Then why did you sleep with him and why did he say you and him are going to end up together. Honestly, Tori, if you just tell him how you really feel, he won’t make the huge mistake of marrying Mimi.”

Tori let out a long breath and ate more of the delicious food.

“I couldn’t care less about Tobias Hamilton. We slept together because hate sometimes causes chemistry. But like most chemical combinations, we would probably explode if we ended up together.”

Allison motioned to her with the fork she held. “Did you read the note?”

Reluctantly, Tori dragged the crumpled piece of paper from her apron pocket. She scowled at the familiar slanted handwriting.

“Sorry for coming over drunk. Sex was great.”

Tobias.

Tori let out a breath and shook her head. “The sooner he gets married and leaves town, the better.”