Chapter Six.

Rose frowned as she caught the third man walk past her shop with a weird look on his face when he glanced at her shop. He was the third person to look at her shop as if he knew something was wrong that she didn't know.

No matter how much she tried, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

"Can I get a refill, please?" Dorcas raised her mug.

She picked up the coffee pot. "Why did you not call me to refill rather than walking up to the counter, Dorcas?"

Dorcas shrugged. "Didn't want to bother you; you seemed a bit preoccupied."

"Some people keep looking at my shop with a funny look on their faces when they walk past, and I don't know why."

"Are you sure the look was meant for you or the shop?"

"I feel so, cause they all had the same look, as if they know something bad about me that I do not know they know."

"Well, you can only do one thing then; refuse to let it bother you. You have got much more customers than you used to. Focus on that and be happy."

She smiled. "Thank you so much, Dorcas."

"You're welcome, darling."

As Dorcas walked out, Bonnie walked in, a puzzled look on her face. Even after the door closed, Bonnie kept looking out.

"Bonnie. Bonnie." She touched Bonnie's shoulder. "Bonnie."

Bonnie turned to her. "Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out something."

"What is that?"

"Some group of people were clustered a few feet away from your shop, and as one of them was talking, he kept pointing to your shop. I couldn't really hear what they were saying but I have a feeling it is not something good."

Immediately, she became troubled. "Since I opened, some people kept staring at my shop with a funny look on the or face as they passed."

Bonnie's brow drew together. "Okay, what is going on?"

"Hello, ladies." Rick walked in a smile on his lips. His smile disappeared when he saw their worried face. "What's wrong?"

Bonnie crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "I think someone is saying something bad about Rose's shop."

He walked to the counter. "What's making you say so?"

"When I was coming I saw a group of people gathered a few feet from Rose shop and one of them was saying something while pointing to this shop." Bonnie explained. "Also, Rose said she noticed some people staring at the shop with a funny look on their faces."

He took her palm in his. "When did you notice that, Rosie?"

"Since I opened the shop." She held his hand. "Rick, I'm worried."

"Don't be. We'll figure this out." He flashed her a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back, just going to ask a few questions, here and there."

She nodded. "Be careful."

"Of course I'll be." He tweaked her nose. He turned to Bonnie. "Please keep her from over thinking."

Bonnie smiled. "I will do my best."

He gave a hand a squeeze then turned and walked out of the shop.

'Hey." Bonnie called at her.

"Yeah."

"No thinking."

"Yes ma'am."

Bonnie smiled and jumped on the counter. "Now if you may, I would have six sticky buns and a cup of mocha."

"Coming up, miss."

******

Rick did not know if he should scream out the anger boiling through his veins or just punch someone or something. Inhaling deeply, he opened the door and stepped into the sound of Rose laughing.

Bonnie was the first to notice him. "Hey, soldier."

Rose turned. "Anything?"

Now, he was torn between bothering her with the truth or just telling her what really happened.

"Don't even think about it." Bonnie folded her hands. "Say. It. As. It. Is."

"Come on, Rick." Rose pleaded. "What did you find out?"

He leaned on the counter. "It's Jane. She was spreading rumors that your pastries are no good and that you paid Foodz and Blog to write that article about them."

Rick watched as heartbreak and pain filled her eyes.

"Why?" Rose asked in a pained whisper.

Anger filled Bonnie's eyes. "Why?"

"Well, you posed a threat to making her lose her customers with the promo sales and all."

"I posed a...?" Anger started to fill Rose's eyes "I did not go into her shop to invite her customers to engage in the promo sales, did I?"

"That lady is pure crazy!" Bonnie exclaimed, jumping off the counter.

"Calm down, Bonnie." He clasped Rose's hand. "And you too, Rosie. There isn't much damage done. We can salvage it."

"Can we?" Rose searched his eyes.

"Of course we can." Bonnie grabbed Rose second hand and squeezed it. "It is nothing in the face of three geniuses."

"Really?" He looked at Bonnie. "Of all the lines to come up with, that was the best you could do?"

Rose began to laugh.

"Under pressure, yes." Bonnie crossed her arms. "But at least I could come up with a line, unlike you."

"Of course I did, did you not hear it?"

"Okay guys." Rose suppressed her laughter. "I get the idea. So, what are we going to do?"

"Let your baking do the talking." Rick smiled. "You are a badass chef, Rosie. Let your pastries do the convincing. You already got the article and an increase in customers."

"We will just keep telling them to spread the word, the good news if you may." Bonnie tilted her head."

She nodded. "Let my baking do the talking."

"And keep telling people to spread the good news." Bonnie chipped in.

Rose smiled. "And keep telling people to spread the good news." Rose walked out from behind the counter. "What will I do without you both in my life?"

"I can't imagine." Bonnie pulled Rose to a hug.

Rose opened her arms to him. He stepped into them and kissed her cheeks. "I'm pretty sure you would be wilder."

She chuckled. "I doubt that." She pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. "Thank you."

He stroked her nose with his. "For you, I didn't even break a sweat."

She chuckled. Her eyes fell on his lips.

He leaned in and dropped kisses on her lips.

She laughed. "Will you kiss me like you mean it, Rick?"

His lips tilted up. "Yes, ma'am."

He took her lips in his and kissed her like he really meant it, like he was claiming as his own, lije he was branding her as his.

"I love the way you kiss me, Rick." Rose whispered, her eyes half closed.

He laughed. "Just the thing a man wants to hear." He tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm doing right by you. I love you too much to not do so."

"I know." She caressed his face. "I know."

"Also," He looked at where Bonnie had been standing. "I think we might have run Bonnie out of here."

Rose looked back. "Really?"

"Uh huh."

"We are so not going to hear the end of this."

"Tell me about it...yet I feel no regret."

She chuckled and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Me too."

******

"I don't even know why you are stopping me." Rose threw her hands up. "I thought you were on my side."

"Of course I am." Rick shot back. "That is why I am stopping you from doing this mad thing."

"How is confronting her a mad thing? I'm just going to ask some questions not beat her!"

"Like how you asked Suz questions when we were in high school?"

"Gosh, why do you have to have an annoying memory? And you know it served Suz right. She intercepted Jason right after he made his intention of asking me out to prom known."

"If I remember correctly, you said you were just going to confront her then warn her to stay away from Jason."

"The punch was the warning."

He cocked a brow. "And the knocking her to the ground and pulling her hair was what?"

"Emphasis."

He shot her a look.

She shrugged. "That was highschool. I was sixteen. I'm grown now."

"I'm still not taking any chances."

Rose crossed her arms. "You couldn't stop me then you're not going to stop me now. If you don't allow me go now, I will sneak away when you are not looking."

She could see the steam coming out of his ears.

"You're so infuriating, Rose Ann Hokins."

"And that is why I am your best friend."

His lips twitched with a smile he was trying to suppress. "Tell me again why you want to confront her."

"Why shouldn't I? That woman spread lies about me and my pastries and my shop and the article Foodz and Blog wrote about my pastries."

"What happened to turning the other cheek?"

"I would, after I get a smack on her cheek too."

"So you have intention of smacking her cheek."

She half groaned, half laughed. "Rick! Don't you dare say what I did not say."

His lips started twitching again. "I only quoted what you said."

Groaning in frustration, she whacked him.

He grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes. "You are not changing your mind, are you?"

She shook her head. "uh-uh."

He sighed. "Fine, I'm following you."

"For what?"

"To keep you out of trouble."

"Like how you did on the day I confronted Suz?" She grinned and waggled her brows. "And we both ended up in detention?"

He chuckled. "I can not believe I actually ended up in detention when I was actually trying to stop you and ripping that girl's head off her neck."

She giggled. "What? I wasn't trying to rip her head off her neck. And you got into detention because you were involved in the fight."

"By trying to tear you off Suz?" He cocked his brow.

"By being the offender's best friend and by being on the floor trying to, like you said even if it is not true, tear me off Suz."

"I see. And it is true, I kept trying unsuccessfully to tear you off Suz but you refused to let go of the girl's hair."

She groaned. "I hate you Rick." She walked out of the shop.

He followed. "I love you too."

She rolled her eyes and let out a soft laugh.

"So what do you plan to say?"

"I'm going to ask her why."

"I thought we already got that part."

"Well, I would like her to explain it in clearer terms."

"You are just going to make trouble."

Irritation began rising. She stopped and looked at him "No, I'm not. I understand I did some crazy stuff in high school but this isn't high school anymore and I'm not sixteen anymore. So please stop repeating that same line to my ears." She turned and marched in the direction of Jane's shop.

He hurried after her and grabbed her hand. He turned her to him. "Are you now mad at me, Rosie?"

"Of course I am. You keep droning on of how I can't make a simple sentence in confrontation without being violent - which I can. I might not have been able to do that in 12th grade but I can now."

"I wasn't saying or droning that."

"What were you now saying?"

"I was saying and am still saying there is no need of stirring trouble waters when we have already solved the big issue."

"I want to confront her."

Irritation filled his eyes. "Fine."

"Fine." She turned and walked into Jane's shop. Every fiber within her wanted to scream, to scream out the frustration and anger that was making her head pound.

She inhaled deeply and searched the bustling shop for the witch called Jane.

Jane saw her first and walked towards her, a soft smile on her lips.

Oh, how she wanted to tear that fake smile off her face.

"Hello, Rose. To what do I owe this visit?"

"The fact that you spread lies about my pastries."

"You do know this is outrageous, don't you? Coming into my shop to accuse me of what I did not do, of what you have no proof of."

"And what if I called one of the tens you spread your lies to, will that be proof enough for you?"

Jane cocked a brow, her eyes twinkling with secret delight.

"Please can we cut the act and stop wasting each other's time?"

Laughter filled her eyes. "Okay, as you wish dear Rose. Although, I never expected that you would come to question me about it."

"Why?"

"Why? Well, how many reasons can I count?" Jane counted five fingers. "They are quite plenty. But the most profound is you needed to know who the boss is in this street."

Anger coursing through her, she fisted her hands.

Rick came beside her and covered her fisted hand. "Quite understood. But the last I remembered, the real boss isn't one who makes noise the most but the one who is respected the most. We won't exchange words with you, that is so much a waste of our energy. Instead we will let you watch and learn who the real boss is. Goodbye Jane." He turned her and led her out of Jane's shop.

They did not say anything as they walked back to her shop.

"Thank you."

He did not reply.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you earlier."

"If?" He raised that annoying brow up.

"I'm sorry for hurting you earlier."

"And for suddenly going off like a bomb?"

"And for suddenly going off like a bomb."

"And for being a pain in the ass?"

She smiled. "And for being a pain in the ass. It's just that you kept repeating the same line..."

"The semantics were quite different."

"Yet the same meaning, and it was infuriating...even though you were right."

"I am sorry."

"I really wished I gave her a hit though."

He chuckled. "I know. I really wanted to too, but that would not have proven the point."

"Oh but it would have passed a message. It would have meant 'shut your lies wrecking mouth up'."

"And would have probably caused a fight and landed us in jail."

Seriously? Do you have to think that far?"

"With you, yes."

She chuckled and hugged his arm. 'You were pretty amazing back there."

He tweaked her nose. "What can I say? You bring out the hero in me."

She raised herself on her tiptoes and pressed a short kiss to his lips. "Good to know I do not only drive you crazy."

"Indeed, what a great relief." He grinned.

She laughed.