Baking Me Crazy (Donner Bakery, #1)(25)

"Make sure it was made today," she called after him. "I don't want one that's been sitting around for a couple of days."

I bit down on my smile as I told her the total. Very carefully, she counted out exact change from her metallic purple coin purse. It matched the chain on her glasses.

"I had a dog," she said as I was putting her money in the drawer.

"What was his name?"

"Her name was Daffodil." She tucked her coin purse back into an embroidered pocket hooked around the side of her walker. "She was a Shih Tzu."

"Those are very cute dogs," I told her.

Her iron eyes looked over the rim of her glasses again. "Meanest bitch of a dog I've ever met in my life. She bit everyone who tried to pet her."

"Oh," I said dumbly. "I'm sorry?"

"She's dead now, so it's fine."

Where was Mikey with that damn cake? I cleared my throat. If anyone wondered why I hated small talk, it was moments exactly like this one. She was staring straight at my chair.

"You're Ruby's granddaughter, aren't you?"

"I am." I eyed her curiously. "You knew her?"

If someone could roll their eyes without moving a single muscle, she just managed it. I felt her eye roll like she'd shoved it down my throat. "I'm old, aren't I? All us old people know each other here."

I swear, if Mikey didn't show up soon, I'd walk back and get the banana cake myself if it would make this go faster.

"I've heard she wore a purple hat to church," I said lamely.

She puckered her lips like someone shoved a lemon in her mouth. "Shame that she and your momma never spoke much. A woman shouldn't have lost out on a relationship with her only grandchild."

Right. There was no way I was touching that statement.

"You been in that thing long?" she asked, lifting her chin at my chair.

"Uhh, about seven years."

"Hmm. How come?"

I kept my face as straight as possible. "It's a really comfortable seat."

She narrowed her eyes, but then a tiny smile curled her thin, pale lips.

Mikey appeared with the box, and she beckoned him to come around the corner with a curl of one bony hand. With wide eyes, he walked it around to her so he could set it on the seat of her walker.

"You're funny, young lady," she told me.

"Oh, don't tell her that," a voice said from behind her.

I hadn't even noticed Levi walk in, and he was standing to the side, holding a flat box in his hands. He was grinning at me, tawny hair in desperate need of a haircut and a deep dimple carved into his cheek.

"Why not?" she snapped.

"It'll go straight to her head, and then she'll never answer people nicely when they ask her things."

"What's your name, boy?" she asked. "I recognize your face. You look like your daddy."

"Levi Buchanan, ma'am." He held out his hand, and she took it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're too charming for your own good, Levi Buchanan."

He nodded seriously. "Just charming enough to keep me out of trouble."

She barked out a laugh. All I could do was roll my eyes. He winked at me.

"Now," Levi drawled, "you haven't told me who I have the pleasure of speaking with. That's not very Southern of you."

"Only my gentleman callers get to use my first name," she said. Levi's mouth fell open, and I slapped a hand over my lips to keep the laugh in. "You can call me Miss Barton."

He snapped his mouth shut. "Well, Miss Barton, I hope to see you around."

She looked over her shoulder at me. "This your man? He's cheeky."

Before I could answer, Levi inclined his head toward the door. "Oh, I come in a close second to the dog out there. But I'm okay with that."

All I could do was shake my head. Something on his face today, a glint in his eye made me smile.

"Enjoy the banana cake, Miss Barton," I told her as she walked past Levi. When she paused to pat Nero's head just outside the door, I laughed. "Man, I hope I'm like that when I'm her age."

Levi nodded, his eyes still watching Miss Barton shuffle away from the entrance of the bakery. "I can picture it far too easily."

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to catch a glimpse of what he had in the box. "I didn't know you were coming in."

"Can't I ever try to surprise you?"

Before I could answer, Joy came from the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron covering the front of her body. "Hey Joss, everything okay out here?" Her eyes snagged on Levi, a pretty pink blush covering her round cheeks, and she smiled widely. "Oh, how sweet! You came in to say hi."

"I sure did. You must be Joy."

If her smile got any bigger, she'd split her face wide open. "I am! Oh, I just love working with Jocelyn. She's wonderful."

I rubbed at my forehead and shot daggers at Levi with my eyes, which he ignored. "She is wonderful." He tilted his head down to the box that he held in his hands. "That's why I figured I'd bring her these."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I leaned up in my chair. "What's in there?"