Page 55 of Restless Ink

“Let me see the invoices because, unfortunately, your day just got longer. This isn’t the flour we ordered. The flour we always order.”

“Don’t know what you usually order. Don’t care. I have what I have, and you’re the one that ordered it.”

Thea let out a breath, trying not to get too angry. Roxie tapped her foot next to her but remained silent. They were better when they worked as a team and only one of them spoke. That way, the man figured Thea wasn’t weak or some other patronizing crap that she’d have to deal with.

“Let me see the papers.”

“Fine. Here.” He tossed the dirty clipboard at her, and she frowned at the names listed. Yes, it was her bakery, yes, that was her name, but there was an astronomical delivery change fee as well as the flour she hadn’t ordered.

“This isn’t right. This isn’t what I ordered. I don’t know how this happened, but this isn’t what I need or want.”

“No, lady, you called and changed it. We had your info, and you authorized the higher price and the late-change charge. No idea what you're talking about it not being yours. Take it up with your boss.”

“Iamthe boss.”

“Then take it up with yourself. Sign the paperwork so I can unload.”

Thea shook her head. “I can’t use this. I need my normal stuff. Take it back.”

“You’ll be charged.”

“Then I’ll take it up withyourboss.” She was seething at this point, now confused for a whole new reason.

“Whatever. Don’t give a shit.”

“And we’ll be sure to mention your rudeness,” Roxie said from her side, holding up her phone. “I’m recording, so be nice.”

He growled at Roxie before taking his clipboard back with deliberate movements and stomping back to his truck, the flour Thea didn’t need going with him.

She shook her head as he drove off, and Roxie stopped recording. “Thanks for the backup. He was an asshole.”

“Yup. And there’s something hinky about all of this. You know?”

Thea nodded. “Hinky is a good word for it.”

A word she’d used when it came to Molly, and now it seemed someone was out to hurt her shop. She thought about her paperwork for the expansion and Molly’s reference and couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake.

She had no idea what she was going to do next when it came to anything right then. All she could do was wonder if it was all connected or if maybe she was losing her mind along with everything else.

It didn’t make sense. Nothing did right then. And all she wanted to do was text Dimitri and tell him that she missed him.

But first, she had to deal with the flour.

Chapter 22

Dimitri grinned as his sister rolled her eyes behind his brothers’ shoulders. They weren’t kids anymore, but damn if they didn’t act like it sometimes. Amelia was a decade younger than Dimitri, but still well past being an adult, and yet she hid behind Devin. Devin was two years younger than Dimitri and tried to shift out of the way so Amelia wouldn’t use him as a shield anymore, but their sister was fast and wouldn’t let Dimitri get to her. Caleb, younger than Devin but older than Amelia, stayed in place, his arms folded over his chest as the other two moved around, though their sister used him as a shield, as well.

It wasn’t as if he were going to throw something at Amelia. He just planned to throw her onto the couch or something since she’d been annoying him. She’d always been one of the boys with them and rough-housed as well as the rest of them. She’d taken his phone earlier to try and text Thea, and since he and Thea were going through a rough patch—something the others didn’t know about—he didn’t want Amelia to text something that might upset Thea.

Not that his sister would do that on purpose, but even texting kissing and heart emojis right then wasn’t a good idea. He and Thea had texted some over the weekend, and he planned to call her that night after he got home. He’d stayed up at Devin’s place for the long weekend since everyone had off except Thea that Monday, but he wanted to try and see her either later that night or the next day at the bakery. The holidays were fast approaching, and he wanted to make sure they spent them together rather than them sitting on the odd precipice they were currently on.

“I wasn’t going to hit send,” Amelia said. “And you’re too old to pick me up without hurting your back anyway.” She went to her toes and hopped a bit to whisper over Devin’s shoulder. “You’re almostforty.”

Devin grinned, his eyes dancing. “Yeah, old man. Shortcake here might be too much for you.”

“I’m not that short,” Amelia growled. “You’re just obscenely large.”

Devinwaspretty big. While all three of the Carr brothers were over six feet tall, Devin was the widest muscle-wise, though Caleb wasn’t that far behind. Dimitri’s two younger brothers were big, built, and heavily inked—even more so than Dimitri. And all of the Denver Carrs went to Montgomery Ink, though they did because of reputation, not because Dimitri knew the Colorado Springs cousins. The latter was just a happy coincidence.