Twin Roses by Sarah Cross

Author:Sarah Cross [Cross, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60684-665-0
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Published: 2014-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

There wasn’t enough coffee in the café to perk Ruby up that morning. The night before, she’d pretended to be asleep when Pearl called her name, and eventually her sister had sighed like she’d reached the end of a particularly good romance novel, and that sigh had kept Ruby awake another two hours, at least.

Around eleven, the college students, tourists, and lonely regulars started filling the tables. Ruby played low-key music for the sake of the summer school kids studying and locals reading the paper. One table was occupied by a couple who came in a lot: Jewel, a girl with a Diamonds and Toads curse, and a blonde Goldilocks named Luxe. Jewel paused periodically to cover her mouth with a handkerchief—to catch the gems and flowers that slipped out when she spoke. Luxe was one of those people who thought the customer is always right was an essential truth instead of a mildly helpful suggestion. Earlier, she’d complained that the frosting on the cupcake she’d ordered was too gritty, and while Ruby was plating a new one for her, she’d made a face at the My cupcakes bring all the bears to the yard poster and asked, “Why would you want bears in your yard?”

“It’s a joke. A reference to a song. Swap out ‘cupcakes’ for ‘milkshake’ and ‘bears’ for ‘boys.’ ”

“That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.” Then Luxe said something about the replacement cupcake not having enough sprinkles on it, and Ruby handed her a whole shaker so as not to hear the inevitable Now there are too many sprinkles! she was sure would follow if she attempted to remedy the situation herself. Then Ruby watched as, back at her table, Luxe dropped the shaker into her purse.

Jewel eyed her girlfriend critically. “Seriously, Luxe?”

“She gave it to me!”

A few minutes later, the shaker was back on the counter.

Since then, the café had been mostly quiet—a steady flow of customers, but nothing hectic. Jewel was writing in a notebook, her free hand linked with her girlfriend’s, and Luxe was eating her cupcake, which, with the addition of about four hundred sprinkles, Ruby assumed was now just right.

The chime over the door sounded, and Ruby’s welcome smile switched on. A young guy had come halfway in but was still holding the door, facing the street and looking out. The silhouette of a crown was shaved into the back of his dark hair, just above the nape of his neck. It was something Royal guys did when they wanted to broadcast their status. Ruby had always found the trend obnoxious. It was one thing if you wanted people to know about your curse, but if you needed them to know your family tree had noble blood coursing through its branches, you were probably a jackass. The guy was wearing a red T-shirt, shorts, and red sneakers—casual, but everything looked expensive.

When he finally turned, and she saw his face …

He looked like Theo. If Theo had grown up surrounded by guys who shaved crowns into the backs of their heads.

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