Free Graphically Novel (Love Hashtagged #3) by Allyson Lindt Page A

sure?” He caressed the back of her knuckles with his thumb.
    “I’m fine.” Her reply was raspy.
    He pointed her back to the stool, grabbed a bottle of soda from the refrigerated case behind the counter, and twisted off the top before handing it to her. “Thanks for rescuing Nao.”
    “I didn’t do it for her; I did it for you.”
    An impulse snaked through him, and he pushed aside the desire to dip his head and brush his lips over hers. Instead, he took a step back and leaned against the counter. “Then, double thank you.”
     
    *
     
    Tori shook the glass bottle, and the marble inside rattled around the bottom. The melon ramune Archer had pulled for her vanished half an hour ago, but watching the trinket inside kept her from thinking about the scene with the would-be shoplifters. Every time portions of the confrontation flitted through her thoughts, her gut churned.
    Archer kept up more than his share of the conversation, occasionally asking if she was okay.
    The door chimed, and out of instinct, Tori swiveled her head toward the noise. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Archer do the same. It was Gwen, but not the woman who ran the diner down the street or dressed casually when Tori saw her with Brad. In her high heels, she was almost as tall as Archer. And they were nice heels. The matte black matched her slacks, and her white blouse hung like silk and didn’t have a single wrinkle in it.
    Looking past her, Tori saw a high-end SUV parked next to the curb outside, and the boys from earlier sat in the back seat, flipping Tori off from the rolled-down window.
    “I always wondered what it looked like in here.” Gwen swept her gaze around the room, lingering on a few spots, before giving Tori a quick smile and turning back to Archer. “I hear you met my charming nephews.” She gestured at her clothes. “ I dressed nice for lunch with my brother, but his kids are wearing jeans that sag past their asses.”
    Tori might have been confused by the almost cool demeanor but it was one of Brad’s tricks. Give nothing away until the situation had been assessed. The question was, why did Gwen need to do that here? Why wasn’t she profusely apologizing instead?
    Archer stood up straight, hands at his sides, gaze never leaving Gwen’s. “That’s one way to describe them.”
    Tori wasn’t sure she wanted to see whatever this was. Deep down, she wanted to hide in the back room until the conversation was over, but she sat frozen to the chair, afraid moving would draw unwanted attention.
    “The older one—Robby—tells me you threatened him with physical violence”—Gwen’s lips drew into a thin line—“and told him he was a worthless little punk and you were going to nail his ass to the wall.”
    Tori coughed, and Gwen glanced in her direction before turning back to Archer.
    “I’m sorry, that’s not the case. The boys were shoplifting. Tori stopped them. I threatened to call the cops on them, but no one touched anyone,” he said.
    “Are you calling my nephew a liar?”
    Tori’s confusion levels peaked. What the hell was going on? This woman, with those asshole kids as nephews, was about to marry her brother.
    Archer’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and his back went stiff. “You asked what happened, and I told you.”
    “Because you’re making a serious accusation. Those darling angels”—her voice wavered then evened again—“have never been caught doing anything like what you say, and there are serious legal repercussions involved in making a claim like yours.”
    Tori couldn’t do this. She knew Archer was going to stay as neutral as possible, and she knew his reasons, but this was different. She wasn’t going to let some snotty, stuck-up kid tattle after being an unforgivable ass and get away with it. She leaned over to the computer tied to the register, hit the right keys to exit the point-of-sale software, and then pulled up the directory with the security backups in it. She licked