Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Are you kidding? Jade and I live for this stuff. You just let me know if you can’t take care of the bread and baklava. Or if you need some extra hands, I can send some people.”
My family always offers to help.
I never let them.
I can handle Thanksgiving and a Steel party. I’ve done it before—although I usually have to hire extra help as well. But the profits more than cover it.
“Okay, great.” I rise. “If you need anything else from me, just let me know. If I can’t get the supplies, I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” Aunt Marj smiles. “I just have to tell you, you look absolutely radiant tonight, Ava.”
Radiant? Not usually a word that describes me.
“Well…thank you.”
“Have you done something different?”
“Not really. I did get my hair touched up.” I finger a pink wave hanging at my shoulder.
“That must be it. It’s really pretty. Has a little more depth.”
“I asked Willow to mix the color the way Raine did, but maybe she added something extra.”
“Raine was a wonderful hairstylist,” Aunt Marj says, “but I just went to Willow myself for the first time last week, and I have to say, she’s more of an artist than Raine. Plus she gives these amazing scalp massages every time she does a shampoo.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I really like that too. I wonder why Raine never did that?”
“I don’t know. Probably because Raine did a little bit of everything. She did hair, nails, facials. She never had time to give a little extra.”
“I know,” I say. “Willow told me she doesn’t do facials and nails. Not that I ever had a facial, but I like a good manicure every now and then.”
“I think Willow is looking for someone to come in part time to do nails and facials.”
“That’ll be kind of hard to find in Snow Creek. We were lucky that Raine did everything.”
“I guess we’ll just have to do our own facials,” Marj says. “I read about this amazing honey and oatmeal facial you can give yourself. We should try it.”
“Right now?”
She laughs. “Not right now, silly. But you and I are the cooks in the family. Let’s give it a shot sometime.”
“Sounds good.”
I really do love Aunt Marj. She and I have a lot in common.
“I should get going,” I say.
“Okay. I’ll see you out.”
I gesture with my hand. “No, don’t get up. I know you’re ready to immerse yourself in all things Greek.”
She laughs. “You know me too well, Ava. Thanks for coming over.”
“No problem.”
I walk outside and raise my eyebrows at Brock.
“Hey,” I say, “what are you still doing here? Don’t you have a gorgeous fiancée to get home to?”
“She and Jesse and the band are working tonight. She has a concert to plan for mid-December, and they have to be ready for this tour in January.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to see much of her now?”
“She’s moving into the guesthouse with me, so I’ll at least be able to see her every night.”
“That’s great.”
“But I’m alone tonight, and…”
“Brock…do you need someone to talk to?”
Brock’s shoulders are visibly tense. “What I need, Ava, is a drink. Feel like going into town?”
My family likes to drink, but they know when to stop, thank goodness. I’ve never had much of a taste for the stuff, but Brock and I have been buddies since we were in diapers, and I get the sense he needs someone to listen tonight.
“You know what? A drink sounds great. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWO
BRENDAN
Finally.
Finally the investigation of my trashed living quarters above the bar is done, so I can move back in.
Except not yet. I have to get it fixed, and I was fortunate to get a massive insurance check to make that happen.
I’m so sick of bunking at my parents’ house. I’m thirty-five years old, for God’s sake.
At least I have work. A man has to make a living, of course. Except now, instead of walking up the stairs to go home at night, I walk a few blocks to my parents’ place in a residential part of town.
I have to tiptoe through the house so I don’t wake them, because it’s very late after tending bar. I go into my old room, which looks exactly the same as it did when I was in high school over fifteen years ago, right down to the old movie posters on my walls and my hockey trophy from eighth grade.
I love my folks.
But I’m so ready to get back to my own place.
I wipe down the bar and make my way around the tables, checking if anyone needs a refill. Laney’s here tonight, but that’s it. Just her and me. It’s a weeknight, so things aren’t as rowdy as usual.
For a small town, Snow Creek has a fair amount of action on the weekends. The pool tables in the back of the bar are always crowded, and we usually have a full house.