Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I carry the box to the counter, grinning down at the new logo. The scalloped circle is adorable, with tiny little cupcakes on it.
“No discount?” he asks when the total pops on the screen.
“Discount?”
“The family discount?”
“Family would answer my questions,” I say, changing the price to include the twenty-percent discount he’s been getting since I opened the store.
I give it to a lot of people. Okay, I’m one of those people who want Lindell to stay as fresh and untouched by the outside world as possible, so I only charge full price to people from out of town. I know it’s horrible, and I’ll probably have to answer for it on judgment day, but until then, I’ll stay petty.
He narrows his eyes at me, the information staying locked behind his lips, so I promptly change the price back. He pays without further discussion. It’s not like the man can get such deliciousness anywhere else in town. We don’t exactly run a monopoly, but business owners around here work under the unspoken rule that we aren’t competition to the other. The closest thing Walker would be able to get to one of my cupcakes would be a prepackaged snack cake down at the corner grocery store, and he knows it.
“You’re mean, little Tate,” he says before grabbing his box of treats and leaving my bakery.
I busy myself cleaning and wiping things down in the dining room.
The bell above the door chimes, and a second later, “Was that awkward?”
I smile at Madison as she walks inside, a conversation on her tongue rather than wasting time with a hello.
“Was what awkward?” I ask as I wipe down a menu announcing the new flavors I plan to have next month.
“I was in the car on the phone and I saw Sage walk out and then Walker.”
“They didn’t even speak to each other.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Madison says, taking her regular seat at the long counter.
“Care to fill me in?” I ask, mildly annoyed Walker didn’t share any news about my brothers’ new love interest.
“You don’t remember?”
I take a deep breath. Why do I feel like I’m on the outside of every conversation today?
“I don’t,” I tell her, grabbing an orange creamsicle cupcake from the display case and placing it on a plate for her before taking up my regular spot on the opposite side of the counter from her.
“Thank you. They dated in high school.”
“What is it about people getting trapped in high school? People grow up, you know that, right? The people we liked then aren’t necessarily the people we like now.”
She tilts her head to the side. “Bad day?”
I give her the best smile I can manage. “Didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Dinner with your parents?” I nod. “Cash come over to watch some show you pretended to be fearful of so you could sniff his shirt all night and not seem creepy?”
“I don’t pretend. The Walking Dead is scary.”
I chew the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning.
“You got into trouble for having Carrie as one of the pick-of-the-month for the book club.”
“It’s a great book. One of the best coming of age stories—”
“We were twelve,” she deadpans.
I blink in her direction. “Exactly. We were right around a relatable age. Puberty can be a struggle for many people.”
“You gave Margaret Hinkle nightmares.”
“I didn’t give her anything. Some people don’t handle truths—”
“The point is scary shows don’t scare you. You want to snuggle up to Cash on the couch—”
I hold my hand up. “I’m not talking about this.”
“If you just threw him down on the floor and swallowed his cock—”
“Madison Kelly!”
Her outrageous laughter tells me she got the exact reaction she was looking for.
Her glee makes me smile. I think she’s the only one I can discuss sex with on any level and not turn into a tomato.
“Did he smell good?” she asks.
“Amazing, as always,” I answer truthfully.
“He totally knows you’re not scared,” she says, and my cheeks heat from the implication.
“He doesn’t.”
She nods. “He does. Don’t you remember him advocating with you when there was talk about shutting the entire book club down?”
I shake my head, not because I don’t remember, but because how could I ever forget. Cash was already in high school when I got into trouble with the middle school teachers because Margaret couldn’t handle horror stories. He managed to get a ton of people to sign a petition to keep our book club active.
He’s always been my champion and standing up for what he believes in has never been a struggle. It’s also one of the reasons I’m certain the man doesn’t see me the way everyone seems to think he does. He’s not the type to stand in the shadows. He goes after what he wants, and I have years of experience of him not saying a word about it to me.