Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
“Mind your own god damn business!” Easy shouted at her to stop her before she got on a roll.
Before she could say anything else, if she was inclined to, the door swung open. Shooter stood in the doorway with Hope in his arms. His gentle holding of her was completely at odds with the look on his face. “You need to re-think your tone when you’re talking to my wife.” His tone was low, probably to keep from scaring the baby, but it only made him seem more menacing.
Easy immediately felt sorry that he’d snapped at her, but it wouldn’t have happened if she’d just minded her own business, if they’d all just mind their own business. Not willing to apologize nor willing to continue to argue, Easy threw down his plate and walked past Shooter. He kept on walking right through the bay toward the open garage door.
“Where are you going?” Hawk called after him.
“To lunch!”
“Slick brought lunch.”
Easy didn’t dignify that with a response. He lurched into his truck, slammed the door, and cranked the engine hard. Luckily, he didn’t flood it. It roared to life, and he stomped on the gas, kicking up more dust than his work boots ever could. At the entrance to the street, he instinctively turned left, because to the right was Maria’s and the blonde barmaid he definitely did not want to see again. He jerked the wheel and made it home in record time. He scowled as he thought of the cold pizza still sitting in his fridge. Whatever Slick had brought, it was better than greasy pepperoni. He slammed the truck door, and his face darkened even more as he spotted Tildy sitting on her front fucking porch.
“God damn it!” he muttered to himself as she waved.
“Hey!” she called out.
Easy ignored her and took the steps on his own front porch two at time.
“Hey!” she said again. “Jimmy.”
“I’m busy,” he told her.
“Why are you home?” she asked. “Did something happen?”
He grabbed the doorknob and shoved his front door open. “Yeah!” he bellowed, because she’d hear it anyway. Or maybe she’d get up and come over, and that was the last thing he wanted right now. He turned and pinned her with a withering look. “I fucked a barmaid in the bathroom at Maria’s, and I don’t need a fucking lecture about it!”
Somewhere a dog barked, and Easy had a niggling thought that there went his neighbors’ opinion of him. He stepped inside the house and slammed the door behind him. It rattled on its hinges. Whatever Tildy had thought of his outburst, she didn’t come over- thank God for that. He pulled the pizza out of the fridge and threw it onto the kitchen table. He glared at it as though through sheer force of will he could turn it into a steak, a cheeseburger, or whatever Slick had made for lunch that day. When that didn’t work, he picked up a slice and chewed it ruthlessly.
It served him right anyway.
Chapter 7
Daisy wiped down the bar and tried to ignore the fact that her phone was ringing. Maria seemed content to ignore it as well, so long as Daisy didn’t answer it when she was supposed to be working, but Milo was far too curious for his own good.
“Gonna answer that?” he asked around a mouthful of sandwich.
“Mind your own business, old man,” Daisy told him.
Instead of being offended, he grinned at her. “Could be your boyfriend,” he teased.
“Don’t have one,” she informed him.
The old man snorted. “Doing the bebop in the commode with a fella means he’s your boyfriend.”
“Doing the what?” Daisy snapped. “And anyway, no, it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean anything at all.”
“Ooooh. You’re one of those girls.”
Daisy glared at him in spite of his teasing tone. “Old man, I’m about to take that damn sandwich away.”
Milo recoiled.
“And it so happens, I’m not one of those girls. It was just a dry spell. I lost my head. I’m over it.”
Milo nodded thoughtfully. “I’m having a dry spell,” he declared. “I can relate.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “You don’t say.”
Milo bristled. “Hey, now! I’ll have you know that I do very well with the ladies.”
Daisy opened her mouth to make another sarcastic comment, but Maria interrupted her. “It’s true,” she told Daisy. “God knows why, but the man does pretty well with the widows in town.”
Milo sniffed. “Well, I did. But I lost my mojo somewheres.” He shook his head. “Got a plan to get it back, though,” he told her, and preened. “Gonna grow out my hair. Go for a rocker look.”
“Oh, good Lord,” Maria muttered and rolled her eyes.
Daisy tried hard not to laugh. “Do you play guitar?”
He frowned. “Nope,” he said and held up his hand that was missing most of a finger. “Doubt I’ll be starting now.”
Daisy sighed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Stick to being you, old man,” she advised.