Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“They’re just fine,” she said. “This is my cousin Tammy. She’s staying with us.”
The bartender set out three shot glasses and filled them. “Should I run a tab?” he asked.
The guy I was flirting with put a twenty down on the bar and waved the man away. It was strange that the bartender didn’t seem to want anything to do with this guy. I wondered if there was some history there. We each took our shots and threw them back, wincing at the immediate burn.
I laughed. “Something tells me you’re not much for hard liquor.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I’m a beer man myself.”
“Well, I’d order a beer,” I said, “but the bartender seems snooty.”
“It’s just a little misunderstanding,” he said.
“Why don’t you guys go grab a table. I’ll get us some beers,” Macy offered.
We looked at each other and shrugged in unison. It seemed that we were both on the prowl and each aware of the other’s availability. We slid easily away from the bar and back to a booth in the corner. I chose the seat opposite him, my gaze locked onto his. I could barely see anyone else in the place; the depths of his blue eyes drew my attention like a magnet. There were some hard lessons learned there—he definitely hadn’t had an easy life. But there was also kindness and a gentle quality that made me think he would be just as comfortable cuddling as he would be screwing.
I wasn’t looking for anything more than a one-night stand, I told myself. Who cared if he was a teddy bear? All I needed was one frantic session in an impersonal hotel room to cast out the demons of Austin and ground me firmly in Singer’s Ridge. It would be better if I could forget him when it was done, so I lowered my gaze and focused instead on his chest.
“So, what brings you to Singer’s Ridge?” he asked.
“There’s nothing for me in Austin anymore,” I said.
“That’s where you’re from?”
I nodded.
“So, you’re here for good?”
“I hope so,” I said. “I’m gonna find a place and a job.”
“And a husband?” he teased.
I blushed. “I’m looking for something a little more the other end of the spectrum. Like a good time.”
Macy found us and placed three beer bottles on the table. She took one look at the chemistry between us and declared, “I think I see my friend Ava.” She picked up her own bottle and disappeared into the crowd.
“Macy’s your wingwoman?” the man guessed.
I didn’t deny it. “You know my name. Can I know yours?”
“Wouldn’t it make it more fun if I was just a stranger in a bar?”
“Okay,” I said, playing along. “I could go up to the bartender and ask him for your name, but something tells me he would try to talk me out of going home with you.”
“Mike,” he said. “And you’re right. He would most definitely try to talk you out of it.”
“I don’t want to make a mistake,” I cautioned myself.
He picked a bottle and took a sip. “You don’t strike me as the kind of girl who picks up guys in bars all the time.”
“How do you know?” I challenged.
“Something about you.” He shrugged. “You seem sweet.”
“Well, you seem like you’ve done this before.”
He shook his head. “Not recently.”
“What did you do to piss the bartender off?”
“In a town this small, everyone gossips.”
“Everyone gossips in the city too,” I said.
“Not the same.” He looked out the window, seeming to wish he were somewhere else.
“You’re trying to leave this town,” I guessed. “And I’m trying to escape by moving here.”
“And we meet at the bar for one night of fun,” he teased. “Like ships passing.”
“Where would you go?”
“I could try Austin,” he said. “Anywhere that everyone wasn’t in my business would be nice.”
“I think it’s quaint,” I said. “You know, the guy at the storage place was so nice, he even gave me a ride to Macy’s house.”
Macy returned to our table and slid in beside me. “How’s it going?” she asked conversationally.
“Was that your friend?” I asked.
“Oh yeah.” Macy checked her phone. “You always see someone you know in Singer’s Ridge. You work at the lumberyard, right?” She pointed at Mike.
He nodded.
“How do you like it?” Macy kept him talking, oblivious to his discomfort.
I could see it in the way his eyes changed, from blue to grey, he didn’t want to talk about himself or his place in the community. He was enchanted with me because I offered him something new, a taste of life outside this town. I wasn’t sure why he was so eager to move on, but he seemed stifled by Macy’s questions. His answer was curt and unrevealing.
“Fine. It was kind of you to take your cousin in. And to take her out to a bar to meet a man.” He flashed a wicked grin at me.