Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
As much as I didn’t want to stare at his well-defined abs, I couldn’t stop myself. He didn’t seem to mind as he didn’t tell me to leave.
“I can take you,” he said.
“You don’t have to.”
“Thing is, Dad’s gone.” I hadn’t heard him leave, but I didn’t question him. “I can’t be without a ride in case the school calls me about Zoe.”
“That’s fair. You can drop me off and I can call you when I’m ready.”
“Or I can help.”
There was no way I was going shopping with the man. I was barely managing to unglue my tongue to speak while he stood there half dressed. “Or you can pick me up when I’m ready.”
“Or maybe I might want a few things you wouldn’t know about.”
“Or you could just tell me.”
“Why are you making this difficult?” he asked.
“I could ask the same.” Then I rolled my eyes, more to myself than to him. “Fine. You can go.”
“I am the boss.”
“Are you? You still owe me that written contract and my pay for the week.” I could deposit it while I was in town.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get it to you. But I won’t always be.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Be what?”
“Your boss, unless you plan to work here the rest of your life.” A smirk appeared on his gorgeous face. “And when that day comes, you won’t have any more excuses.”
There was nothing really to say to that. I went to turn, and he said, “Hey. This came for you.”
He moved across his room with purpose, every muscle in his body tight. He picked something up from his bed before stepping into the gap the door had made. He held out an envelope with a familiar sender. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Embarrassed, I snatched it from his hand and said, “Let me know when you’re ready to go.” I headed for my room, the envelope fisted in my hand.
How had they found me? I’d had my mail from my former address forwarded to a post box in town. Even the bank account I’d opened in town used that PO box as an address. Once inside my bedroom, I threw it on the bed as tears threatened. Would I have to leave? Would they come looking for me here in person and ruin the good thing I had going?
I wiped at my eyes, mad this was happening. Why wouldn’t they leave me alone? Maybe it was time for me to go back home and put to bed this issue. Home had been calling me for weeks. Hadn’t I been sitting on the porch in my free time, missing the place but fearing what I’d find?
“I’m ready.”
I faced the door to find Mitchell dressed in a button-down and jeans. It was too bad. The shirtless view had been amazing. His gaze shifted to the bed, and I sidestepped to block his view. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
He nodded and disappeared down the hall. I listened to his steady footsteps as he descended the stairs. I scooped up the envelope and shoved it in the drawer with the other unopened messages they kept sending me. I didn’t need to read them to know what was inside. The first few had all been duplicates of each other.
I grabbed the small woven sack I used as a purse. Mom had made it for me. It was one of those carryalls that expanded when needed. I tossed in my phone and went downstairs to find Mitchell waiting for me. There was a curiosity in his eyes that hadn’t been before. Clearly, he could read and wanted to ask me more, but he was choosing not to. I wouldn’t give him the opening he wanted.
“Let’s go,” I said.
He held open the front door for me and still managed to reach the passenger door to open it for me as well.
When he got in the driver’s side, he said, “I might need your help.”
Okay. I hadn’t expected that. “How?”
“Well, there’s a girl.”
“I should have figured,” I said with some annoyance, or was that jealousy?
“No. Hear me out. There’s a girl I used to crush on back in school,” he began. “My brother’s best friend, Aiden, has a sister, Alana. I was so in love with her.”
“Did she know?”
He laughed. “I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I existed. Well, she knew me because it’s a small town. But she didn’t pay any attention to me.”
“Sorry to hear that,” I lied. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know where this was headed.
“Anyway, she works at the grocery store last I heard.”
Gossip was a thing in Mason Creek, and I thought I’d heard about an Alana. “I think she owns the store now,” I said.
“Really?” he said, with dreamy eyes.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I also think she’s with someone.”