Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
I survey the area. There’s a van that I don’t recognize, and Dolly Dean is there, surrounded by guys I don’t know.
Angus is already off and running, not needing much more provocation to leap into action. Knowing something’s up, I follow along.
“I just want to go home now,” I hear from Dolly as I catch up.
“We’re going to show you such a good time,” the scum replies to her.
“Here’s a good time for you,” Angus announces as he smashes his hand into the guy’s face and he topples over with ease.
“The hell,” says the second guy, who also gets punched.
Angus takes Dolly by the hand and bolts out of there. I stand my ground as they pass me, cracking my knuckles, ready to join in on the fun if these assholes want to keep making this a situation.
Nope. They scurry into their van, bunch of bitches that they are. Just Angus was enough for them to tuck their tail and flee. I’m a bit impressed, but also a bit sad. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten into a proper scrap.
With them all run out of town, I turn back and head toward Dolly, Angus, and Annie.
Dolly is visibly shaken by the whole ordeal, and I can’t say I blame her. I place a hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to head home? I know that whole mess was a bit of a mood killer.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t want to ruin the night for you,” she says with a strained smile.
“You don’t look like you’re in any condition to stay here, Dolly,” Annie replies. “Come on, we can go home, don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll take her home.” Angus continues to surprise me. “You two can stay and keep enjoying yourselves.” He stares me down. “As long as you bring my sister home in one piece at the end of the night.”
I raise an eyebrow, then nod. The guy’s prickly as hell, but he’s just looking out for his little sister. “Of course, I’ll take care of her. You take care of Dolly.”
Annie crosses her arms. “Don’t you do anything stupid, Angus.”
“Why would he?” Dolly says, suddenly full of vigor. “I think he’s proven he’s more trustworthy than a whole lot of guys here.”
Annie smiles. “Then take care of yourself, Dolly.”
I throw my hand over Annie’s shoulder. She’s as receptive as she was to the hand holding. Together we watch as the two of them climb into Angus’s truck. I feel some kinship with Angus for the first time. He’s a man in love.
Annie and I make our way back to our picnic table after topping up our beers.
“That was something,” I say as I sit down, relieved.
“Dolly’s always been playing with fire like that. She likes the attention, but sometimes attention ain’t such a good thing.”
“It ain’t her fault, they needed to behave themselves. Some men are just scum.”
Annie nods. “Yeah. It’s why Beth didn’t want to talk to me with you here.”
“Bad relationship?”
“Yes. Some musician named Mitch. Or wannabe ‘musician’ is more like it. Had Beth convinced he was the one for her, she followed him to California. Ended up being a total asshole in every way you can imagine. She’s currently in a ‘just doesn’t trust men’ phase.”
“Hopefully it works out for her. It all sounds like shit, and if I ever see Mitch I’ll give him a punch in the face for her.”
Annie giggles. “How thoughtful of you.”
She’s a bit distracted by something, not making as much eye contact with me as she was before. “Is something wrong, Annie?”
“Why are you showering me with so much attention?” she asks.
“Huh?”
“You’re so handsome, Red. And you’re well-off too. You can have your pick of any woman you want, and yet you’re picking little ol’ me. A small-town girl from the middle of nowhere, who’s been slumming it as a waitress the past year.”
I smile. “You’re right. I do have my pick of the town. Plenty of girls have made passes at me, hoping I’d take the initiative and ask them out. But I’ve had a crush on you ever since you started working at the diner.”
“I’ve been working at the diner for a year, Red. What took you so long?”
“I wanted to wait until you graduated from high school first. Call me old-fashioned, but I think dating a high school girl would make me a bit of a creep, even if you were eighteen already.”
She snickers. “Are you old-fashioned about everything, Red? Am I going to have to wait until I say ‘I do’ for more to happen?”
“Hell no, I’m not that old-fashioned.” And to prove it, I kiss her.
It’s swift, it’s sudden, but boy is it really something. It’s quite electric and I’m loving every moment of my lips on hers, which she happily accepts and turns on the magic between us.