Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
I nod my head. “I want the… oh shoot, my friend said it’s world famous.”
She cuts me off. “The apple cinnamon Blaze cake? Yeah, it’s pretty famous in these parts.”
I nod. “Yeah, sounds good.”
She starts to walk away, and I stop her. “Hey, by any chance are you all hiring?”
She tilts her head to look at me. I’m sure she’s already noticed my red, puffy eyes so I don’t look away. She finally shrugs. “Let me get Violet.”
She walks away, and I sit staring out the window, feeling heartsick. There’s a part of me that hopes Kanan comes to his senses, but his letter gives me a good indication that’s not going to happen. No matter what, he loves me… what does that even mean?
“Here you go. A slice of our famous apple cinnamon Blaze cake.”
A beautiful red-haired woman sets a plate down in front of me with a steaming cup of coffee too. She gestures to the seat across from me. “Mind if I sit?”
My eyes widen, but I nod. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m no longer in the big city. Whiskey Run is full of friendly people, and probably here, it’s not weird at all to sit down with strangers.
She holds her hand out. “I’m Violet, by the way. I’m the owner of Red’s Diner.”
I shake her hand. “Oh… it’s nice to meet you. I was asking your server if you had any openings or not.”
She points to the cake. “Go ahead, eat.”
I can’t help but laugh, and Violet smiles with me. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh nothing… I just spent half my life with my mom telling me not to eat so much and since I got here to Whiskey Run, people keep telling me to eat.”
A spark of something registers on her face. “Well, tell me. Have you ever waited tables before?”
I shake my head. I’m not going to lie to get the job. “No, but I’m a fast learner.”
She lays her arms on the table. “You from around here?”
I shake my head no, and when she looks at me to continue, I start to ramble. “No, uh, I’m from Texas. I’ve been living at the cabins at the new rehab center.”
She sits up a little straighter. “Oh, are you a veteran?”
I shake my head. “No, uh, my dad was. He served with a bunch of the guys. I’ve been staying with Kanan.”
She nods. “Oh, Kanan? Great guy.”
I grimace, and she holds her hands up. “Oh honey, not like that. I’m married. My husband and Kanan met a few months ago and hit it off.”
The scowl doesn’t leave my face, though, and she reads into it. “Uh oh, what did he do?”
I shrug. “Nothing, it’s fine. I just need to find a place to work…” I cringe, hating the idea of moving out but wondering if tonight after we have “our talk” I won’t have another option. “And possibly live.”
She frowns and leans forward. “He’s kicking you out?”
I bite my lip, doing my best not to cry. “No… I mean, no matter what, he wouldn’t just kick me out on the street or anything, but he’s pushing me away… at least I think he is.”
She reaches over and pats my hand. “Eat your cake.”
I take a bite even though I've completely lost my appetite. “It’s really good. No wonder everyone has told me I need to try it.”
Violet watches me eat it and then pats the table in front of me. “Look, don’t worry. You need a job, you have one here. You need a place to live, we’ll get you set up in the apartment upstairs. No worries.”
I set down my fork. “Just like that? You don’t even know me.”
She just smiles. “This may be the first time we’ve met, but Emerson, I’ve heard all about you. Trust me, word spread like wildfire as soon as you got into town.”
I take another bite of my cake. “Thanks for the cake.”
She scoots across the booth. “I’ll be right back, okay? I just need to check a few things in the kitchen.”
“Okay, and thanks, Violet.”
She nods. “Sure thing, honey.”
When she walks away, I’m left with only my thoughts and a half-eaten piece of the best cake I’ve ever eaten. I should be thinking about what I need to do, but instead, I’m thinking of Kanan and wondering if he’ll ever come to his senses.
CHAPTER 23
KANAN
The rain has picked up, and it’s a steady downpour. I’m not sad about it, though, because it means I can go home and check on Emerson. There’s no way she’s still sleeping.
I get halfway to the house when my phone rings and it’s an unknown caller.
“Hello.”
“You missing something?”
I pull the phone away and look at it and then put it to my ear again. “Excuse me. Who is this?”
Instead of answering my question, the woman says, “I’m sorry, I mean are you missing someone?”