Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 70488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Vera’s face screwed up like she wanted to protest, but chose to hold her tongue.
I looked at Heidi who looked ready to do battle, and realized why the older woman had stopped.
I wouldn’t play with Heidi right then, either.
“And you?”
I looked over to find another man who looked eerily similar to Harvey sitting at the bar where customers could eat their deli sandwiches quickly and go.
I hadn’t realized that he was there until right then.
He could be Harvey, but adding a couple of years.
“Can’t stay long today,” he said. “Just thought I’d run by and introduce myself. One of the kids is sick,” the man replied to his mother.
“Hampton…”
“Mother,” the man named Hampton drawled. “I’m not sure why you’re so upset here. We all have jobs. And I have sick kids and a wife at home. I’m sorry that you want me here, all day every day, but that’s just not how life works.”
This sounded like an old argument.
One that I didn’t want to be a part of.
I held out my hand for the handsome Hampton and said quietly, “Nice to meet you. I’m Bernice.”
Hampton’s lips twitched.
He knew that I was trying to de-escalate the situation.
I didn’t do well with fighting.
In fact, it made me want to break out in hives.
Even worse, raised voices made me cringe.
I could tell that this conversation was well on its way to yelling.
The door behind us slammed, and we all turned to see a large, tattooed man walking from the back room toward us.
He looked similar to the other brothers, but this man didn’t have flawless tan skin like his brothers.
His skin was nicely tanned, sure. But he had so many tattoos that the tan nearly became irrelevant.
His arms. His wrists. His hands. Heck, I could even see tattoos peeking up from his shirt collar.
Just how many tattoos did this man have?
“Ahh, it’s about time,” Hampton drawled.
The tattooed brother slammed a bottle down in front of Hampton and said, “You’re welcome.”
“What is it?” Heidi asked.
“Costco-sized cough syrup,” Hampton said, fishing the big orange bottle out of the bag.
“Costco doesn’t have bags,” Heidi said.
“Why are you going to Costco?” Vera sounded confused. “I have cough syrup on aisle five.”
“You have cough syrup that costs an arm and a leg,” the tattooed hottie grumbled. “I got that for half the price and four times as much product.”
Vera’s eyes were dangerous as she said, “Are you telling me I’m overpriced?”
“If the shoe fits.” The tattooed man turned to survey me, but didn’t say a word.
I’m sure that he took in the heavy sweater and thick leggings and instantly made his decision about me.
Most people did.
But I also did a little looking of my own.
Tall with tattoos as far as the eye could see. Worn-out jeans that looked like they were soft as butter. A white long-sleeved tee that was pushed up to his elbows. A plain black ball cap covered what looked to be black hair.
No beard, though.
What he had was arguably better.
Dimples.
My god.
Did the dimples really do it for me.
His eyes were the most ordinary thing about him. A simple light brown, but still very beautiful.
“Who’s this?” he asked.
I’d seen him before, of course.
I’d even met him before, too.
Which had me slinking into myself slightly.
“I’m Bernice. Creed’s sister.” I held out my hand to him.
He shook it, barely holding on to it for a second before dropping it. “Oh, yeah.”
Oh, yeah.
Like I wasn’t important enough to be remembered.
Great.
Just what I wanted to be known as.
“Why you gotta look so mean all the time, brother?” Harvey teased.
“Why are you even looking at me?” Hux asked.
My lips twitched at the exchange.
I’d always had a weird relationship with Creed. More of a father-daughter relationship rather than siblings. Creed and I never fought. At least, not until recently when he hadn’t wanted me to move here to be closer to him.
That was probably our very first blow-up fight that had really been memorable.
“I am at my clit’s end with you,” Heidi muttered.
I choked on my saliva.
The three siblings looked at me.
But it was Vera’s assessing gaze that had me stiffening. “Is there anything else y’all can show me?”
Heidi grabbed my hand. “Last stop, the front register.”
I was relieved to get away from the three Hosea siblings, as well as the woman who birthed them.
They were all very intimidating, and I didn’t do well under pressure.
I wasn’t an introvert, necessarily. I mean, put me around people I know, and I was fully capable of being the life of the party. But when I didn’t know them? I was like a clam refusing to open up.
It took an act of God to get me to talk, and this job was totally against my every instinct. Which was to sit down, be quiet, and not be noticed.
Even worse, when the store opened in twenty minutes, I would be thrust right out into the world with everyone in Bear Pass, Sawtooth, and Jawbone setting out to meet me.