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)
According to my soon-to-be sister-in-law, I was a new toy in a sea of old discarded ones. The men of the area would be curious.
I sure hoped not.
In fact, I was crossing all my toes and fingers wishing to remain invisible.
It was easy to play the part of extroverted nice person, but tonight when I got home, I’d be drained.
That was why I’d decided to go the NP route for my career.
I could establish some great patients, open my own practice, and make a difference for them in a controlled environment. No last-minute scheduling. No showing up unannounced. Not much small talk unless I wanted it—because everyone liked a health care provider that ran on time.
“Okay, so this is how you’re supposed to do it,” Heidi said, breaking me loose from my spiraling thoughts. “And this is how I do it instead.”
I watched as she rang up random purchases, then hit a button that gave the total. She then put the amount into the card machine and whispered, “Mom charges a credit card fee. I don’t charge it on the people that look like they’re struggling. Credit card fees are absolute bullshit if you ask me. How are you going to aim our people into a cashless society, then force us to pay fees on credit cards when that’s what they want us to be using?”
I agreed with her.
“Like Mrs. Simpson,” she continued. “She’s eighty-five. She’s pretty spry for that age, too. But she’s on a very fixed income. Don’t charge her the fee. You’ll know her when you see her. She usually comes in Tuesdays at eight. Right when we open. She has a standing hair appointment every week.”
“Fixed income but getting hair appointments?” a deep voice that sent shivers down my spine drawled.
I looked at Hux over my shoulder and got an up close and personal view of his tattoos.
The one that drew my eye was an upside-down spider on the side of his throat.
“I think Dorothy does them for free,” Heidi said. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“Was going to stay in Bozeman, but my favorite niece was sick,” he answered. “Guess I’ll go get some work done early. Maybe I’ll get out at a decent hour tonight.”
Before Heidi could say goodbye, Hux was gone.
I watched him go, then felt my cheeks flush when I turned around and saw Heidi watching me.
“Whatever you do, don’t sleep with my brother. He’s the love ’em and leave ’em type.”
I nodded. “Duly noted.”
Four
Fucking hamburger, help me.
—Hux’s secret thoughts
Hux
“You’re such an ass,” Harvey said as he leaned on my clean butchering table. “You knew her name.”
I shrugged.
It was good to set the boundaries now.
I didn’t want her to like me.
First, she was a club brother’s sister.
Second, she had trouble written all over her.
That and the fact that trouble and I were best friends. I tried to stay away from my vices if I could help it.
Third, and most importantly, I broke anything that I came into contact with.
I didn’t do the dating life anymore. I didn’t do nice and sweet. I did rough, raw, and didn’t exchange names.
“What are you working on today?” he asked.
I opened up the walk-in freezer and said, “Cow.”
When I was in high school, I’d taken all the meat processing classes that were available to me. When I was done with school, I went into the Marines and didn’t look back at Sawtooth until five years ago when I’d been forced to medically retire thanks to some hearing issues.
With no Marines to keep me company and refusing to work with my mother more than very, very part-time, I decided to go the meat processing route.
Stupidly, I agreed to attach my shop to the back of The Mercantile.
Now I had my mother running over every other hour asking for “a quick spot of help.”
Most of the time I said no.
I mean, it wasn’t exactly easy to get unclothed all the way, go do whatever bullshit job she needed help with, then come back and get re-dressed.
“What’s with that face?” Harvey asked.
I slid the cow out using the chain system above my head, then got it hooked up where I wanted it before fishing out my best knife.
“Just thinking about how many interruptions I’m going to have from Mom today,” I grumbled.
Harvey sighed. “Wish I’d have thought twice about you building so close beforehand. Never thought about how much she’d take your nearness to her advantage.”
I gestured toward the door. “Will you lock that?”
He did, coming back to lean against the table again.
“What is it?” I asked, seeing that he had no plans on leaving any time soon.
“Wanted to let you know that Romina is pregnant.”
I flashed him a grin. “Out of wedlock, you dirty dog?”
Harvey flipped me off. “Fuck all the way off. Mom’s going to lose her shit.”