Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 155775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
“Are you okay?” Addie asked.
Bonnie waved her hands. “Me? Of course. Titus is overreacting. I would be an excellent detective. I’d have everything solved quickly.”
Cash wasn’t sure that he agreed, and he knew that Titus and Dante definitely wouldn’t.
“You need to keep yourself safe, Bonnie. No going out and playing detective.” Cash gave her a firm look.
She huffed. “I have the cutest detective outfit,” she told Addie. “I could totally figure out who is creating all of these problems. Just like that.” Bonnie snapped her fingers.
Or, at least, she tried to. Her fingers made no noise as she pressed them together and attempted to flick them.
Bonnie sighed. “Oh, I forgot that I never mastered how to snap my fingers. Huckleberries and blackberries.”
“What?” Addie asked.
“I’m trying out new ways of swearing without swearing, like saying ‘shoot’ instead of ‘shit.’ When I was growing up, I heard so much of it. Every second word was ‘fuck’ or ‘shit’ or ‘damn’ or whatever. I swear I came out of the womb swearing, sometimes I almost think my first word was a swear word. Anyway, Dante never liked me swearing, so I tried to clean up my act. But since I’ve been here, I’ve been starting to get into bad habits, let’s just say. So I’m testing other interesting words that I think might work instead of swearing.”
“And you’re thinking about going down the berry avenue?” Cash asked, feeling amused.
“That’s definitely where I’m going this week. Next week, I might try breads.”
“Breads?” Addie asked.
“Yep, like sourdough. Wouldn’t it be really satisfying when you hit your toe or something and you go, ‘Sourdough’? Ooh, I like that. I think sourdough could work.”
“I really think it could,” Addie told her with a smile.
Bonnie sighed and leaned her forearms on the desk. “I really like you, Addie. You’ve got Bonnie energy.”
“Bonnie energy?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s a good thing. Trust me.”
Bonnie rang up the purchases using his staff discount, which was apparently fifty percent. He’d had no idea, since he’d never actually bought anything from LittleLand before. He should probably check with Ralen, because he wasn’t sure that LittleLand was even turning a profit.
It didn’t really matter if it was or it wasn’t. Dante would bankroll her, but he knew that Bonnie wouldn’t want to be bankrolled by her stepbrother forever.
“See you later, Addie. I hope to see you again.” Bonnie walked around to hug her. “If you’re ever back in Billings, you come visit me, yeah? Here’s my business card. Just send a message to that email address, all right?”
Addie took hold of the pale blue-and-pink-colored business card and nodded. “Thanks, Bonnie.”
Cash gave Bonnie a hug. “You behave yourself, understand?”
Bonnie stepped back with a gasp of horror, her hand on her chest. “How dare you say something so abhorrent!”
Addie let out a small giggle, and Bonnie winked at her.
Cash just rolled his eyes and grasped hold of Addie’s hand. On his way back through, he found Ralen sitting at Bonnie’s kitchen island, drinking another smoothie.
“You’re addicted to those things,” Cash told him.
Ralen just grinned. “They’re good for you. They give you stamina.”
“Stamina?” Addie asked. “Are you going to be in a race?”
“Hopefully, Trouble, hopefully.”
Addie gave Cash a confused look, but Cash just shook his head. She didn’t need to know what Ralen actually meant when he was talking about stamina.
They headed out to Cash’s truck and got in, heading back to Callahan Security.
As he drove, he thought about the fact that he’d had to drop everything at Dante’s call. And that finding Ortega might take precedence over looking after Addie.
Not that it really mattered since she was leaving soon.
It was just frustrating as fuck that he couldn’t put all of his time and attention into her.
Cash was grateful to Dante. He’d saved his life. But sometimes he wondered if it had been worth the price he’d paid.
23
Addie sat next to Monroe in the staff room. Her sister had somehow acquired a new phone, and she was going through it, setting everything up.
“God, I hate technology,” she muttered. “Ooh, all my photos have appeared and my contacts. Oh my God, I don’t have to put everything in? I love technology. Technology is the best. Whoever invented technology should win a prize.”
Addie had to grin, despite the fact that she was feeling quite sad. Dotty had purchased them plane tickets back to Las Vegas tonight.
And she found herself reluctant to leave.
Dotty was currently in a meeting with Ink and a police detective. Butch was sitting in the corner of the room, working on a laptop. He’d barely looked up when she’d arrived with Cash. And hadn’t said a word since. Which was good, since he kind of scared her and she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to reply.
The door to the staff room opened and Cash walked in. Oh good, he’d disappeared before and she’d been worried that she wouldn’t see him again before they had to leave for the airport.