Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Nah,” Nino says, “we got this. Caleb left to go take care of some shit at the barn.”
“Okay, I’m going to head out. See you two tomorrow.”
“Unless I win the lottery,” Nino calls after me. I laugh as I walk out into the hot air.
I parked my truck at the curb, and now there’s a white paper under the wiper, folded in thirds. I unfold it, and my eyebrows pinch together as I read:
Watch your back, motherfucker.
“What the fuck is that?” Caleb asks from behind me.
“Nothing,” I hiss, putting the note in my back pocket. “Some girl I hooked up with over six months ago showed up at my house, and when I let her down, she wasn’t exactly happy.”
“Showed up at your house? You never take girls home.”
“I know. She said she saw me driving down the street and decided to follow me home.”
“You think she’s the one fucking with the jobsites?”
“Could be.” I inhale deeply. “I didn’t think of that. Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“Knew your dick would get us into trouble eventually.” He slaps my shoulder. “Just thought it would be someone getting pregnant.”
The guilt of not being able to tell him eats me up.
“I’m going home. Sierra said I’m now allowed to grace her with my presence.”
“You better hurry before she changes her mind, and you’re stuck sleeping on your couch.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Nah, she loves me.”
“For now.” I open my truck door and get in, pulling away from the house. When I get to the stop sign, I look right and then left, and spot Claire in her car, driving away.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
COLLINS
A couple of women with strollers pass me as I walk from my car down Main Street. I smile at them, and they smile back as I move out of their way. My hand goes to my stomach automatically as I pull open the door to the bakery. The assault of fresh-baked goods hits my nose. I close my eyes as if I’ve died and gone to heaven.
“Hey, Collins,” Ms. Maddie says, walking out of the back. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” I smile at her, pretending not to notice the two women at the table in the corner. They’re watching me, clutching their purses to their laps.
“What can I get for you?” Ms. Maddie asks.
“What do you suggest?” I look into the case as if it’s the first time I’ve been in here.
“We just pulled banana bread cinnamon rolls out of the oven. I was about to add the cinnamon cream cheese frosting.”
“Say less,” I reply. “I will take two.” I hold up my fingers, knowing I’m going to keep one for Theo. “Can you put them in two different boxes?”
“Will do.” She walks back into the kitchen, and I turn my head. The women in the corner quickly look away. I swallow down a lump, and my head hangs down.
“Hey, Collins.” Mrs. Lambert, her hair and makeup perfectly done, has just entered the shop, a canvas bag over her shoulder. Her daughter, McKenna, and I went to school together. We didn’t hang out with each other, just knew each other in passing, and she moved away from home as soon as she graduated. I think she even dated Hudson, a lieutenant fireman I work with, but that might just be the rumor mill spinning. “How you doing?”
“I’m okay.” I nod.
“Heard you got food poisoning the other day.” I don’t know why I’m shocked she knows this. She runs the town library, a position that she has had forever. She is also president of the senior bowling league, president of the church choir committee, and president of all things gossip.
“I did. But I’m feeling much better now.”
“I see that.” She smiles at me. “How’s life treating you?” Her eyes twinkle as if she knows the biggest secret in town. Just telling by her tone, I know she’s fishing for something.
“Um, good, I guess.”
“Saw you having dinner with that new boy in town.” She cocks her hip to the side and folds her arms over her chest. “The cute one with those blue eyes.”
I want to correct her and tell her that his eyes are much more than blue; they are gray at times, and sometimes it looks like he’s got yellow in the mix. Instead, I say, “Who?” and hope she can’t see my heart about to beat out of my chest.
“Yeah, you can’t play coy with me.” She winks. “Not sure I’d be able to keep him a secret. I’d want the whole world to know I was knocking boots with him.”
“Mrs. Lambert,” I try not to laugh, “I can assure you there are no knocking boots.”
“Now I know you’re lying. He’s a charmer, that one. Jumping from one girl to the next.” I ignore the way the words sting, even though I was one of those girls who fell for his charm. “But only because he’s looking for the right one,” she adds. “See, he finally caught a good one. Anyway, I have to go, or else I’ll be late.”