Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“I’ll talk to Apollo,” I said. “I’ll see what we can do.”
“I know I already said it, but I missed the hell out of you, Bubba.”
I groaned at the old nickname. “Damn, that one hasn’t been used since I was fifteen and begged you to stop.”
“I know.” She pulled away to stare up into my face. “But I figure if I can’t call you what I want to call you, I’ll call you the second best.”
The door to the house opened behind us, and I turned to find Hux yawning loudly. “Your girl’s up and acting like she’s about to cook us all breakfast. I told her not to worry about it, but she’s insistent.”
I squeezed Bernice hard enough to cause a wheeze to squeak out of her, as well as expel every bit of air she had.
When I let her go, she inhaled swiftly, then punched me in the gut not all that softly before saying, “Go make us some breakfast, big brother.”
I did just that, but only after I collected the kiss from the woman who’d stolen my heart.
Twenty-Nine
If I ever get rabies, you’re high on my biting list.
—Birdee to Creed
Birdee
One month later
My dad was in prison. Grace was in prison. Cody was dead. My mom was dead.
And Mable and Bernice were now so far entrenched with Charleigh and I that it was like she’d always been there. Even Shade was hanging out with us, and he and Mable hadn’t fought once.
It was…weird.
A good weird, but weird all the same.
“No, but seriously. Why don’t you just start your own business?” Shade asked. “You could literally be feeding everyone. You could start a meal prep business. Cook everyone food to take to lunch every day. I’d buy. I suck at cooking. Like really suck. If I had somewhere where I could buy food for myself that wasn’t fast food or takeout, I’d feel a lot better about myself.”
Mable’s eyes were contemplative. “Cody always said that, too. I don’t know. I just feel like maybe if I started cooking for work, it’d be just that. Now, it’s fun.”
“You’re technically already cooking for work,” Bernice pointed out. “You cook for everyone at your job. You’ve been doing it for years, from what I understand. Why not just quit the job and do what you want for a bit? See how it goes?”
Before Mable could answer, the black truck with ‘MONTANA GAME WARDEN’ pulled up to the curb outside of Reyelle’s coffee shop where we’d been sitting in for the last hour.
“Here comes trouble,” Charleigh mused.
I kicked her under the table. “Why do you keep saying that? You’re more trouble than I am. How’s your job going?”
“You know the answer to that. You just want me to explain in front of our friends,” Charleigh pouted.
I grinned at her. “Tell them.”
Charleigh sighed.
“What is it?” Shade asked as he took a hefty swallow of his black coffee.
When Charleigh didn’t say anything, I said it for her. “Our boss has the hots for her. He’s made it more than apparent that he wants to date her. She’s said no…so far.”
“Whoa,” Shade said. “Do you like your job?”
“Not particularly,” Charleigh admitted. “I love working with Birdee, but I’ve decided I’m not into administrative tasks. I’d rather be working in a garage.”
“You work in garages?” Mable asked. “Since when?”
“Since forever.” She shrugged. “My dad was a diesel mechanic. He taught me all kinds of stuff, strictly relating to diesels. Then when I was in the Marines, I was a mechanic there, too. Though on aircraft. I kind of started to go that way when I got out, but my mom highly encouraged me to give being a girl a try, and here I am. Miserable.”
“If you don’t like the job, and you like your boss, I say go for it.” Shade shrugged.
“I agree,” Mable said.
I didn’t.
But I wouldn’t be telling her that. It was Charleigh’s life. If she wanted to date our boss, that was her business. However, I saw how she lit up when Courtland was around.
Courtland lit up, too, which was saying something because he was a really hard person to get to give you any emotion at all.
“Whoa,” Bernice said. “Who is that?”
I looked over to see Koen talking to Creed outside the coffee shop.
“That’s Koen,” I said as I finished off the last of my pastry and called out, “Rey, do you have my treat for Creed?”
“Right there at the edge of the counter, darlin’,” Reyelle called out.
I grabbed it, then my coat, and said, “Thanks, Rey!”
“You’re welcome, Doll!” Reyelle said as she smiled at me from behind the counter. “Love ya.”
“Love you, too,” I said as I caught the eye of all my friends. “I’m heading out. Bernice, are you coming over for dinner tonight?”
“Nope,” she said. “Dinner is in my crockpot.”
“Gross,” I said. “Bye, y’all!”