Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
It was that moment that she remembered how much his family hated hers. She held up the coffee. “I only needed some coffee.”
“I thought you also needed some makeup remover. I need to pick up some creamer, too. You know Garrett can’t drink coffee the way we do,” Keane said. “He’s still in his coffee infancy. I don’t suppose you have any French vanilla?”
Stephen’s expression was a careful blank. Or perhaps that vacant look was simply his face. She couldn’t judge. She’d been told by many people she had resting bitch face.
“I think we have some sweet cream, but fancy flavors like that you would have to go to the grocery at the edge of town,” Stephen said. “We’re more of a convenience store since they brought in that big place.” He gestured to the back of the store. “Dairy’s in the back left corner.”
Keane glanced down at his watch. “I’ll go grab the creamer and meet you at the front. We need to get back. I don’t trust Tim to make sure the delivery is right. That boy is soft.”
She nodded. “See you in a minute.”
“Personal products are on five. Not that we have many of them,” Stephen said. “I’ll check and see if we even have makeup remover. I would think a woman like you would buy your products in Dallas.”
“I buy some there.” She wished he wasn’t leading the way, but she really was out, and she couldn’t ask Gigi and Miranda when she could get her own. “But I like to support local businesses. I live here, too, you know. I grew up here.”
“Did you?” Stephen asked, not looking back. “You didn’t go to school with the rest of us. All your friends were from Dallas.”
“That’s not true. I have a lot of friends from here.”
“All imported. That’s what your daddy did. He imported people in. People he could control.”
“It wasn’t about control. It was about how the town treated us,” she replied. She wasn’t even sure why she was arguing with this man. She’d never had a problem with him, but it was clear he didn’t feel the same. She heard the doors at the front swish open and then close again. “Maybe I made a mistake. I can go out later and get what I need.”
Stephen turned, his expression softening. “Olivia, kids can be mean. So can adults. Sorry. It’s been rough lately. It’s hard to realize you’re in charge of a sinking ship because of something your father did years ago.”
She felt for the man. It wasn’t like he’d done the damage. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know the store has been a part of this town for generations.”
“And it probably ends with me.” Stephen moved toward the right corner of the store where the small aisle of personal products were kept. He stopped and looked down with a sigh. “And I can’t find decent help. I swear that girl is the laziest thing in the world. I know I have what you’re looking for. I’ll run to the back and grab it. It seems my employee didn’t restock the way she should.”
Before she could tell him it wasn’t a big deal, he disappeared behind the employee door.
Damn it. She should have stolen some from her mom, but no, she was rather excited since they were moving back into her house tomorrow. Gigi’s tenure at the lodge was finishing up, and Miranda was heading to Bliss in a few days. Gabe was going to move into one of the guest rooms in the main house, and she and her men were going to settle in. So she wanted her own things. She wanted to be a big girl, and this was what she got.
“Olivia,” a deep voice said.
She glanced up and Scott stood there, looking worse for the wear. He was in slacks and a button-down that needed to be washed and ironed. His normally perfect hair was rumpled and his eyes shot through with red.
Olivia took a step back on instinct.
If Scott noticed, she couldn’t tell. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay.”
He said something else, but snippets of the night before started coming back. Scott sitting down next to her. The music had been loud, and she’d taken a nice long drink of her margarita. She’d been sipping on it for ten minutes before Scott had shown up. It had been fun to watch her men try to contain Gigi’s drama, keeping her friend safe while also trying to ensure Gabe didn’t make a complete ass of himself. What had Scott been saying?
The music coming through the overhead speakers was about what you would expect from a small-town, run-down grocery store. Oldies. Someone seemed to have turned up the volume a bit.
One thing she was sure of, Scott had been the one to leave her there at The Barn. “No thanks to you.”