Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
“This is Abbi,” she answers.
“Hi, Abbi, my name is Juliet. I own Sage & Citrus here in town.”
“Oh, I love your restaurant,” she says, and has a smile in her voice. “We eat there at least twice a month. How can I help you?”
“I’m so happy to hear that you like it, thank you. Hey, my car has broken down, so I can’t get to the laundromat for both my personal and professional laundry. I was hoping—”
“Say no more. I’m happy to help. If you bag everything up for me, I’ll have one of my employees pick it up from you this morning. I can give you a two-day turnaround, if that’s okay?”
Holy shit, it feels like a weight has just been lifted, and I sigh in relief. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this, Abbi.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure. It sucks when you feel stranded, even in a small town.”
“And just to clarify, you’re okay with washing my personal clothes?”
“Honey, that’s no problem. Happy to do it. I’ll even do it myself. Don’t even worry about it.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You got it. Happy to help.”
I end the call, and with a smile, I get dressed, put on my makeup, tie my hair up in a bun, then gather up my clothes to take downstairs.
Today is looking up.
We’re past the lunch rush, and we’re sitting in that quiet lull before dinner, when we have a couple of people in the restaurant, but it’s slow enough that we can get some cleanup and restocks done before the next wave of hungry customers.
Christy just went home for the day, and now I have Tandy and Hazel with me. The girls are chatting about the concerts they want to attend this year, and I’m trying to decide how many eggs I need to order from Beckett. The bell over the door chimes, and when I glance up, I freeze.
Because for the first time ever, Brooks Blackwell is walking into my restaurant.
He glances around and then pins me with that intense hazel gaze as he strides toward me. Seeing him is always a punch to the gut. He’s so tall, so broad and muscular. And maybe the worst part is, I know what he can do with that body.
Or what he used to be able to do.
I’m sure it’s only gotten better.
Don’t think about that.
“Hey,” he says as he reaches the counter.
“Hello. Are you hungry?”
His eyes rake down my body. Then he takes a deep breath and shakes his head.
Okay, that might have hurt my ego just a bit.
“I was across the street and thought I’d pop by to give you an update on your car.”
“Great. Is it dead?”
Brooks’s lips tip up in the slightest grin, but then his eyebrows pull together in a frown.
“No, but it’s going to take me a while to figure it all out and clean it up. He made a goddamn mess of it.”
“Yeah.” With a sigh, I cross my arms over my chest and lean my hip against the counter. “Brooks, it doesn’t have to be a priority. I’m fine. I walk almost everywhere anyway, and I found Abbi Wild to help me out with laundry.”
He scowls at that. “Just come to my place to do your laundry.”
“I don’t need to. Abbi’s got it. I mostly eat down here, so I don’t need groceries. As pathetic as it sounds, I really don’t have anywhere to go. So the car isn’t a rush job.”
His jaw muscles tic, and he looks pissed.
“Would you rather I told you I need it by tomorrow?”
“I’d rather you weren’t so stubborn and would just do your goddamn laundry at my place.”
“I don’t need to.” I sound like a jerk. I’m snapping at him, and he’s doing me a favor, but dammit, he’s so grouchy with me, makes it no secret that he doesn’t want me around, and now he wants to have me at his house?
No. Because it would be too easy to take him up on that. I don’t need him to save me and then rub my nose in it later.
“Fine.” He shakes his head, and without another word, he turns and walks away, storming out the door. I let out the breath I wasn’t even aware I was holding.
“Wow,” Tandy says, fanning herself. “All of the Blackwell men are sexy, but Brooks is next level.”
“And he looks at you like he wants to fuck you on this counter,” Hazel adds, and I choke on my own spit.
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yeah, he does,” Tandy joins in. “Or on the floor, or against the wall …”
“Stop.” I laugh and shoo them back to work. “Trust me, he does not want to do any of that.”
“She’s blind,” Tandy says to Hazel. I simply shake my head and get back to work, figuring out how many eggs I need before calling Beckett to place an order.