Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
He knew if Smokey heard what he just said, there would be hell to pay. For now, he grabbed his bottle of whiskey and didn’t look back.
Chapter Fourteen
Several Days Later
Harlow looked into the box, double-checked the order, added some packaging, along with the labels Hailey had asked her to apply, and got it set up for dispatch. She had several orders to get through while her boss dealt with a client.
She enjoyed watching Hailey get to work, glamming up the women. Some had been for social events, others work-related. She had even seen a woman ask for some advice and tips on how to get the best look. Hailey was amazing, so sweet and calm.
In the past few days that she’d been working for her full-time, she had learned a lot. Hailey was twenty-seven years old, her birthday was in December. She didn’t grow up in Fort Clover but moved here a couple of years ago, and had been working as a paralegal, a job she hated. Her parents had wanted her to become a lawyer, but it was a profession Hailey hated, so she worked her ass off at beauty school, and took the law as a side gig. This seemed to satisfy her parents, but they assumed she’d get bored with beauty school and leave. Instead, she got bored with the law.
All she wanted was to own her beauty shop, help create a person’s inner glow, and sell cosmetics, do hair, makeup, nails, the whole thing. But her parents held her back. They made sure the banks refused her a loan. It had taken a lot of hard work and convincing for them to realize she was not going to stop. She also had to prove she had the business head to handle it.
Much to Harlow’s surprise, Hailey had not only studied beauty and law, but she’d also introduced business into her classes as well. The woman was a machine. None of this had come easy to her either.
Harlow adored her and wanted to do everything she could to help. Before coming to work here full-time, she had already told Ava she wasn’t going to come back. Her best friend had hugged her and said she didn’t blame her for doing what she needed.
Everything had happened so fast, and she couldn’t believe it was Friday night. Finishing up one order, she gathered the details for the next order.
She didn’t mind packaging deliveries. This wasn’t baking, and it wasn’t about being surrounded in the wonderful scents of cookies, chocolates, and bars, but it was what it was.
Hailey finished working with a client, the woman paid, and then the shop was clear. There were no other appointments, but that didn’t stop drop-ins. On a Friday, there were also several girls from the local high school that liked to drop in as well.
“I do love it when Friday comes,” Hailey said.
Her smile was so infectious. Harlow didn’t know how she did it.
She clapped her hands and stepped toward her.
“We had a lot of deliveries last night. I did get started on them this morning,” Hailey said.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got them covered.” She offered Hailey a smile, which was hard to keep as she heard the unmistakable sound of bikers.
Hailey let out a gasp and rushed toward the window. Harlow stayed where she was and focused on getting the packages ready. She didn’t need to look. Her affair with Hunter didn’t stop the club from working. She and Big Dick were not talking. It was the first time ever. She and Big Dick had squabbled from time to time, but nothing like this. She hated it, but there was no way she would build that bridge with the stuff he had said to her. As far as she was concerned, this was his problem, not hers.
“I don’t know why I always find it amazing,” Hailey said.
“You like men in leather?”
“I don’t know.” Hailey wriggled her nose. “They look so…”
Harlow stayed quiet, even though in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but think about Hunter. Cool, calm, collected, sexy as fuck.
Shaking her head at her own thoughts, she saw Hailey sigh. “So confident, and so … assured.”
She giggled. “I’m sure they would love that.”
“Okay, fine, yes, I think they look sexy.”
“I think I see that blush underneath your makeup,” Harlow said, pointing a finger to her.
“You know them, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Most people in Fort Clover know them.”
“But I’ve heard people talking. The owner of the bakery is married to one of them, right?”
“Yeah, Smokey. He’s the prez, who is like the leader of the whole group.”
“Wow, that must have been … scary.”
Harlow finished packaging her box and picked up the final order. Hailey was still glued to the mirror.
“My brother is one of them as well.”
Hailey jerked back as if the glass had scolded her. “Crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize your brother was one.”