Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“Are you a baseball fan?” Because I hadn’t known who he was when we first met.
“I would be for him.” Her giggle was catching.
“He’s okay.”
The bell over the door jangled when the man stepped inside. I turned to see him. “Maybe you can introduce me,” she was saying.
“Oh, that’s not Nate. That’s his brother, Mitchell.”
I wasn’t good at lying. The expressions on my face always told the story.
“Oh, girl. You have it bad.”
I looked away from Mitchell as he surveyed the room. “He’s my boss.”
“Right… You’ve got yourself a little problem.”
“Not for long,” I said.
She held out her hands like I should tell her more. There were just some people you got a good feeling about instantly. She was one of those people. She leaned in, rested her head on her hand. “Do tell.”
“It’s not a secret. The Bowmens don’t need a full-time nurse.”
“Oh,” she said, sounding disappointed. Then she grinned. “I guess that means he won’t be your boss for long.”
I laughed, and it felt good. “I guess not.”
“To be continued,” she said as Ashley came over to take our order.
As Shaina questioned Ashley about the menu, I shifted my gaze to the man in question. He’d joined a second man in the back corner. The man had a full beard—like a grizzly, Mom used to say. But there was something handsome about him. Shaina was right about this too. Mason Creek had hit the DNA lottery with so many attractive men in one place.
From his profile, Mitchell was grinning like a loon. So it was a friendly conversation. It wasn’t unexpected Mitchell would know people in town—he’d grown up here—but seeing him this way was different.
“Sunshine.”
A glance up let me see Ashley was waiting for my answer.
“Your order,” she said. And she and Shaina snickered.
I’d been caught staring. “Breakfast special.” It was late in the morning, but I had a taste for hash browns.
“Sure thing,” she said and flicked her gaze over at the two men. “Looks like Gunner has his friend back.” She smirked at me before walking away.
“What was that about?” Shaina asked.
“Ever since Gunner’s wife left, he’s turned into a hermit.”
She lifted her chin in his direction. “You mean the full-face beard guy?”
“That, among other things. I don’t know for sure, but I think he’s having a rough go of it.”
“Oh, so maybe having his friend back will cure him,” she said. I shrugged. “He looks like he’s handsome under all that.”
I couldn’t lie. I hadn’t seen him without it. So I shrugged.
“Too bad he’s missing his wife. I swear. A town full of attractive, unavailable men.”
A giggle burst out of me. “Don’t worry. They sprout up like weeds.”
Once our food came, we ate in companionable silence. I made the mistake of glancing in Mitchell’s direction as he looked in mine. A heat so intense burned in his eyes, I felt it all the way to my core.
NINE
Mitchell
Though I knew how to cook—Mom had taught me—it was a lot of effort for one person. I decided since Dad and Sunshine weren’t home, I’d stop by the diner for a bite to eat before going home, since I hadn’t eaten before I left.
What I hadn’t expected was to see Sunshine there. I’d lost sight of her once I’d stopped by the flower shop. The bouquet I’d gotten was still in my car. I wasn’t sure I had the courage to use it as I’d planned.
I also hadn’t planned on running into my former best friend. He was back in the corner, hiding behind a full beard. Something was up. I walked over in his direction. “Gunner, is that you under all that?”
Dull eyes met mine. “Mitchell,” he said like he couldn’t believe his eyes. I slid into the booth. “You’re back.”
“I’m back,” I said.
“For how long?”
That I didn’t know and shrugged. “So, what’s up with all of this?” I mimed the beard on his face and grinned hard to lighten the mood.
“She took him,” he said, referring to his wife and son.
I blew out a breath. “Damn, man.”
He lowered his voice. “She left me a note saying he wasn’t mine.”
I cursed under my breath. “Do you believe her?”
His wife, Bianca, wasn’t a trustworthy woman, in my opinion. From the moment I’d met her, I’d seen dollar signs in her eyes.
“Why shouldn’t I? She would know better than me.”
“There are ways to know for sure,” I offered.
We were interrupted long enough to put in a food order. Once Ashley, my former schoolmate, left, he said, “She took my money.”
“What did she leave you?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, if the bank hadn’t called.” He told me how she’d gone to the bank to withdraw money from their account, only she’d wanted more than was there. He had a separate account for money he’d earned prior to their marriage. He’d given the okay to give her the money she asked for, but that was it.