Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
He came to her door to pick her up, not looking much better than she felt. He hadn’t shaved, his eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to be moving as slowly as she was. But he still looked delectable to her, and keeping her distance was hard. But she’d gone into self-protection mode. No longer was she willing to expose her heart for people to slice and dice. Even well-meaning people who told her the way things were going to be up front. Like Sam.
They drove to town in silence, punctuated by occasional questions on his end.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
“Fine,” she lied. She’d tossed and turned in her big empty bed all alone.
“Really? Because I didn’t sleep at all. I haven’t been sleeping all week. I’d gotten used to having you in my bed, and I miss you.”
She’d stared straight ahead, not wanting to get into any kind of deep discussion, and he took the hint and was silent for the rest of the way.
He pulled up in front of the store. The lights weren’t on yet, which meant she’d beat Lulu here, and she could get started on cleaning and sanitizing before prep and baking began.
Sam turned, slinging one arm across the passenger seat. “I’m working today, but I’ll come by to check out the line coming out your door,” he said, his grin cute and sweet.
“You don’t have to do that.” She managed a forced smile. “I’ll be too busy to be able to talk.”
He studied her, his hazel eyes assessing her in a way he’d never done before. Like he was looking beneath her skin and trying to figure out a way to understand this new version of her. Well, she understood herself, and she’d tried to explain it to him last night: She didn’t want his pity and she certainly didn’t want him saying things he didn’t mean because of it.
“Like I said, I’ll be by later to check things out,” he said, ignoring her.
She clutched her bag. “Suit yourself. Thanks for the ride.” She opened the door and hopped out of the car.
She let herself into the shop, with the car engine humming behind her, as Sam waited until she was safely inside before taking off.
She brought her hands to her face and groaned. What was she going to do with him? The good news was, she had no time to worry about it.
She had a business to open.
Nicole didn’t know what to expect from the day, but based on last week’s slow build of sales, she had high hopes. Those hopes were exceeded. As Sam predicted, they had long lines during the prework hours, when people would pick up coffee from Cuppa Café and come by for food.
Her cranberry and hazelnut scones were a hit with the moms, and the kids loved the chocolate chip ones. The cinnamon and cream cheese muffins were treats everyone seemed to enjoy. And people ordered Lulu’s pies for their weekend barbecues. By the time the day ended, Nicole’s legs ached from being on her feet all day, but her emotions were running high with their success.
Then there was Sam. True to his word, he stopped by during the day. Not once or twice but three times, offering moral support and buying food. He didn’t stay to talk or hog her attention, but she felt his warm gaze on hers for the duration of his visit. His proud gaze.
And his words from last night came back to her. You want to know why I want to be there for you when you need me? Because I love you.
Could he mean it? she wondered And more importantly, could she trust him, especially after his insistence on not wanting or believing in relationships and love for himself?
* * *
Come to me when you’re free—of everything. Then we can talk. Tyler never thought the day would come. In fact, up through last night, his father had been refusing to cooperate with the police, proclaiming his innocence and thrusting all the blame on his accountant. Only when Paul Farnsworth had refused to stand by him did Robert Stanton break down and confess. He’d truly believed that his partner, Nicole’s father, would understand the need to bolster the firm during tough economic times, no matter the means.
Tyler was still coming to terms with his father’s betrayal of everything moral and right. His mother? He didn’t think she’d ever forgive her husband, and at this moment, she was meeting with her attorneys. Not to delve into the legal status of her campaign funding, but to file for divorce. That was his mother. No second chances.
Before he could go talk to Macy, he had to do some legwork on something he hoped would prove to her that from this moment on, she came first. Whatever happened between them in the long run, Tyler knew it wouldn’t be for lack of trying.