Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
She hated this particular church crowd. There were several churches in Willow Fork. This one tipped the least and complained the most.
Heather was talking about her mom, but Nicole got distracted by the young woman staring at her from the churchyard like she was some bug she wanted to step on.
What was her name? She’d come into the café several times and was always giving off mean-girl vibes. Usually she ignored Nicole because she didn’t seem to see “staff” as worthy of attention until someone screwed up her order.
She wore her Sunday best—a dress that showed off her blonde hair and fit body, and heels that looked like they would be hard to walk in. Alyssa. That was her name.
Alyssa proved she was used to those heels as she strode across the lawn, making a beeline for…damn it. Nicole. That woman was coming her way, and it looked like there was a hell of a bee in her bonnet.
“Hey, waitress,” she called out.
“Do you know her?” Heather asked.
“Not really.” What was happening? Everyone seemed to be staring at her, talking behind their hands, whispering to one another.
“You whore,” Alyssa said, her pretty face flushed with anger. She pointed a perfectly manicured finger Nicole’s way.
“Try again.” Heather suddenly sounded like a woman who could force someone to change their mind.
Alyssa ignored her. “Everyone knows you took Josh and that freak Grim back to your motel last night. I don’t give a damn about Grim. Please take him, but Josh is mine.”
Did this woman think she cared about what a bunch of uptight assholes thought of her? She’d meant what she’d said the night before. If she’d been with them, she wouldn’t hide. She’d gone through so much worse. “I did not see your name tattooed on him. Did you write it in pen or something? Because he seems to shower on a regular basis, and pen will wash off. You should get that tatted up.”
“Oh, we’re going this way?” Heather’s brows had risen, and there was a smile on her face. “I thought I was going to have to defend you.”
“I’m not as mousy as I look.” She wasn’t mousy at all, but she didn’t normally like to draw attention to herself. However if Alyssa wanted to throw down, she could do it. After all, she’d be gone soon, and it didn’t look like anyone else was going to challenge her. “Alyssa, does Josh know he’s yours? Because he did not act like he knew last night, and I don’t think you’re going to get far with him if you don’t take on Grim. He’s not a freak, by the way. He’s a lovely man.”
Who hadn’t wanted her the way she’d hoped, but she wasn’t going to let this woman disparage him.
“You’re not even ashamed,” Alyssa said like it was the most shocking thing in the world.
“That I am an adult single woman who had blindingly spectacular sex with two incredibly hot men? No. I’m fine with that. Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to get to the café.”
“You think you’ll still have a job after what you’ve done?” Alyssa asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t think the good people of this town will want you serving them when they hear how you spend your nights in bars picking up men and taking them from women who would be good wives. I think I’ll have a talk with your boss.”
“You mean the woman who is basically my mother’s sister?” a deep voice asked. Josh was standing there. He’d parked a big SUV right in front of the church and he’d changed clothes. He wore a fresh white T-shirt that showed off muscular arms and jeans that clung to him. His dark hair was slightly mussed as though he’d gotten out of a shower and not dried it completely, and he had the sexiest scruff along his jaw. “You’re going to walk into Christa’s and threaten my girlfriend’s job?”
What?
“She called her a whore, too,” Heather added.
Josh’s eyes went positively arctic.
“I don’t care, although sex worker would be more polite,” Nicole replied.
“See, that’s what I always say,” Heather agreed, and then gave Josh a once-over. “Girl, he’s hot. Is the other one…”
Nicole nodded. “Every bit matches him.”
“Josh.” Alyssa squared her shoulders. “I’ve been meaning to reach out to you. I know I hurt you when I said the things I said, but this is getting ridiculous.”
“What is getting ridiculous?” Josh shook his head. “We broke up six months ago, and it isn’t like we’ve spent a lot of time together since…let me see if I remember…I’m a massive pervert who can’t expect a woman to choose him.”
“So you’re not tattooed with this woman’s name.” She wasn’t sure why Josh was here, but he was. “I told her marking you with pen was a bad plan. She seemed to think I should have known you belonged to her.”