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“You’re making it hard for me to go back to work.”
“Hmm…well, you’ll have to push through until later ‘cause I have bread to bake.”
“Cheeky.”
“Who me?” I batted my eyes up at him.
With a growl that had my toes curling, he kissed me then stepped back. “See you later. I love you.”
“Love you, too. Be safe, please.”
“Always. See you later, baby.”
I watched him head out the back door of the shop and sighed.
So odd how things worked out in life. I would forever be grateful for a Karen who hit me with rotten fruit early one morning three years ago. Yeah, it was super gross and not the way I wanted to start my day. It caused a huge scene out front, but you know, I can’t even be mad anymore. If not for that twat, I’d never have been able to meet the man standing here now. Holding me like I was the most precious thing in his life.
He’d swooped in like my very own Superman to save the day. What he saved was me going to jail and that old biddy going to the hospital. I was not opposed to whacking her in the head with something. I was just too stunned at first and then, it all went to hell in a handbasket. Kicker to the story was, I wasn’t even the one the old bat was after. She had the wrong woman.
A year or so later, I had an incident with someone determined to rob me. Thing was, I’m from Georgia. I’m a gun toting redneck. You don’t mess with me or my business. He thought he’d come in, wave a knife, and I’d fall over myself to grab my till and hand it over. Wrong, sucker. Not this chick. I played it cool, hit 9-1-1 on my phone, and pulled my .38 from its place under the counter and held him there until the sheriff’s deputies arrived.
I’d been shocked to see Mr. Tall, Dark, and Sexy walking in through the door. By that time I had followed the dispatcher’s orders to put the gun away and step back, hands up just so there were no accidents. I got that.
The morning had started with a heart-racing incident, but later it got a little more interesting. Tall, Dark, and Sexy came back after his shift to check on me. It was the day that truly started our trek to forever. His exact words to me were, “I couldn’t not come back. Two times now you’ve been in trouble. My interest piqued. If you’re up to it, how about a beer and burger, my treat. Let me get to know you a little better.”
Hell yes, I was game. The man has been my world ever since. Brave, strong, and a helluva kisser. I got a total package here that no one would ever take from me. I simply wouldn’t allow it.
Chapter 3
Cindy
The sun shone in through the sheer curtains in my bedroom, and I wanted to scream.
The three hours of sleep I’d gotten last night were making me feel like the walking dead. I knew I needed to shake it off and get up. The day waited for no one. I had only one person to blame for the lack of sleep and that would be Brenna. She somehow convinced me to go have a few drinks with her. A few turned into six.
Needless to say, I was paying for it this morning. Brenna was in a world of her own, but she could make any bad day turn into a good night.
I was swamped with orders yesterday and had a few not-so-nice customers who tested my patience tenfold. Candy shops were supposed to bring out the happiness in your soul, not the bitchy inner child that wanted to whine when they couldn’t have their way. Adults could be worse than kids, sometimes, and forget their manners.
Brenna happened to stop by, in the middle of a ranting old Betty, who was complaining about the lack of peppermints in my shop. I stocked what sold best, and peppermints weren’t high on that list. I didn’t know what was said, but Brenna pulled her aside and whispered something to her. The lady's eyes went so wide, I thought she was going to have a heart attack in my shop. Seconds later, the lady took a quick beeline right out the front door.
All I knew was, I had one less worry on my hands, and then Brenna demanded we have drinks after I closed the shop. I agreed, and the rest was history. It was a good time, and after the day I’d had, it was worth this morning's hangover.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to move, when I felt the bed dip. Then the intruder began to lick my face and let out a little whine to get my full attention. Beethoven. Dana ended up going with me to the Seaside Pet Adoption Center, and I fell in love with this one-year-old bullmastiff/red heeler mixed pup. He took one look at me with his sad puppy eyes and floppy ears, and I was a goner. He's now the man of the house, and I couldn't be happier.
"Okay, okay. Momma's getting up. Does someone need to go potty?"
He barked and did a little spin, leading me to get my lazy ass up and out of bed. I pulled on some yoga pants and a hoodie, and that's the best I could do right now. It was still pretty early, so hopefully I didn’t run into anybody I knew. I was a hot mess with a cherry on top, and nobody should be subjected to it.
Stepping outside, it was breezy but super refreshing. Something about the beach just made you feel better. That's why I’d chosen to stay here. I didn't have it in me to leave. Even now, knowing Stefan was possibly somewhere close, he was not taking my serenity away. Not again. I felt better knowing my new friends had my back, and of course, my little babe, Beethoven. He may still be a pup, but he was a sixty-pound brickhouse. No one had warned me that he'd crap craters out of his ass! Jesus be, a whole bag of poop!
"Cindy! Hey, girl, over here. Fancy meeting you at the ass crack of the dawning day."
Brenna. I knew before I even looked. The girl could wake the dead with that booming voice of hers. I bet she wins every argument she and Abel have, simply by shouting at him with that voice. Then again, they're the perfect couple who probably never argue. Must be nice. She's a riot, and I was happy to have her as a friend. Some people got the wrong impression of her, but if you knew her, she's actually a wonderful human being.
When I finally looked, I saw her and Abel walking towards me. When Abel moves, Spencer was behind him. Fuck my life. Of course, he’d see me looking like Medusa's love child. I knew I should've at least combed my damn hair! Spencer was an employee of Abel's who had become a good friend to all of us, especially Abel. They're fire and ice. Besides Brenna, he was the only one who could calm Abel's crazy ass down. He was also head to toe tatted, hot as sin, and we're both crushing on each other. I didn't mean for it to happen, but my girly parts sparked to life whenever he's near me.
"Biddy B! My baby nephew is the cutest damn thing. Other than Hippie, of course. I left him at home this morning, but now I'm wishing I would've brought him. He's going to be so mad at his momma when he finds out I saw his buddy without him."
