Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Jennifer Talbot dropped her husband’s hand and rushed to her friend. “Rachel, are you okay?”
Max frowned and turned their way. “What do you mean you don’t have insurance?”
“She didn’t ask you to set her up,” Rachel answered Jen. “I would bet she didn’t know they’ve had a private firm doing background workups on all the men she’s dated.”
“She doesn’t date much.” Rye stepped closer to Stef, who had a deeply constipated look on his face.
Probably because his date night had now turned into Family Fight Night.
“Stef, when you parked, were the overhead lights on?” Elisa looked down at her notes.
“You sicced PIs on the guys I dated in the city?” Brooke asked.
“I think both lights were on or I would have called it in,” Stef told Elisa. “I would at least have made a note for someone to come out and fix it.”
Stef was the town engineer. Architect. Something that meant he took care of shit for the town along with the mayor and council.
“Again, it wasn’t like there were many men, but yes, I had the ones you dated checked out,” Rye replied. “Brooke, we have done everything we did to protect you from men like the ones you’re getting dangerously close to right now. Do you know they both have records?”
“For bar fighting.” Stef was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, expensive boots on his feet. “I’ve gone over this with you before. They’re good men. You know Max has a record that’s way longer than Bay and Shane.”
“At least Max has insurance, and I stand by all my false arrests. Nate is prejudiced against me because he knows his wife once had a crush on me and he was a second choice. Or maybe third, since I think Callie only took him on because of Zane,” Max announced.
Yeah, Bay had figured out those relationships quickly. Max was a mouthy asshole who pushed the sheriff way too hard and got taken in on a regular basis, while Zane poured him beers and didn’t tell about Max’s hot wing addiction.
Jen gasped. “I can’t believe he said that.”
Rachel wiped her eyes and put a stoic expression on her face. “I should get home. I would bet Nell’s having a hell of a time with Paige. Getting her to eat vegetables is a real trial these days, and the boys are a handful. This was a bad idea. We don’t need to go out anymore. We have too much to handle at home.”
“We can’t afford more than liability. And honestly, we would end up paying more than the truck is worth.” There was something wrong with this scenario. If there were three cars in this lot, then two of them were absolutely more break-in worthy than theirs. “Uhm, why would they break into our truck when Stef’s car is over there? Did they not see it?”
Elisa sighed. “That’s why I’m trying to establish a timeline.”
“There is nothing wrong with Bay and Shane. I know I joked about Brooke breaking them, but that was a long time ago. I kind of think they might be good for her now,” Stef announced and turned Brooke’s way. “Brooke, I’m sorry for the part I’ve had in this. You should know the only reason I agreed to pay for the PI was I knew they would do it if I didn’t, and they don’t need to be spending money right now. They’re expanding the business and have a new kid on the way, and they’re stubborn about what they consider charity. I didn’t want them to have more pressure than they have right now. They were worried about you. You weren’t yourself the last time you were here.”
“Well, now we know for sure she’s not herself since she’s decided to take up with those two,” Rye accused. “And Max is just annoying. Those two have serious time on their records.”
“I don’t have any time.” Shane was confused. “I mean I did spend a night in the Amarillo jail because I got caught in a bar fight. But I pled out and did thirty days’ worth of community service. Bay, too.”
“Bay shouldn’t be getting into damn fights because he could damage his hands,” Stef said with a shake of his head.
“I jumped in so he didn’t hurt his hands,” Shane admitted. “I remembered what you said. It doesn’t matter if my hands get broke.”
Wow, that sounded bad, and it wasn’t at all what Stef had said. He had told them they were too old to pull this crap anymore and asked if Bay had thought about what he would do if he couldn’t paint or sculpt anymore because he got his hands crushed at a honky-tonk.
“Shane.” Brooke turned to him. “Of course it matters, and Stef is an asshole if he told you that.”
“I did not say that.” Stef defended himself.