Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I mean it.” He drops a hand on my shoulder to give it a firm squeeze. “Any kid of yours will be lucky to have you.”
I don’t press my luck because I know I’m one comment away from him teasing me with an insult. “Lunch is on me.”
“There was never any doubt about that.” He gestures to the door. “I’m starving, so get a move on, old man.”
Lunch with my family was exactly what I needed. The food at my favorite diner, Crispy Biscuit, always hits the spot.
The fact that I watched my sister-in-law steal fries off my brother’s plate was the icing on the cake. The owner of the diner knows Jameson well enough to anticipate what he’ll want to eat. She told him she’d bring him a burger and fries before he even had a menu in his hands.
When she added, “with extra fries,” to the statement, he tossed her a smile, and he got a wink back in return.
I opted for a sandwich that in no way compared to the one Summer prepared for me. I need to shake that woman straight out of my mind, but that’s an almost impossible task since this city is filled with women with red hair.
I spot one across the street from me, but her hair is too short and not quite the same shade as Summer’s.
The odds of her living in the same city as me are slim. I scrub a hand over my face and get my mind back into the game. The game being work.
“Holden!” A familiar voice calls to me from the left.
Without even turning, I know it’s Rook. The added “Uncle Holden” that comes at me tells me that his daughter is with him.
I kneel on the crowded sidewalk so I can take Kirby in my arms for a hug. Our bond is special since I took on the role of being her tap dancing partner a few months ago.
“Hey, Kirbs.” I hug her tightly. “What’s happening with you today?”
“We’re going to get ice cream!” she screams in my ear.
There’s no way in hell I can be mad at her, even though I know I’ll hear ringing in that ear for the next hour.
I glance up at Rook. As usual, he’s wearing a three-piece suit that resembles the one I chose today. It’s not uncommon for us to dress alike. It’s always a coincidence, but his daughter gets a kick out of it.
“You’re twinning again,” Kirby declares with a smirk. “If my daddy didn’t have black hair and a beard, you’d be impossible to tell apart.”
That’s a stretch since we don’t resemble each other in the slightest, but I don’t say a word because she’s a girl with her own view of the world. I’ll never do anything to try to change that.
I push up to stand and look Rook in the eye. “Ice cream in the middle of the work day?”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.” He laughs. “Come with us.”
“Please!” Kirby tugs on my hand. “I need to tell you some stuff.”
Since I had dinner with Rook and his family two nights ago, I can’t imagine what Kirby has to tell me, but the life of a kid is never dull, so I nod. “I’m in.”
“I’m getting strawberry,” Kirby announces as she takes Rook’s hand with her free hand. “Who’s with me?”
Laughing, I smile down at her. “I am. Strawberry ice cream, it is.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Greer
I stare at Krista from where I’m standing near a pallet that holds one of our best sellers. We’re in the crowded stock room of our store. This business we’ve built together has been a labor of love, and now my sometimes best friend is telling me she wants to bail on me.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I look right at her. “Repeat that.”
“Howie got a job offer in Los Angeles.” She takes a breath. “He’s going to take it. I’m going with him.”
I heard that part just fine the first time she said it. I panicked slightly because I pictured longer working days and late nights devoted to fulfilling online orders. In addition, someone has to ensure our staff shows up to help cover the duties in our small storefront.
It’s what she said after she announced that she’s moving to California with her soon-to-be husband that knocked the wind out of me. “You said something else, Krista.”
I want to believe that I misheard her, but it was clear as a bell. Still, I need to hear it again.
“We need to sell Sweet Indulgence, Greer.” There’s a tremor in her voice. “I already found a buyer.”
It doesn’t even matter that I’m not in a financial position to buy her out at the moment. Our business agreement is ironclad. One of us can’t sell their half without the other agreeing to sell theirs as well. When we launched, we couldn’t picture one of us running it without the other, so we put that sentiment into a legal document and signed it.