Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“We are a huge bunch,” Maddie says.
A moment later, a man walks out.
And not just any man.
His skin is tanned, his eyes so dark they look black. And his face? Perfect. A sculpted jawline, high cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips. His black hair is cropped short.
He doesn’t smile. He doesn’t need to.
He just looks at you, and the rest of the room disappears.
He’s one of the best-looking men I’ve ever laid eyes on. And that’s saying a lot, since Henry is this man’s opposite—fair skin, blond hair, blue eyes.
“Hi, Stephen,” Gina says. “I’m Gina Steel. Nice to meet you.”
He smiles then, and wow…
“Great to meet you too,” he says. “If you’re ready, come on back.”
“Stephen,” Maddie says, “I’m Maddie Simpson, and this is Tabitha Haynes. We were wondering if you had any availability this afternoon.”
“Only one slot,” he says. “At three thirty. Should I mark you down?”
Maddie sighs. “Shoot. We both wanted to get in.”
“I’m sorry.” He pulls a phone out of his pocket and scrolls. “I have availability on Monday.”
She nods. “I’ll take a spot on Monday,” she says. “Tabitha, you take the one today. After all, you’re a guest in our town. I can get a massage here anytime.”
I purse my lips. “I don’t know…”
The thought of this man touching me has me tied up in knots.
“I’m pretty good,” Stephen says with another smile.
“Okay. Sure.”
“Good.” He taps on his phone screen. “Be back a few minutes before so you can fill out the intake form. And you, Ms. Gina, come with me.”
Gina gives us all a wink, and then she and Stephen disappear in the back.
“We’re going antiquing,” Maddie says. “Nice to see you, Willow, Lori.”
“Great to see you both too,” Willow says. “And nice to meet you, Tabitha.”
“Bye!” Bree calls, taking her nose out of the Cowgirl Monthly magazine she’s reading.
The antique shop turns out to be only a few doors down. The bell over the door jingles as we step inside.
I chuckle.
“What?” Maddie asks.
“Does every door in this town have a bell like that?”
She laughs. “Most of them. It’s a small town, and the owner or proprietor is often in the back, so the bell lets them know they have a customer.”
“I feel like I’ve gone back in time.”
Maddie elbows me in the ribs. “You’re used to city life.”
“Not really. I grew up in the suburbs, and Boulder is… Well, it’s a city, but it’s different.”
“I get you. You’ll get used to it here. It’s actually great to live in a small town. Or, in our case, outside a small town.”
I inhale as we enter. It smells like old wood, lemon polish, and something vaguely vintage. I’m not sure what it is, but I like it.
“Oh my God,” Maddie says, her voice a little breathless. “I want everything.”
I laugh softly, glancing around. “Don’t you want to see what’s in the Target clearance aisle before committing to a Victorian fainting couch?”
She waves a hand at me, already moving deeper into the shop. “Tabitha, please. My living room is a blank canvas and this”—she gestures toward a cabinet with stained glass panels—“is a fiesta of color.”
I follow her between two crowded aisles, careful not to knock over a display of porcelain ducks. I’m pretty sure that if I break anything, I’m buying it. As for Maddie’s cabinet… Definitely not my cup of tea.
“Are you sure?” I ask her. “It looks like a lot of work. And that paint could be lead-based.”
Maddie snorts. “You’re such a doctor. You see tetanus. I see charm.”
“I’m not a doctor yet.” I pause in front of a mirror framed in ornate brass. “This place is like a time capsule.”
The older woman behind the counter glances up from a ledger, her reading glasses perched halfway down her nose. “That’s fifty percent off, by the way.”
Maddie grins. “Sold!” She picks up an old map and rolls it open on a side table. “Do you think this would look good framed in my study?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You have a study?”
She shrugs. “Not yet. But I will in the new house.”
“Angie told me you’re a life coach.”
“I am. I only have a few clients so far, but I’m loving it. I want my study to be a place where everyone feels welcome.”
“And an old map screams welcome?”
She laughs. “It does to me. I’ve always had a more eclectic taste. My decor is mostly inspirational quotes.”
I chuckle. “Hence the life coach thing.”
“Not always,” she says. “I used to collect them to help myself. I kind of had an inferiority complex during high school and college.”
I tilt my head. “You? Why?”
“It’s a long boring story.”
“I’m not bored.” I check my watch. “And we have plenty of time.”
She sighs. “Well, before I tell you, you have to promise you won’t hold what I’m about to say against Angie and the others.”