Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Great. Now he was sweating.
“Oh no, I’m fi—”
“Barney!” Mrs. Grackle yelled. “I need your help.”
“I’ll be in there soon! I’m talking to Opal!” he yelled back.
She winced. The Grackle wouldn’t appreciate him putting her off so he could fraternize with the enemy.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Opal told him as Mrs. Grackle started down the path from her front door.
Barney scowled before wiping that look off his face. “I can do what I like when I like.”
There was a sullen note to his voice that was really not attractive. Then Mrs. Grackle was on the footpath next to him.
“Barney! What are you doing out here talking to this . . . to this . . .”
“To this what, Mrs. G?” she asked seriously.
“Do not call me that. It’s disrespectful and rude.” She sniffed. “Of course, I don’t know why I expected anything different from you.”
Wow.
The nastiness just didn’t stop with this woman.
“Aunt Grace! Don’t speak to Opal like that.”
That was surprising. She’d never seen Barney stick up for himself and she hadn’t expected that he’d do it for her. It made her like him far more than she’d expected to.
“Do not tell me how to speak to her,” his aunt countered. “I’ll speak to her how I like. And I won’t have either of you disrespect me. After all I’ve done for you, Barney!”
His shoulders slumped and Opal found herself feeling kind of sorry for him.
He’d tried his best to stick up for her, but his aunt was a formidable woman and Barney crumpled more easily than a chocolate chip cookie.
Turning, he followed his aunt back inside. But he briefly glanced over his shoulder at Opal. She waved at him and he grinned.
God.
Her morning had started off bad and really hadn’t gotten any better. Surely it could only go up from here?
4
An hour later, she was browsing the shelves at the local home improvement store. It was a family-run store, like all the stores in Haven. The local town council didn’t allow any franchises or big chain stores to take up residence in town.
Pliers. That was what she needed.
But first, she had to get a replacement security light. The last thing she wanted to do was call Alec and tell him about the light. He might use it as an excuse to pull her out of her house and back to the Malone compound.
Not happening.
“Here is what we’re looking for, Onion.”
Shit. She recognized that voice.
She froze. Should she leave? Sneak out?
Do not be a coward, Opal.
Besides, it was too late. He was coming around the corner of the aisle, so there was no escaping now.
Renard spotted her immediately, his gaze narrowing as he strode down the aisle toward her. “What are you doing here?”
Lord, he was rude.
She placed her hands on her hips. “And good morning to you, too.”
A cooing sound came from his chest and her gaze dropped to the baby he had cradled to his chest.
“Why do you have a baby strapped to you?” she asked.
“She’s my human shield. In case anyone decides to take me out. Figure they’ll hesitate to shoot a baby.”
“What?” She gaped at him, aghast.
“Jesus, girl. I’m babysitting.”
“You’re babysitting?” she asked.
This was a weird town with very weird people.
But honestly, this was one of the weirdest things she’d heard to date.
“Nope. I stole this baby. Her parents have no idea that I’ve got her.”
Okay. He was joking.
He had to be joking. Eyeing him, though, she wasn’t so sure.
“What’s her name?”
“Carrot,” he replied.
“What? Her name can’t be carrot!” she exclaimed.
“Why not? Does she not look like a carrot? Hmm, you might be right. Maybe Potato or Chip.”
What was happening right now? And why was he looking at the same security lights that she’d been studying?
“Chip? Chip is a boy’s name, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Wow. I didn’t take you for being sexist.” He grabbed the most expensive security light on the display. One she definitely could not afford.
Instead she went for a far cheaper one as he started down the aisle.
“Put that light back,” he told her. “You’re getting this light.”
“What? What do you mean?” She attempted to chase after him.
Damn it.
“I’m not buying that light.” She managed to catch up with him as he paused to examine a security camera. “And I’m not sexist!”
“You just said that I couldn’t call Chip Chip because she’s a girl.”
“I didn’t mean that! It’s not really a proper name. Nor is Potato or Carrot!”
“Hmm. So you’re namist as well? Think it would be a good idea to get Curt to put in a security system. I’m surprised Malone hasn’t already organized it. Will need to talk to him about that. That’s a landlord’s responsibility.”
“You’re not speaking to Alec,” she told him, placing her hands on her hips in exasperation.
“You need one. For protection.”
“I do not! I don’t have anything anyone would want to steal so why would I need one?” she asked.