Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47241 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47241 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
The room fell silent, and instead of pushing away from Beau, Mona and Egypt snarled at me.
“You’re a mean bitch,” said Mona.
“Yeah. Where do you get off talking about someone like that?” said Egypt.
“Meri, seriously?” said Shawna. “What’s the matter with you? Everyone is welcome in my home regardless of their financial circumstances.”
“I told you she was rude,” added Roy. “It’s the way she wears her scarf. The knot gives it away every time.”
My innards sank to the floor along with my gaze. I knew they were right. Why had I said that? It wasn’t like me to snub someone like I’d just done, proof being that I’d invited the guy into my home.
“I-I am so sorry I said that, Beau. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Neither do I,” he said.
I inhaled slowly, the weight of shame urging me out the door to find a hiding place. “I’ll go now, but I am sorry. Clearly you’re more than your circumstances.” With that pathetic apology, I left.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Saturday morning, Beau wasn’t in his tent. I immediately texted Shawna, asking where I might find him, but she was either ignoring me or was still asleep.
Dammit. I texted Kay to let her know I’d be missing spin class again and to go without me.
Kay: You’d better not be out shopping, girl. Angry face emoji.
I was too embarrassed to tell her the truth. I’d behaved like a Krampus to a man who hadn’t deserved it. I’d called him a bum! Oh God…
Me: I wish, but no. I have some work to catch up on. Sad face emoji.
I went back upstairs, deciding to write a note to Beau. Then I thought that a note wouldn’t do, so then I baked some pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese frosting.
I put them in a plastic container and placed a red bow on top. I could only pray he’d forgive me for last night, but why had I done it? That had been a full-blown, she-devil meltdown, kind of like a mamma bear, only I wasn’t his mamma. I’d acted like a jealous girlfriend.
Do I like him? But he wasn’t my type. I mean, apart from being hot. And mysterious. And sort of kind in that none kiss-assy way that I liked. But the man had no job or home, and he came with some very sharp edges.
Yeah, I wonder why, Meri, I scolded myself. It was no wonder he didn’t want help from anyone. He was probably tired of all the judging when he was perfectly content with his way of life. He’d said so himself.
Then here I came, meddling, talking down to him in front of my friends, and being an all-around shithead. Maybe Kay was right about me not being a genuine giver. Not from the heart. Not in a good-spirited way. If I wanted to change that, I had to begin by being kinder and to apologize from the heart.
I rewrote my note, simply asking to talk. I then grabbed the muffins and headed downstairs, but when I got to the alley, the tent was gone.
Oh no. Where did he go? I couldn’t leave things between us like this.
I was about to go back up and ask if Jason knew where Beau might’ve gone when a white delivery truck pulled up. The man inside wore a red jumpsuit and matching baseball cap.
He looked up at the building and checked his phone. He then rolled down the window. “Is this 1225 Peppermint Street?”
“Yes, but the front door is one street over.”
“Have you seen a man with a red tent around here?”
Was this the delivery Beau had been waiting for? “Yes, he’s been sort of staying with me.” I was about to add that he’d also been camping out here and had taken off to God only knew where, but the man cut me off.
“Well, in that case,” the man handed me a small red box with a white bow on top, “can you see that he gets this?”
“Sure.” I took the box, praying I could track Beau down.
The man dipped his head and then sped off down the alley. The back of the truck read Starling Toys. There was a cartoon of a little reindeer with a red nose, too.
So weird. I went back inside and knocked on Jason’s door. He answered in his boxers, scratching his bed head. “What’s the matter?” he grumbled.
“Have you seen Beau?”
“Beau?”
“Yeah, the guy living in the alley.”
“No. Why?” he asked.
“Someone just gave me a package for him, but I’m not sure where he’s gone,” I explained.
“Haven’t seen the guy in weeks.”
I frowned. “Weeks?”
“Yeah, since that first time you complained. I made sure he’d be gone before the weekend, and he took off that day.”
What? “No. He definitely stuck around.”
Jason gave me a confused look. “You sure about that? Because I’m back there all the time, grabbing tools and stuff from my garage.”