Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Marisol snorts again and flaps her lips in my direction.
“All right, I’ll touch base with you later. Be careful tonight,” I say, wondering who could be the rat at my shop. Not to be a jerk who judges people on their past mistakes, but Unger is my only mechanic with a record. He did time for stealing from construction sites as a teenager.
“Will do,” Matty says, turning toward the back exit to the stall.
“And Matty,” I call after him, waiting until he turns to add, “Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it. If you were sticking around town, I’d put in a good word for you with Nora. Someone to come home to might be good for you.”
Matty grins. “Aw, thanks, bro. You’re not all bad, either. Say hi to Mel for me and tell her I’m sorry I couldn’t help out tonight.”
I promise I will and head for the opposite side of the barn, checking the time on my cell before hurrying out to the parking lot. I still have a couple hours before I have to report for bartending duty and don’t see any reason to stick around the fair. I’d only risk running into Starling again and that seems like something best avoided until Monday morning at the office.
I head home to check on Bella to find her passed out cold in my closet, nestled in my open sock drawer. Considering skunks are nocturnal, this is nothing to be worried about, so I leave her sleeping and refill her food bowl before heading out to buy a motion activated surveillance camera.
Luckily for me, the bike shop closes early on Saturdays so I’m able to pop in and plant the camera in the breakroom between several antique oil containers no one’s touched—or dusted—in years without anyone being the wiser.
As I lock up the shop that’s been such a big part of my life for the past decade, I can’t help wishing again that I’d been able to find a buyer. The shop helped me pay off my house while taking time off to volunteer at the shelter and spend time with my family and friends, but I’m ready to move on. I’m excited to do work that really makes a difference in people’s lives and to come home at the end of the day without oil caked under my fingernails.
Though I’ve never had any complaints about my dirty hands.
A lot of women actually seemed to like it.
Women like Ariana, one of my exes, who’s just getting off work at the beer tent as I breeze back into the fair. She’s dressed in a much more modest wench outfit than Carolina’s, but that’s her style. Ari is a class act, works two jobs to support her sick parents, and still finds plenty of opportunities to have a good time.
She’s also never said no to a hookup, even after we officially called it quits.
I should ask her if she wants to hang out with me at the bar during the banquet. I could slip her a few free drinks, chat with her during lulls to make the shift go by faster, then take her home with me at the end of the night.
Once I’m inside another woman, I’ll forget how much I want to be inside Starling.
Honestly, that’s probably a big contributor to my obsession with my boss. I haven’t fucked another woman since I started working with Starling. I’ve been so focused on learning everything I can about marketing strategies and applying for the job in Minneapolis, I haven’t had time to find a friend-with-benefits to keep me company during my last few months in Bad Dog.
I’m on my way over to Ari, an invitation forming on my lips, when I catch a flash of blueish green out of the corner of my eye. I turn toward the line already forming outside the giant King’s Feast tent to see Starling batting her eyes at none other than my cousin Theo.
Theo, who saved Wally’s life back when we were kids.
Theo, who was then, and is now, a genuinely nice guy with a great job, a decent sense of humor, and not a mean bone in his body.
Theo, who would actually be a great fit for Starling and who is actively looking to settle down and get started on forever with the right girl.
Theo, who is looking at Starling like she might be that girl, inspiring a wave of irrational possessiveness that has me making tracks their direction before I know what’s hit me.
Chapter Nine
STARLING
Theo McGuire has incredible eyebrows.
He also has gorgeous, deep blue eyes, a fabulous smile, and a lean, fit, runner’s build. He has a great job as a marketer for a new real estate developer in town, volunteers at the senior center—that’s how Nora knows him and why she introduced us—and loves goofy comedy and 70’s soft rock as much as I do.