Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Hey.” We do the handshake/hug thing, and then I sit across from him and sip the beer. “What’s the occasion?”
“Sarah, Luna, and June are at the chapel. June wants opinions on something or other. Wolfe should be here soon.”
“Cool. How are things at the gallery?”
Tanner owns Whalers Gallery, an art studio in town. He’s always been interested in art, even when we were kids, so when he studied art in college, it wasn’t a surprise. Whalers Gallery is a fantastic place, and a popular one for the tourists.
“They’re great. The summer season was really good. I can report that tourism is alive and well in Huckleberry Bay.”
“Excellent.” We clink beers just as Wolfe walks over and takes a seat.
“No beer for me?”
“You said you may be awhile, and I didn’t want it to get warm,” Tanner replies.
“Yeah, we were working on a bitch of a transmission.” Wolfe blows out a breath and waves to the bartender, who waves back, already knowing Wolfe’s order. “I left it to Zeke and got the hell out of there,” he continues.
“That’s what business partners are for,” I reply with a grin. “I think I’m about to take on a partner and a few employees. I can’t keep up with my workload alone anymore.”
“You haven’t looked great,” Tanner says, and I glare at him. He holds up his hands as if in surrender. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean that to sound like a jerk, but you’ve
been working too damn much, and it shows. You look tired and grouchy as fuck.”
I’m tired because I work too hard.
I’m grouchy because June won’t give me the time of the goddamn day, and I crave her in a way I’ve never craved anything or anyone before.
That absolutely is not something I’m going to admit to anyone, not even my two best friends.
“It was a busy-as-hell summer,” is all I say, and the other two nod in understanding. All three of us own businesses in Huckleberry Bay. Wolfe has the garage, which is newly rebuilt and equipped to fix anything that a vehicle could need repaired. He also owns a sweet-as-fuck personal garage where he works on and restores muscle cars.
That place is a gearhead’s wet dream.
“But I won’t complain about having work because, for a while there, new construction was hard to find. So, I’ll hire more people and pick and choose the projects I want to personally take on.”
“Good call.” Tanner nods and then smiles when the bartender and owner of Lighthouse Pizza comes to the table with Wolfe’s beer.
“You fellas ready to order?” Harvey asks after slapping me on the back. “You want your usual large pie?”
“And another large to go,” Wolfe adds. “I’ll take one to the girls on my way home.”
“I know how they like it.” Harvey winks before walking back to the bar to put in the order.
“I met with June at the chapel today,” I inform the other two. “She’s starting the renovations and wants to be living there by the holidays.”
“That’s fast,” Wolfe says with a frown. “She’ll work herself to death.”
“Isn’t that the same amount of time it took to build your entire, enormous barndominium?” Tanner reminds him.
“Yeah, but I used a big company out of Portland. June plans to do most of it herself. She’ll hire out the electrical and plumbing, but it’s still going to be a lot of work.”
“I’ll make sure it happens,” I mutter, staring into my beer. “If that’s what she wants, she’ll damn well have it.”
Harvey delivers the pizza, and I pull a slice onto my plate. When I go to take a bite, I realize the other two are staring at me, ignoring the pizza altogether.
“What?”
“You’re totally gone over June,” Tanner says.
“Yeah, I’m into the woman who can’t stand the sight of me, insults me every chance she gets, and only barely tolerates me because she’s best friends with my little sister.”
“You are a masochist, man,” Wolfe replies with a grin. “But, hey, we’re not here to judge.”
“June’s important to Luna, so if she wants her house done, we’ll do it. She busted her ass for the inn, so it’s the least I can do.”
“Uh-huh.” Tanner grins, finally pulling a piece of pizza onto his plate. “Right. You’re repaying her.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“You know,” Wolfe says around a bite of food as Tanner chuckles with hilarity, “it’s always amazed me that despite the chippy banter between the two of you, there’s also a shit ton of chemistry. Just fuck her already.”
Been there, done that, and would do it again if she’d let me.
“As much as I appreciate this little trip into my personal life and nonexistent lovesickness for June, can we change the subject now? You two have better things to do than write fairy tales about me.”
“Do you even know why she doesn’t like you?” Tanner asks, semi-seriously.