Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Me: I have your coat that you left at my place. I keep forgetting to text you about it. I can drop it off for you after work if you’d like.
I waited a few seconds for the dots to appear, and when they didn’t, I set the phone down. Wes didn’t seem like the type of guy who had his phone attached to his hand. Turning back to my computer, I attempted to focus. That lasted all of five seconds. I grabbed my phone again.
Me: Or I can bring it with me tomorrow when I go to Harmony’s to help with the anniversary decorations. Either way. Doesn’t matter to me. Not sure if you would be there. Or not. I can leave it.
After sending it, I quickly dropped my phone and covered my face with my hands.
“Oh my God! You idiot! What is wrong with me?”
I shook my head to shake off all thoughts of Wes Ward. I placed my hands on the keyboard and started to type, not at all thinking about him, whom I shouldn’t be thinking of. And it worked for about ten minutes. When my phone buzzed, I nearly fell out of the damn chair to reach for it.
When I saw his name, I smiled like an idiot.
Wes: Yeah, I realized I forgot it once I hit the cold air. Are you free for lunch? Maybe I could meet you and get it. It’s kind of my favorite coat.
“What?” I softly whispered as my heartbeat raced a bit faster. “Why would he want to have lunch with me?”
“Who?”
Screaming, I threw my phone and watched it sail across my desk. I turned and saw Mary standing there with a questioning look on her face.
“You scared the shit out of me, Mary!”
She smiled. “Sorry. I knocked but you were staring at your phone with this goofy smile on your face.”
I stood, smoothed down my skirt, then huffed. “I was not smiling at my phone.”
“Um, yeah, you were. Who wants to have lunch with you, and why are you surprised he wants to have lunch with you?”
Making my way to where my phone was, I attempted to squat down without falling over. The black pencil skirt was cute, but not made for bending down to pick things up off the floor.
“It’s a long…story…almost…have it…”
Mary bent down and got the phone before she grabbed onto my arm and helped me back up. She handed me the phone as she said, “I’ve got time.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you ever work?”
“I put in ten to twelve-hour days.”
With a look that said she was full of shit, I sat back down in my chair. “Mm-hmm, sure you do.”
“Okay, fine, so being the boss’s daughter has some perks. Now, tell me who this guy is.”
“It’s a long story.”
“And I said I have time, so spill it.”
I pulled up my texts again and stared at the last one from Wes.
Looking up, I said, “You better sit down.”
Mary dropped into the seat opposite my desk. “Oh, this means it’s good!”
“His name is Wes Ward, and he is Rory’s brother-in-law.”
She made a face.
“Okay, so you see problem number one.”
“I could see how that might be an issue if you dated the brother-in-law.”
“And that leads us to issue number two. He’s in love with his old girlfriend still, and she’s getting married. To someone else.”
Mary frowned. “That is an issue. But…once she gets married, then he has to move on.”
I blew out my breath. “Issue number three, he is trying to break them up so she doesn’t get married. He even moved to Boston in order to accomplish that mission.”
Her eyes went wide. “No!”
Nodding, I said, “Yes. Then let’s add issue number four. I’m so attracted to this guy and it just pisses me off. He also asked me—no, tried to bribe me—into helping him with this pursuit of breaking up his ex and her fiancé, and the crazy part is I immediately told him no, but now I want to do it just so I can spend time with him.”
Mary blinked a few times. “Let me see if I have this right. Wes, who is Rory’s brother-in-law, is still in love with his ex. He came to you for help breaking up the ex and stopping the wedding, and you agreed because you like him?”
I screwed up my face. “That about sums it up.”
“Clare, why in the world do you like a guy who loves another woman?”
“I didn’t know he was in love with his ex until recently.”
“Oh no, you’ve got it bad for him then if you’re willing to help him win back an ex. What are you supposed to do in order to help him?”
I bite down on my lower lip. “Pretend to be his girlfriend as we show up to places where she is scheduled to be. Oh, and he knows where she’s scheduled to be because she dropped her calendar and he picked it up and didn’t tell her he had it.”