Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 91937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Turning the key in the lock and slamming my own door, I go straight up to my bedroom and kick off my boots. I don’t know how I fall asleep. I get up, going to get coffee, and realize her car isn’t there, making me freak out a little, but I push it away. “It’s not your problem,” I tell myself, “leave it be.”
I get dressed and head out to my father’s for Sunday lunch, something we’ve been doing since he got sick. Autumn shows up with Charlie, who comes out to the backyard to sit with me while Autumn spends alone time with Dad. “You hired Harmony?” he asks, bringing his beer to his lips and taking a pull.
“Yup,” I confirm, leaning back in the chair, my own beer in my hand, “I did.”
“Is that a wise decision?” He puts the beer on the table between the two chairs.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I snap, and I can see him trying to hide a smirk.
“I’m just asking if it’s a wise decision, considering the shit you had to endure for—”
I cut him off by raising my hand. “I would never put my sister in the way of anything.”
He chuckles. “You think I give a shit about that?” he asks me. “I dare them to try to fuck with her again.”
“So what’s the problem?” I ask, and I take a pull of my beer before I look over at him and find him studying me. “She needed a job; we needed a server.”
“Just like that?” He tilts his head to the side. “Autumn has been on your ass for the past five months to hire another server, and you’ve brushed her off.”
“I realized she was right,” I admit. “So what does it matter?”
“That all you are going to say?” He looks at me, and I know he’s not going to drop this, so I might as well just tell him. I look into the window seeing the back of Autumn’s head, laughing at something my father is saying.
“I don’t want you to make a big deal about this,” I say, “and I need you to keep this shit to yourself.”
“Don’t like keeping things from your sister.” He looks back at the house, his eyes going soft when he sees her.
“I might have to fill her in sooner rather than later, but for right now, she doesn’t have to know,” I mumble, and he turns back. “Harmony moved into the house next door to me.” I finally tell someone; his eyebrows pinching together.
“What house?” He knows exactly what house I’m talking about. “That house is unsafe to even walk next to.”
I take a pull of my beer. “Yeah,” I agree with him, “she moved in and Winston tracked her down. Showed up blitzed out of his mind.” I look over. “Driving to her and causing a fucking scene with her son in the house.”
“Jesus,” he hisses, “what the fuck is wrong with him?”
“Not enough time in the day to tackle that question.” I put the beer bottle on my knee. “Also don’t give a fuck about him. Got into his face after the first time. Didn’t think he would come back, but he’s a Cartwright and a piece of shit, so he came back again and I got in his face, again. It’s been quiet, or at least it has been.”
“Brady,” he says, his voice warning me.
“Last night she got home and was served with some papers,” I tell him, my hand gripping the beer bottle so tight, I’m surprised it doesn’t break in my fist. “Process server got paid double to serve her on a fucking weekend and after midnight.”
“You know why she’s being sued?” he asks the loaded question and I just shake my head.
“Not something she wanted to share with me while she lugged her sleepy son from her car.” My leg moves up and down with nerves. “Regardless, it probably has to do with that son of a bitch.”
“I would bet my ass it has everything to do with him.” He picks up the bottle. “You need to tell your sister, so she’s ready for whatever pushback this is going to have,” he urges, taking a pull of his beer. “She’s worked too hard to be blindsided, especially by you.”
I take a deep breath in. “Yeah, yeah,” I agree. “I’ll tell her.” I look over at the door, seeing my father coming outside with a tray in his hand. “Just not today.”
He nods, getting up and walking over to my father to help him with the tray. We have lunch together and the whole time my mind wanders to her. Thinking about where she might be, wondering if she is okay. Wondering if Wyatt heard anything that happened last night.
Even when I show up at the bar and start to set up for the day, it feels off. My phone pings from my back pocket, and pulling it out I see it’s a text from Taylor.