Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
She walks off, her hips swaying, and I get the impression she doesn’t know just how gorgeous she is. Her autumn hair drapes down her back from the low ponytail and sways with her walk. It takes every ounce of effort for my eyes not to fall to her hips and then to the gorgeous curves of her ass in those tight blue jeans. Fuck, I suppress a groan just in time for her to look back at me, and I give her a tight-lipped smile. I swear her wicked hazel eyes flash a knowing look. Heat rises up my chest but just as quickly as she looked back, she turns away and I’m left with a racing heart and a feeling no woman has ever made me feel.
And I'm thinking...
How do I make her fall for me?
Because I don’t mind looking at her like she's beautiful and kind and I'm lucky just to get to talk to her. But I want her to look at me like she's finally found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. I want her to look at me like the world's bright just because I'm in it.
The bar is special—it's my bar, after all—but Renee makes it shine. Look at her. It's just an ordinary day, and somehow the light in her hair is like nothing I've seen before, and when she smiles, it makes my heart skip a beat. The music and the chatter fade to nothing when I look at her.
A nudge at my elbow takes me out of my thoughts.
“You should take a picture, you know?”
I look over at Patty, my fellow bartender on this shift. She raises her eyebrows at me. Damn. She caught me staring, and Patty knows what she's talking about. She's older, married, and damn good at her job. I almost can't picture Iron Brewery without her, but that means she notices everything that goes on in the place...including who I'm looking at. Nothing gets past Patty.
My face gets hot and my heart's already beating fast from watching Renee, but I ignore all that and give her a shocked look. “I wasn't—”
“Please, Griffin, you were enjoying the view.” Patty tips her head back and laughs. I don't think it was that obvious, but how loud she's laughing says otherwise. It tapers off after a second and she scans the bar. “Need another, Sam?”
Sam, a patron at the far end of the bar, shakes his head. Patty gives him a thumbs-up. From the looks of his glass, it won't be long until he'll be flagging her down, but Patty never rushes anybody on their drinks. I think it's half the reason she's so good. Even when somebody frankly needs a fire under their ass, Patty never seems like she's pushing.
Renee walks away from the table and meets up with Mary Sue, one of the other waitresses. She's a sweet redhead, one of those girls everybody calls fresh-faced, and she's got bright green eyes.
I catch myself staring this time and once again trying to pretend that I'm not doing it.
It doesn't help at all because Renee's on the move. She goes to the other side of the bar and wipes down the counter. A song with a good beat plays just loud enough to make the bar lively, and Renee swings her hips to the beat. That girl must know exactly what she looks like, dancing like that. She's gorgeous, she's tempting, and sooner or later I'll figure out a way to make her fall for me. I'll figure out how to be the kind of man Renee would fall for.
I don't want to get caught staring a third time, so I look out over the bar. It's spacious but still cozy thanks to the lighting. Iron Brewery is a classic neighborhood bar with sturdy stools pulled up to the bar, booths along one side, and tables in the middle. We've got a window in front looking out on the main street and a smaller window in back with a view of a less-prestigious road.
It's brand new with a modern feel and everything Brody and I dreamed of. Plus, anybody who spends time in bars like this knows that a neighborhood bar picks up pieces of the neighborhood and all the people who live there. In a town the size of this one, that's pretty much the whole town. Everyone knows everyone and that reminds me of home. I mean this place is my new home…and not too far away from where I grew up. But there’s something about owning this bar that just adds a feeling of belonging to this town.
I'm proud of the place. Brody and I put a fuckton of hours into it when we first bought the place. I practically slept with my to-do list. The only thing that ever slowed me down was stepping on a nail when I was wearing flip-flops, which cost me a trip to the ER for a tetanus shot. After that, I bought the sturdiest work boots they sold at the hardware store.