Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
That shouldn’t reassure her when she didn’t know this man and he was a cop.
“Where’s your friend?” he asked.
“They went for a walk.” Ryleigh had needed to stretch her legs and Opal had gone with her for company. Kye was sleeping in the RV, and she was keeping an eye on him
“They?” he queried.
Shit. She was so tired that her tongue was getting loose. Instead of replying, she just sent him a look.
The deputy grunted. “I’m not going to like all the secrets you’re keeping, am I?”
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” she said hastily.
“Easy,” he said soothingly. “I’m not accusing you of anything.”
Great. She probably looked guilty by protesting her innocence.
“But you guys can’t stay here. It’s not safe. And there’s nowhere for you to hook up for electricity or water. So, we have to get Sugar going or get her towed and then settle you guys into the hotel or B&B.”
“Right.” She was going to be ill.
“Guessing that’s a problem.”
“Just a bit,” she replied.
“Money?”
“Yeah,” she whispered.
“Let me make some calls.” Linc disappeared into his car.
“Lilac! Look what we found!”
She glanced over as Ryleigh raced up with her arms full of plums.
Uh-oh.
Her friend came to a stop as she saw Linc. “Oh, shit.”
He glanced out of his car and looked from her to Lilac pointedly.
Lilac groaned. “He’s going to think I do nothing but lie.”
“Sorry,” Ryleigh told her. “I didn’t see his car until it was too late. Oh no, and I’m holding an armful of forbidden plums.”
Forbidden plums?
Lilac snorted. “Don’t worry. The plums are the least of our worries.”
“Christ, this fucking walking thing is a joke,” Opal complained as she strode up to them. “Why do people do it?”
“To get to places,” Lilac said dryly.
“That’s why cars were invented,” Opal said.
“Well, you did go for a walk in five-inch heels,” Ryleigh pointed out.
“These are the lowest heels I own.”
Lilac felt her lips twitch.
“I see Deputy Hottie is back,” Opal said. “And that Sugar ain’t runnin’.”
“Your powers of observation are astounding,” Lilac said sarcastically.
“I’m just gonna put these plums away and check on Kye,” Ryleigh said as Linc opened the car door.
She scurried inside and Linc’s gaze followed her.
“Slipped up when you said ‘they,’ huh?” Linc said.
She shrugged.
“Do I want to know why?” he asked.
Sighing, she shook her head.
“Hey there, Deputy Hottie,” Opal said loudly.
Linc narrowed his gaze as he turned to look at Opal. Lilac knew her friend was trying to divert his attention from Ryleigh. But if she didn’t tone it down, she was going to end up in trouble.
“So, um, thanks for checking on us, but I need to talk to my friends about what to do,” Lilac told him. “Do you think it would be okay if we spent another night here?”
Please. Please.
Desperation filled her.
Linc shook his head. “I’m sorry, no.”
Suddenly, a cry filled the air.
Fuck.
Linc scowled. “Is that a baby?”
The crying stopped, but it was too late. Crap. Now he was going to wonder why they’d also kept Kye a secret from him.
“Yeah, that’s Kye,” she said. “Ryleigh? Everything okay?”
“Yep. Fine.” Ryleigh appeared in the doorway, holding Kye. She looked slightly pale and worried, but someone would have seen Kye eventually. So it might as well be the deputy.
“Sorry, we weren’t keeping him a secret or anything,” Lilac said. “It’s just . . . we don’t know you.”
“He’s not very old.”
“Nearly a month,” Ryleigh said.
Linc gazed down at her, his face softening. “You shouldn’t be here with a baby.”
“We’re fine,” Ryleigh said. “Lots of people raise children in RVs.”
“With electricity and water hooked up. Look, I made some calls. Matt is gonna come and tow Sugar to the garage.”
“We can’t do that,” Lilac said. “We can’t afford it.” God, she hated admitting that.
“Don’t worry. Matt knows that and is willing to let you pay it off.”
“But why would he agree to that when he doesn’t know us?” Ryleigh asked.
Linc kept his gaze on hers. “Because around here, we look after our women. And children. This changes your accommodation needs though. Can’t send a baby to the bar.”
Huh?
“Devon has a one-bed apartment above Dirty Delights,” he explained. “Would have been a tight fit but bigger than Sugar. You can’t have a baby in a bar, though.”
“I’m sure we could make it work if Devon is okay with it.” Would he be? Would he really want them there? And how much would he ask for rent? “We’d only have to stay a night or two until Sugar is ready. And we could offer to do other things around the bar, like cleaning.”
Both Ryleigh and Opal nodded.
“No, no.” Linc shook his head, making her stomach drop in disappointment. “That’s not gonna work. But I have another plan. I have a guest house.”
“A guest house?” Ryleigh asked.
What sort of property did he own that he had a guest house?
“It has two bedrooms. You could stay there. When I bought the property, my ma was gonna come live in it. But she, uh, she died.”