Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
“You’ll get there, sweet pea. There are times when you have to crawl before you can walk. It doesn’t matter your age or stage in life, it just happens.” I nod. It’s hard to swallow the fact when he’s right.
“Yeah, still stinks, though. Alright, let me check on my other tables, and I’ll come back to sit with you.” The chime on the diner door jingles, and my eyes automatically glance up to greet the next customer.
“You go do that. I’m going to take my breakfast and sit with the sheriff. We have a few things to discuss.” Gramps grabs his cup of coffee from the table, as well as his wrapped silverware and plate. I move back, watching as he does something he’s never done before. He leaves my section and heads toward Sheriff Sanders. I shrug my shoulders. He’s now sitting in Olive’s section, so I head back to the back to grab a rag. I’ll wipe down his table and serve the next customer who comes in. Hopefully, it won’t get too busy now that the sheriff is here. I swear the man brings an entourage, and I have no idea why. He’s average looking, just a regular-looking guy to me. Maybe it’s the badge people like. Either way, he’s no eye candy to me, and while I know I’m beyond biased, Gabe McCoy is one thousand times hotter. I’d follow him around everywhere if I could.
I shrug again. Before I clean up the table, I’m going to put my order in with Denny. Then I’ll grab the cleaning supplies, take care of the table, and by then, my brunch will be ready. I still don’t eat breakfast in the morning. It’s too early, and with this newfound sleep my body likes, when Gabe gets up, he works around the garage, still trying to make room for both our vehicles in there. Even though I tell him I’ll just park in the driveway, he’s adamant my SUV is in the garage. The problem with him moving things around is where he’ll put his workout equipment. That sparks a whole different conversation when I mention putting it in one of the spare bedrooms. He’s trying his best to convince me to let him come inside me. He’s come close a few times, talking about how I’d look with my stomach swollen with his child. Yeah, talk about hard to say no. Then I mentioned moving his equipment to the apartment and got another no. He’s says it’s too far away from the house, and eventually, he knows Grandpa Bernie will be in there. So, I just let the man be to figure it out on his own.
“You’re a no-good, high-fallutin’ piece of trash. The town should have kicked your ass out a long-as-hell time ago!” I hear Grandpa Bernie yell on the other side of the kitchen.
“Ah shit, this has been brewing. I better get out there before Sanders decides to do something he’ll regret for the rest of his days.” Denny turns the grill off, places his spatula down on the spoon rest, and walks out as I’m looking over my shoulder.
“What?” I follow him, standing on the tips of my toes to see over the big guy.
“Bernie, don’t go starting an argument you can’t finish. You know as well as I do the reason why I wasn’t going out in the weather. It was going to be a lost cause.” I’m busy pondering what the heck they’re talking about, trying to get closer but not be a gawker, not like it matters. The rest of the diner is tuned in and watching.
“Lost cause, my ass. Gabe was the one who found her. She would have been dead in another few hours. You call yourself a civil servant, but what you are is nothing but a piece of gum on the bottom of my shoe. You’re scum, Sanders, the worst kind there is!” Denny walks closer. My eyes narrow on Sanders as he stands up, the barstool scooting backwards. Gramps does the same. They’re chest to chest, eye to eye, neither backing down. And Grandpa Bernie may be older, but he’s still taller than Sanders and probably could pack a solid punch.
“I wasn’t risking my life for some foolish girl who shouldn’t have been out on the roads.” A pin could drop in the diner. The customers aren’t eating, there’s no movement, and the only thing that can be heard is my sharp intake of breath. Jesus, I didn’t think I was being stupid. Never in my life would I have put someone else’s life at risk for my own.
“Coward, that’s what you are. That’s what your daddy was before you, too.” Gramps hits a trigger with Sanders. The sheriff steps up to him, but Bernie does not back down.