Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“We’re gonna try.”
Elsie gave me a quick nod, then made her way out of the bar. Once she was gone, I turned my focus back to my beer. I sat there quietly listening as Maverick and Stitch bantered back and forth about their ol’ ladies and the house projects they’d been working on. Neither of them sounded all that pleased about the extra workload that had been put on their plates, but I knew better.
They were both crazy about their better halves and would do anything to make them happy—even if that meant doing house renovations neither of them felt were necessary. I envied that about both of them. Hell, I envied that about all my brothers with ol’ ladies, but I wasn’t going to dwell on it.
Not tonight—which is why I got myself another drink.
And then, another.
And it wasn’t long before the thought was nothing more than a distant memory.
JULES
“Hey, Jules,” MJ called out from the barn. “Do you mind giving Beau a hand with the tables?”
“Sure thing.” The sun hadn’t been up long, and my coffee had yet to kick in, but I wasn’t going to let that slow me down. MJ was counting on us to get everything set up for the upcoming Pioneer Days, so I grabbed my gloves from the counter and asked, “Is he still out at the barn?”
“He is.” MJ stopped and inhaled a dramatic breath, then added, “And when you’re done, do you mind helping me sort through the baskets? Some of them are just falling apart and need to be tossed out.”
“Not a problem.” I knew how important the festival was to her and that she wouldn’t rest until everything was perfect, so I offered, “I’ll be sure to check in with Katie to make sure she’s restocked the gift shop.”
“That would be great.” A warm smile crossed her face as she asked, “Have I mentioned how glad I am that you are here?”
“I’m glad I’m here, too.”
I’d started working at the orchard back in the early spring—exactly three years after I’d left James. I was completely broke, with no prospects of a job or a place to live, when I came across a help-wanted ad in the Clallam County Times. They needed someone to help out with the harvest and even offered to lodge those who agreed to stay on full-time.
I knew it was a long shot.
I had absolutely no experience in farming and had no references—at least none that I was brave enough to use. I couldn’t take the chance on James finding me. I knew he would threaten me or try to talk me out of leaving him, so I left without saying a word. While he was at the bar, I packed a bag and just bolted, with no clear plan on where I was going or what I was going to do.
I’d like to say that I left there and never looked back, but in truth, I looked back all the time. I knew what would happen if he found me—he’d finish the job he’d started so long ago.
It was one of the many reasons why I kept my head down and tried not to draw any attention to myself. I didn’t want to give anyone a reason to talk about me. Talk was never good, but I must say, seeing that smile on MJ’s face felt good. Feeling as if I was finally doing something right with my life, I couldn’t help but smile as I told her, “The festival is going to be great.”
“I really hope so.” A worried look crossed her face as she said, “We had such a big crowd last year. I just hope they come back for more.”
“They will.” I started toward the barn as I shouted, “Just wait and see.”
When I got to the barn, Beau had already unloaded most of the tables from the back of his truck and was busy setting them up along the back wall. He was just about to open the legs on one of the tables when I rushed over and gave him a hand. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he smiled and said, “Appreciate the hand, doll, but I’ve got it. Why don’t you go help Katie with inventory?”
“I’ll help Katie when I finish helping you.”
“She could use your help more.”
Beau was in his late fifties, and like me, he was a little thick in the middle. Also like me, he didn’t want to admit that he needed help, but it was clear from the pained look on his face and the hand on his back that he did. I chuckled under my breath as I told him, “Yeah, says the guy who’s already wrenched his back.”
“It’s just a little stiff.” He stood a little straighter. “Besides, this work is the only thing keeping me going.”