Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27296 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27296 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“I haven’t checked but if you and Bri haven’t I probably can’t either.”
She huffed loudly and took a seat at the table. “Well, at least the breakfast looks edible. Nicole grabbed one of the plates and piled it with pancakes, eggs and bacon.
Trudy returned alone. “Your friend is on the phone with the mechanic. Hopefully he can get you ladies squared away as soon as possible. In the meantime, I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Or if you’d prefer I have some hot water for tea.”
“If it’s the cheap instant stuff, then that’s a hard pass for me. And I only do chai lattes as far as teas go and I doubt a hick place like this would have that.”
“Nicole!” Kaliah said sharply, unable to ignore the other woman’s rudeness. “Trudy is being gracious to offer us accommodations and food, the least you can do is be polite.”
“Uh, can you be a bigger loser? It’s her job.” Nicole stuffed her mouth with a forkful of pancakes.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s her job or not, Trudy has been nothing but kind and she deserves to be treated with dignity. So if you can’t be nice, maybe you should just shut the fuck up.” Freed from the fear of what these women thought of her, Kaliah was unafraid to share her opinion.
Nicole dropped her fork and her mouth fell open, revealing a lump of chewed food. “I know you’re not talking to me.” Food tumbled out of her mouth.
“And if I am you’re not going to do anything about it because you’re all talk. You’ve been nasty to me the entire trip and I’ve done nothing to you. So from now on how about you leave me alone and I’ll do the same.”
“Bitch I will—”
“Nothing. You won’t do anything.” Kaliah looked her straight in the eyes refusing to break eye contact. She would no longer be intimidated by this woman.
Nicole held her stare for several moments before snorting and looking away. “You are so annoying.” She pushed away from the table and stormed out of the dining room.
“Oh my, I should go check on her,” Trudy said, following Nicole out of the dining room.
Kaliah would have told her not to bother but the proprietress had already left. Once she was alone again, Kaliah released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
It felt good to finally stand up for herself. She needed to do that more often.
By the time Trudy returned, with a tray in her hand, Kaliah had finished eating her breakfast.
“I thought I’d go ahead and bring you some tea. It will help calm down your nerves. This is my special blend.” She placed a floral tea cup in front of Kaliah.
“Thank you, Trudy. You didn’t have to get anything else for me.”
“Oh, no, it’s my pleasure dear. I’m just sorry you and your traveling companions aren’t getting along.”
Kaliah took a small sip from the cup before responding. The tea had a bitter taste to it but the sweetness made it bearable. “It’s fine. I think after we part ways, I won’t be seeing much of them again. In fact, I was wondering if maybe I could stay on at the B&B for a few more days and then find the nearest train station to get back home. I could use some peace and quiet and from what I’ve seen of this town, I think this would be the ideal vacation spot for me.”
Trudy grinned. “I’d be delighted if you’d stay a while longer. I know the rest of the people in town would be so happy to have you as well. A pretty little thing like you would definitely garner attention around here.”
Kaliah laughed. “That’s kind of you to say but I’m definitely not here for that. But I would like to explore the town for a bit. I’d like to see that waterfall up close.”
“I can arrange that.” Trudy eyed her cup. “Finish your tea, dear. Like I said it’s my special blend. It will relax you and it’s good for digestion.”
Kaliah wasn’t particularly crazy about the taste but didn’t want to be rude so she took another sip.
With Trudy watching her expectantly, she felt obligated to drink more until the cup was nearly empty.
“Now you’ll feel much better. Let me clear these dishes away. I don’t think anyone else is eating this morning.” Trudy brought the cart out.
There had been so much food on the table, Kaliah was certain it was for all the guests at the B&B. Only she and Nicole had eaten. Brianna didn’t eat and Sasha hadn’t come down yet so it was odd Trudy would be putting everything away now.
Then again, Brianna and Sasha could fend for themselves.
“Let me help you with that.” She stood up and immediately the room began to spin. She wobbled on her feet and clutched the table to keep herself from falling.