Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
“I expect nothing less. Well, I thought you’d con some of the young men to help you out around here, you old cougar,” I toss her a wink.
“I’ve got to save some chores for you, or you won’t have a reason to come back.”
“You’re my reason to come back, Nana. You and that Sweet Peach tea.”
“I thought you’d bring me a little woman with you this time. Maybe that assistant of yours?”
“No, no woman, and Felicity’s good at her job, but she’s not for me. I don’t know a single thing about her personally, and frankly, I never cared to learn more than the basics. Does that make me a terrible person?”
“No, as long as she doesn’t see it that way, you’re okay.”
“She doesn’t. She has had a long-time boyfriend until recently, so I’m not afraid of that. She’s just worried about losing her job. Hollywood’s fickle, and a hundred assistants are looking for an actor to hire them, so she’s got to keep on her toes. I’m taking a break, and she’s worried that I’m retiring.”
“Are you?”
“…I’m not sure.”
“And you wonder why she’s concerned. You might not know her well, but it’s her job to know you quite well.”
“Thanks, Nana. I can always count on you to remind me how much I’m being an ass. I’m going to give her a call by the end of the week to let her know if she should truly start looking for another boss.”
“Good boy. Now, I’ve got a clogged sink. The toolbox is in the garage. I’ll get your tea, and you can get to work.”
“I missed you too.” I kiss her cheek and take myself to the garage, only to spot a curly-haired redhead riding past the house on a pale blue bike. Our eyes meet briefly, and her mouth parts, but she goes riding on. I want to ask my nana where she came from and who she is, but then she’d ask too many questions.
“Ah, you’ve spotted the lovely Georgia King,” my Nana says, coming to stand beside me with a cup of tea.
“Is she a neighbor?”
“We’re all neighbors in Temptation, boy. Have you forgotten?”
“I don’t think I remember meeting her before.”
“You were gone before she even moved in with her grandparents.” Well, that’s a good thing because she was a little too young for me back then, but now…
Chapter Two
Georgia
“Any news on the man visiting Mrs. Barrymore?” I asked Chet while we ate lunch together.
“No, I didn’t know a man was visiting her. What makes you think there’s someone there?” His brows scrunched together in confusion. I felt the same way because no one ever sees Mrs. Barrymore with any guests unless it’s someone we know. Although she does hint at a famous grandson. Not that I would know because I hardly have time for those things, and if I do find leisure time, my nose is stuck in a book.
“I saw him in her garage nearly a week ago, and then I saw him in town twice.” The man was a gorgeous specimen. Although Chet’s handsome, too, so that doesn’t tell me anything about the guy. He was about the same height, but instead of blond, he had medium brown hair and a surfer’s build.
“Really? Are you sure it wasn’t someone doing some maintenance on her property?”
“Maybe I’ll stop by and check on her to see if she’s doing fine.”
“You’re not going over there if there’s some guy on her property,” Chet insists. Now is the time he wants to act like the protective and jealous boyfriend. I hardly have his attention now. Just before he was stuffing his face, he was on his phone, scrolling his social media.
I roll my eyes. “Whatever. I’m not in the mood for your crap. As it is, I’m in the middle of dealing with enough paperwork for a week.”
“So, are we on for tomorrow night?” Wow, no apology or anything.
“Yes,” I answer, my tone non-committal. Chet’s on my last nerve lately, and I wonder if our relationship has fizzled out. After two years and no sex, I think it’s time to call it a wash.
“Good. I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you later.” Of course, he doesn’t offer to help around here and take a load off my shoulders. Why I bothered to date him is beyond me. Two years together, and not an inch closer to sealing the deal. It’s like I’m going to die a virgin. At first, I thought it was my prudishness that made sex impossible, but he almost welcomed my standoffish behavior. I clean up our scraps from lunch and toss them in the trash before returning to work.
It took me three more hours to complete the books, and when I finally finished, my eyes were heavy. Turning off the lights, I slide on my purse and head out to my pickup truck. I’ll need it to drive to my house since I have more things to pick up in the morning. It feels like forever, but I finally make it to bed around ten-thirty, skipping lunch and dinner again for the third time this week.