Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Alrighty, then.
“Remington told me he loves me yesterday,” I whisper to Millie as I walk up beside her to give her the order to make.
“What?” She almost spills hot milk on herself, and I quickly grab a towel to help her.
“I said it first,” I clarify. “I couldn’t help myself, and then he said it back, and it was really sweet.”
“Holy guacamole.” Millie wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in years. You do realize that if you marry him, you’ll be my sister.”
“No one has talked about marriage.”
“He will. Rem isn’t an alley cat; he’s a one-girl kind of man. Oh, my God, this is so exciting. I mean, I practically picked out my own sister-in-law.”
“Yes, this is all about you.”
Millie laughs and hugs me again.
“What’s going on back there?”
We both turn at the sound of Chase’s voice. He’s standing at the counter, grinning at us.
“Rem told Erin that he loves her,” she says in a mock whisper that’s loud enough for the whole world to hear.
“’Bout time,” Chase says with a nod. “He’s slow, but he’s loyal.”
I snort at that and set Clay’s coffee out for him to pick up, then walk over to take Chase’s order just as Summer walks in, holding a gorgeous bouquet of yellow daffodils. Their trumpets are just gorgeous, and when she sets them down in front of me and says, “These are for you, Erin,” I can’t help but sigh.
“Those are not ugly red roses,” Millie says.
I hear the sound of a chair scraping angrily on the floor and look up in time to see a very angry Clay stomp out of the shop.
Boy, something crawled up his butt today.
Not that I care as I stare at these gorgeous flowers.
“The card,” Summer adds, passing me the envelope. She turns her attention to Chase. “How are you, Chase?”
“Can’t complain, thanks. And you?”
“Oh, I’m as busy as a spider spinning daydreams,” she replies with a pretty, bright smile. “And that’s just the way we like it. I have to hurry back to the shop, but I wanted to get these to you right away.”
“Thank you so much,” I call after her, and then watch as Chase watches Summer leave.
When the door’s closed behind her, I grin at Chase and cross my arms over my chest.
“What?” he asks when he turns back around.
“You like her.”
“Summer? Sure, she’s nice.”
“And flat-out gorgeous,” Millie adds. “Not to mention, a great businesswoman and an all-around nice person. Oh, and Chase has had a crush on her for, like, three years.”
“I have not.”
“Wow. Three years is a long time. Maybe you should ask her out.”
Chase’s eyes narrow. “Is my coffee done yet?”
“Here you go,” Millie says sweetly and passes it to him. “Erin, are you going to read that card?”
“Oh, yeah.” I open the envelope and take out the card.
Hey, Doc,
You deserve your favorite flowers every day.
Love,
Grumpy
“Awwww,” Millie says and covers her heart with her hands.
“Boy, Rem can be sappy when he wants to be,” Chase puts in.
“It’s not sappy, it’s romantic,” I counter. “Now, go ask Summer out on a date.”
“I’m outta here,” Chase says and takes his coffee right out the door.
“I love pestering my brothers,” Millie says with a happy sigh. “It means I’m using my sister powers for evil, rather than good.”
I laugh at that and then feel my phone vibrate with a text. Frowning, I check it because no one ever pings me when I’m at work.
“Oh, it’s Roger.” I read the text and feel my heart speed up. “Oh, God, he’s hurt. He needs me. Mill—”
“Go,” she says immediately as I untie my apron and shove my phone into my pocket. “Just go, I’ve got this.”
I hop into the Suburban and drive faster than I should the short distance to Roger’s house. I’ve barely turned the engine off when I’m sprinting up the sidewalk to the front door and use my key to get inside.
“Rog?” I call out, my heart in my throat. “Where are you, Roger?”
“Oh, he’s not here.”
I freeze at the sound of that voice.
I know that voice.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Erin
This can’t be happening.
That’s all that keeps running through my mind as I stare at Clay. This can’t be happening. Because that voice doesn’t belong to Clay; it belongs to Steven Turner, the man who made my life a living hell before he was put in prison.
“Clay?” I ask, my mind whirling as I try to figure out what to do. “Where’s Roger?”
“I don’t care,” he says and shoves his hands into his pockets. The southern accent is nowhere in sight. “He’s not here. And don’t call me Clay. Clay is a pussy role I played to get close to you.”
“I didn’t even recognize you,” I murmur. I’m shocked that I can hear anything over the pounding in my ears. “You’re supposed to be in Washington.”