Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
His eyes flash to angry in a heartbeat. “I’m glad the sonofabitch is dead.”
Molly
“Molly, there are a couple of women in the kitchen asking to see you.”
I pull my attention from my spreadsheets to look at my chef. I’m not even supposed to be here today, so I have no idea who’d be looking for me. “Who?”
She shrugs. Justine is great with the cooking and planning the meals, but when it comes to giving messages or, you know, basic interpersonal communication skills, she definitely falls a bit short. Since potential catering clients talk to me and not her, I overlook it.
I push out of my chair and follow her back to the kitchen.
“Brayden’s sister and that hot Indian chick,” the sous chef says when he spots me. “They went to the tasting room.”
“Thanks.” I weave my way through the staff doing the prep work for tomorrow’s dinner and push into the tasting room side of the building. There, at the far table, are Teagan and Shay. “My sous chef called you ‘that hot Indian chick,’” I tell Teagan.
She rubs her hands together and waggles her brows. “And is he single?”
“Single,” I say with a nod, “but only twenty-one.”
“Single, legal, and knows how to cook.” She shrugs. “Please give him my number.”
I laugh and then look between her and Shay. “What are you two doing here?”
“Rescuing you from yourself,” Shay says. “All you do is work!”
I smile at my friends. “There’s a lot to be done.”
“But it’s your day off!”
“I’m opening a new business. Days off will come later.”
Teagan waves away my objection. “That doesn’t mean you can’t make time for your girls.”
I gape in mock offense. “Hey, Nic’s bachelorette party is Thursday night, and I promised I’d be there. It’s on my schedule.”
Shay grins. “Teagan and I wanted to steal you before then.”
I cock a brow, waiting.
Teagan makes a show of looking around the empty room, as if she’s about to spill state secrets. “The other girls are all too sweet to tell us no when we want to go out, but you know they’d rather be at home bumping uglies with their Jackson boys.”
Shay cringes. “Those boys are my brothers. Can we not talk about what they’re bumping?”
Teagan chortles shamelessly. “Anyway, we’re starting some super-secret single ladies’ dates.”
I try to smile. I really, really do, but I’m pretty sure a mirror would confirm that I look more nauseated than happy. “That sounds . . . great.”
“Liar,” Shay says, standing and linking her arm with mine. “You hate the idea of getting stuck at the singles’ table.”
I laugh. “I have no objection to the singles’ table. If anything, I’d like to reserve my spot, but the nights out . . .” I shrug. “I have a kid I already miss too many evenings with. I’m not sure I’m excited about missing more time with him.”
“Understandable,” Shay says, and the girls lead me through the kitchen and back to my office.
“Which is why we’re the perfect friends,” Teagan says. “Shay’s schedule is flexible, and my twelve-hour shifts mean I only like to go out on my days off, but I’m not restricted to nights.”
Shay grabs my coat off the hook inside my office. “What she’s saying is we’re taking you to breakfast. At least once a week, just to make sure you don’t turn into a workaholic zombie like my brother.”
“Oh.” I grin. I can do breakfast. “I think that’s actually a fabulous idea.” Mornings are the best for me to get in some friend time without missing out with Noah, and I’ve pretty much wrapped up everything I wanted to do here this morning anyway. “Where are we going?”
“Jordan’s Inn,” Shay says.
Teagan nods. “They have a mimosa bar and the best omelets I’ve ever had in my life. Before my first brunch there, I didn’t even know eggs could be orgasmic.”
I arch a brow. “Champagne and orgasmic eggs, all before ten a.m. on a Monday? I’m afraid to ask what else you ladies have planned.”
“Oh, just you wait,” Shay says.
I head down the hall to let Brayden know I’m out for the day, but I find his office door shut and the lights off. That’s not like him at all. Barring when he leaves for meetings, he’s usually working at his desk all morning Monday through Friday—if not on weekends too.
“I think he had plans this morning,” Shay says when she notices me staring at the closed door. “Come on, let’s go do some day drinking.”
Teagan flashes her a smile that looks suspiciously conspiratorial.
“What are you two up to?” I ask.
“Not a thing. Just taking our new bestie to breakfast.”
Brayden
“God, look at you!” Sara squeezes my biceps and pulls me into a hug. I swallow hard as she curls herself into my chest. I don’t know what to do with my arms, my hands. I awkwardly pat her shoulders, but if she notices my reluctance to return her embrace, she doesn’t let on. “You’re still the most handsome guy in town.”