Between Friends
Page 18
Ginny handed her a lint roller. “You’ll need this when you get out. We took the dogs to the dog park today and someone forgot to vacuum the backseat.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Steven said as he pulled out onto the street. Ginny smiled adorably at Steven as he continued to play dumb.
After years of struggling to get words out without a stutter, let alone share her life with someone else, Ginny was happy and that made Lauren happy even if she was now the third wheel.
Fifteen minutes later, they drove by the bar and found a spot on the street. Steven parallel parked with ease and Lauren took the time to thoroughly go over her black tights with the lint roller before passing it back to Ginny.
The Hole in the Wall was exactly that. A bar with no bells and whistles just a sign above the door with its name and a free-standing sign on the sidewalk that listed the happy hour specials. Lauren had heard of the place, now owned by Gavin Mills, the brother of Seattle’s richest man Ashton Mills and Lily May’s boyfriend, but she had never been nor had she ever met Gavin. Though if he was Ashton Mills twin then he was definitely good looking. Lauren couldn’t imagine the world being graced with two men with that bone structure, but when she followed Steven and Ginny through the door and spotted the man behind the bar, she realized the world was definitely graced twice.
He looked different than Ashton though, not nearly as proper or rigid. He had an ease with the way he moved around the bar like it was almost a part of him. His face was clean shaven unlike Ashton who liked to keep a permanent five o’clock shadow.
His eyes turned to her, bright blue and beautiful, and he smiled. It was warm, friendly and welcoming, and though she imagined he greeted all the guests with that exact same tilt of the lips, for some reason an excited jilt rushed through her, causing her cheeks to heat and her head to dart down.
“You made it!” Lily May exclaimed, hurrying over to them in her bright pink dress pants with a white sheer shirt tucked in. Not many people could pull off such a bright color but when you looked like you walked right out of a Barbie box like Lily May did, it was as if clothes like that were made for her.
“We did.” Ginny gave Lily May a hug before Lily May smacked a kiss on Steven’s cheek.
“Lauren!” Lily May exclaimed and the four other people who were in the bar stopped what they were doing and looked. Lily May didn’t even notice them as she drew Lauren in for a hug. She pulled back resting her hands on Lauren’s arms. “I can’t believe you came!”
Lauren shot a glance in Steven’s direction then down to the inside pocket of his coat where he held her book hostage. “I didn’t really have a choice,” she said. “But now that I’m here I’m happy I came.” She glanced over at the bar where Gavin was handing over a pint glass. Lauren quickly snapped her attention away, but it wasn’t quick enough. Lily May’s eyebrow shot up, a spark ignited in her big blue eyes.
“Let me introduce you to Gavin.” Lily May grabbed her hand and pulled her to the bar, for a petite thing she sure had an iron grip. Defenseless, Lauren followed, plastering on a smile and wishing she would have looked in a mirror before heading out the door.
The door opened and the rest of the gang walked in. Lauren went to walk over to say hello when she got caught in Lily May’s iron grip again.
“Gavin!” she called and waved her hand to him.
He excused himself from the conversation he was having and came over to where they stood at the bar. “I wanted you to meet my friend Lauren.”
Lauren gave an awkward wave.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, holding his hand out.
She swallowed then reached out to accept. His hand dwarfed her hand as he gave it a strong shake. Their eyes met and now that she was close, she could see the different shades of blue that made up the beautiful color.
“Isn’t she just as cute as a peach,” Lily May said and Lauren froze in shock and embarrassment.
She went to pull her hand away when Gavin smiled. “Cuter,” he said and to keep herself from looking like a pathetic school girl with a crush she yanked her hand away and forced herself to get a grip.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said then glanced around the bar and watched as Lily May sneakily left them alone. “Great place you have here.” Though that was a bit of a lie since there was a roped off corner under construction and the rest of the décor looked like it hadn’t been updated since the Space Needle was erected.
Pride shown in the deep blue of his eyes. “Thanks. It needs a little TLC but I’m working on it.”
The bell above the door sounded and the infamous Ashton Mills stepped inside. He looked around the bar, his eyebrows furrowing as he approached.
“This place looks like a shithole,” Ashton said before he even sat down on a stool. The door hadn’t even shut yet.
The friendly disposition Gavin had sported from the minute Lauren spotted him distorted and she thought it best to remove herself from the brother’s conversation.
She excused herself, and found a stool at the end of the bar. Steven’s coat hung on a hook and she reached inside, grabbing her book.
It was time to forget about her own fantasies and catch up with Abigail.
End of Excerpt
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Romance for all Seasons
After the Night
Across the Street
Under the Tree
Going Down
Between Friends
Behind the Stick
Summer Nights
Coming Summer 2019
Bay Breeze
Tequila Sunrise
Blue Lagoon
Sex on the Beach
Sandra Marie is in love with all things holidays and all things romance! After settling in with a big cup of hot cocoa—with lots of whipped cream—she spends her time with quirky and fun characters.
Romance for all Seasons is her debut series
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Between Friends
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sneak Peek for Behind the Stick
Also by Sandra
About the Author