Instead of going straight to the store, I opt to swing by the local coffee shop and bakery to grab a coffee and some muffins. Blueberry’s always been Daddy’s favorite, and I’m sure he would love some for breakfast in the morning. I park the car and head inside.
The shop is little and quaint. It’s exactly what you’d expect a small-town bakery to look like. The place has a long white counter in the front with little iron-legged tables, topped with rough wood. The chairs are made of the same iron and wood, and the decor is mostly framed pictures of baked goodies. Walking in, I inhale the scent of fresh-baked bread, donuts, and muffins.
“Hi, can I help you?” the girl behind the counter asks.
“Yes, I’ll take a large coffee—three sugars and one cream—and a half-dozen of your blueberry muffins, please.”
She rings it all up. “That’ll be $10.49.”
I hand over my card and she swipes it before handing it back.
“It’ll be just a few minutes,” she says, going to gather the items.
“Sally, when you finish with that order, would you mind running a coffee and donut over to the Wilsons’? Poor Merry-Anne fell again and is back to being bedridden,” someone says. That voice sounds familiar.
I spin around and am face to face with my old best friend, Julie—the one who always flirted with Wyatt. The one he kissed on prom night.
My mouth drops open, as does hers, but she recovers quickly and puts on a smile. “Destiny, how have you been?” she asks sweetly.
I shake my head and force a smile onto my lips. “I’m good. You?”
She nods as she walks over to the edge of the counter. “I’m good. Bought this place a few years ago.”
“That’s great. I had no idea. How’s Mark? You two still together?” I ask, knowing that they got married right after high school.
She pulls her eyes away. “We got divorced about a year ago. I got custody of little Jimmy, though, and he got . . . well,” she laughs, “he got crabs from the woman he was cheating on me with.”
I can’t help but laugh along with her.
“Do . . . do you have time to sit down and catch up?”
I look at my watch. I’m not worried about time. Really, I’m trying to decide if I want to stay. I haven’t spoken with Julie since prom night. I ignored all calls until I left for college, when the calls stopped completely.
The things that happened between us took place so long ago. It seems silly to be hanging on to that all this time, so I reply, “Sure, I have a few minutes.”
I’m handed my coffee and the box of muffins. I take both and we head over to a table to sit down.
“So, what are you doing back in town?”
“My dad had a stroke.”
“I heard about that. How’s he doing?”
“He’s recovering, but he has a long way to go. I just came home to help my mom take care of him. It’s hard on her to take care of his every need while keeping up with the house.”
“I’m so sorry. That’s nice of you to give up your time to help them.”
I pick up my coffee and take a sip. “Well, I didn’t really see a choice in the matter. I gave up my apartment and my job, then packed my whole life into a single duffel bag.”
There’s a long, awkward silence between the two of us. Finally, she takes a deep breath. “Listen, about Wyatt . . .”
I hold up my hand, silencing her. “I really don’t want to even go there, Julie. It was a long time ago. I mean, that’s high school drama.”
She nods. “I know, but I never got the chance to explain. I really did think he was Mark. He came up behind me and started kissing my neck. I just spun around and kissed him so fast that it never occurred to me it might not be him. We’d all been drinking so much that night . . .”
I nod. “I didn’t drink a drop that night. And it doesn’t even really matter. Not anymore. Let’s just put all of that behind us.”
“Really?”
“Already forgotten,” I reply.
She smiles wide. “Let’s go out tonight. We can grab some dinner, hit up the bar, have a few drinks, and catch up some more. What do you say?”
“I don’t know. I just got back into town.”
“Oh, come on. One night of fun and then you can focus on your family. I don’t know about you, but I could really blow off some steam.”
I smile and nod. “Not tonight. It’s my first night home. Tomorrow night?”
“Perfect.”
“But this can’t become a regular thing. I really am needed at home.”
“Cross my heart,” she replies, creating an X over her heart with her index finger. “Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Meet me here?”
I nod. “Sounds good.” I grab my box of muffins and head toward the door to get to the store.
* * *
GRAB Loves Me NOT HERE!
READ THE REST OF THE SLADE BROTHERS HERE
Billionaire’s Unexpected Bride
Off Limits Daddy
Loves me NOT
Best Friend’s Sister
Also by Alexis Winter
Castille Hotel Series
Hate That I Love You
Business & Pleasure
Baby Mistake
Fake It
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South Side Boys Series
Bad Boy Protector-Book 1
Fake Boyfriend-Book 2
Brother-in-law’s Baby-Book 3
Bad Boy’s Baby-Book 4
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Mountain Ridge Series
Just Friends: Mountain Ridge Book 1
Protect Me: Mountain Ridge Book 2
Baby Shock: Mountain Ridge Book 3
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Make Her Mine Series
My Best Friend’s Brother
Billionaire With Benefits
My Boss’s Sister
My Best Friend’s Ex
Best Friend’s Baby
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**ALL BOOKS CAN BE READ AS STAND-ALONE READS WITHIN THESE SERIES**
About the Author
Alexis Winter is a contemporary romance author who loves to share her steamy stories with the world. She specializes in billionaires, alpha males and the women they love.
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If you love to curl up with a good romance book you will certainly enjoy her work. Whether it's a story about an innocent young woman learning about the world or a sassy and fierce heroin who knows what she wants you,'re sure to enjoy the happily ever afters she provides.
When Alexis isn't writing away furiously, you can find her exploring the Rocky Mountains, traveling, enjoying a glass of wine or petting a cat.
You can find her books on Amazon or here: https://www.alexiswinterauthor.com/
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