by BK Rivers
I pull through the McDonald’s drive-thru, grabbing a quick breakfast to eat in the car, and arrive five minutes early to work. Once inside, I flip on all the lights, clock in, and start a pot of coffee in the back room. Julia wanders in a couple hours later wearing a big grin, flowing cotton pants, and a loose linen shirt that ties at the collar. She looks ready for a beach vacation sans the big floppy hat.
“So, I have some news,” she says, setting her purse under the front counter. Her eyes scan the store with love and admiration before settling back on me.
“Let me guess,” I say, grinning. “You’re leaving for Hawaii and taking me with you?” I laugh, secretly wishing it were true. I’d love to visit Hawaii.
“Sadly, no. But my news is almost as good.” Julia unfolds a chair from behind the counter and asks for me to sit. She unfolds another and sits in front of me. Why do I feel like I’m about to receive an unwelcome lecture?
“My husband has finally retired,” she says, unable to stop the smile that lights up her face. She’s never mentioned her husband and I never thought to ask if she was married, so this is news to me. “He wants us to move to Florida and I’ve agreed.”
Um…what? My jaw falls and I have no idea where to look because I’m suddenly feeling like I’m about to lose my job.
“Wow. That’s…great?” My voice is thick with confusion and threatening to quake with hurt.
“I know! I can hardly believe it. He’s been saying he would retire for almost five years now. But he’s done it and he’s ready to move. I’ve always wanted to live there and this is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for.”
My cheeks puff out as I exhale a deep breath. “So what will you do with the bookstore?” In other words, I guess I’ll be job hunting…again.
“That’s the best part,” she says, practically squealing. “Nothing. I have you now. You can run the store!”
If my jaw drops any more, I’ll be eating flies for lunch. “You want me to run the store? Like…be the boss?” Julia nods eagerly. “I’m honored, but are you sure? I mean, I’ve only worked for you about a month. I don’t know everything there is to running the store.”
Julia playfully slaps my knee and laughs at my outburst. “Of course I’ll train you for the next two weeks, but then if you’re up for it, the store is yours. You’ll need to hire someone to come in part time and I can help you with that.”
“Why would you leave me in charge? I just don’t understand.” Stuff like this never happens in the real world, which is why I probably sound like the most ungrateful person alive.
“When you stepped inside that first day, I knew there was something special about you. You’re a great person, Stacey, and I know you’re way more capable of running this place than you believe. I trust you and think you deserve this.”
Julia retrieves her purse from under the counter, stands, and folds the chair back up. Her eyes travel the store once again and then she turns back to me.
“Tell you what. I have some errands to run today but will be back before you leave. Take the day to think about it and tell me your decision tomorrow. Okay?”
I slowly nod my head, still in shock. Julia smiles graciously, pats my shoulder, and leaves me alone in the store with my head spinning. Never in my life would I have guessed something like this would happen. That being said, do I want to run a bookstore the rest of my life? Or at least for the foreseeable future? She didn’t say I had to stay forever, yet what else would I do? The thought of going back to college makes my stomach turn. But if I accept, it means staying here in Warner for who knows how long.
Sure, I moved here to be closer to Reggie, and I’m grateful to be here. But can I see calling Warner my home for the next five years or longer? So far, I don’t have anything tying me here, and technically I’m homeless since the house I’m renting is torn apart.
Holy crap, my life is a mess.
Chapter 22
Ace
Getting caught with your hand moving over your morning wood isn’t particularly how I envisioned my day starting. Nor, as my vision clears, is the note sitting on the kitchen cabinet. Like hell she’s going to stay at a hotel until the house is finished. My fist crumples the paper and I toss it in the trash. Not freaking happening. Back in the living room, I pull my phone from off the end table and shoot off a text to Stacey.
Me: Your ass had better be sleeping in my bed when I get back home tonight.
Shit! Why is it everything I say always comes out wrong? And why has no one invented a text-retracting feature? Like somehow you should be able to cancel or edit a text up to two minutes after you’ve sent it. Because shit like what I’ve just texted will always be interpreted wrong.
Me: You know what I mean.
There. Maybe that will clear the air.
Stacey: (…)
Damn that ellipsis. In the end, she doesn’t respond, and it pisses me off. I head to the basement to run off some steam instead of stewing about how this girl has found her way under my skin and how it terrifies me. I tried so hard last night to push her away, and in the end, I obviously got what I wanted. But it sure as hell doesn’t feel very good. In fact, my chest is so tight it’s making running on the elliptical very difficult.
Sufficiently worked up after trying to run and then weight lifting, I head back upstairs to shower. Since working a double, I have the day off, but I need to run to the station and bring Duke home. His training will be done today and I miss him. That dog has saved me in more ways than I can count.
I shrug on a vintage t-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting sweats and head to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Ethan sits at the table eating some toast and scrolling through texts or something on his phone.
“You missed an amazing dinner,” he says with a mouthful of toast.
“Yeah?” I pull open the door to the fridge and can’t help the twinge in my throat at the plate of food sitting on the shelf covered in plastic wrap. Damn, she saved me some dinner and I essentially made her so uncomfortable she moved out.
“I’m an asshole,” I mumble, which makes Ethan’s head pop up.
“You just figuring that out?” he asks with a smirk.
“Shut up.” I pull off the plastic wrap and stick the plate in the microwave. Nothing wrong with a little steak and potatoes for breakfast, especially when it smells as good as this does. By the time the food is heated through, my mouth is watering. I grab a knife and fork and join Ethan at the table. The first bite of steak has me moaning like a man starved. “Holy shit, this is good.”
Ethan smiles, nodding his head. “She also made brownies. Homemade.” He jerks his chin toward the fridge and I jump up, grabbing the pan, practically salivating. “Can we keep her?” Ethan bats his eyelashes and rests his chin on the backs of his hands on the table.
“We can’t make her live here just to feed your fat ass,” I say between bites of steak and potato. “Besides, she’s not coming back.”
Ethan sits ramrod straight in his chair and narrows his eyes at me. “You gonna tell me what you did to make her leave? Because you really are an asshole if you did something to hurt her.” He abandons the last half of his piece of toast, eyeing me like he’s challenging me to tell him just how cruel I was to her last night. My breakfast eaten and my attitude tanking, I stand and move to the counter.
“I kissed her,” I say, tossing my fork into the sink.
“Yeah, so what?” The look on his face tells me he’s not surprised.
“She told you?” Of course she told him. Apparently, my life has suddenly become an open forum. “Oh, and thanks for telling her about Marley, you ass.”
“So you kissed her. What’s the big deal?”
“She’s not Marley,” I answer with a huff. “Besides, I told her it wouldn’t happen again and that it was a mistake.”
“Jesus. Are you really still that effed up over what happened?” He gathers his plate and discards the remnants of his breakfast in the trash. He stands beside me at the
counter with his arms folded across his chest. “Man, you need to move on. Marley’s gone and it wasn’t freaking your fault.”
“I should have seen the signs,” I say, feeling the breath catching in my lungs. “So, yeah. It was my fault.”
“What are you going to do about Stacey? I see the way you look at her and I know you wouldn’t have kissed her if there wasn’t something there.”
I push off the counter and release a shaky breath. “I’m not going to do anything about her. I’m no good for her—you and I both know that.”
“That’s a crap excuse, Ace. She’s good for you and you for her. Girls like her don’t come around every day, and if you don’t do something about this, she’s going to get away from you. Hell, I’d ask her out if I thought she’d go for it.”
The hell he will. The hairs on my neck raise and my muscles tense just thinking about Ethan and Stacey together.
“Why haven’t you asked her out? She means nothing to me.” Lies. Godawful lies. My only saving grace is Stacey’s not here listening to us go back and forth. If saying this sends a shooting pain throughout my body, I can only imagine what it would do to her. To be fair, it would be the end of this thing between us.
“You’re not only an asshole, but you’re the dumbest dude I know. That girl’s crazy about you and I’m fairly certain you know it.”
I shrug and stalk out of the kitchen. I’m done talking about this with Ethan. He’s my brother-in-law and I won’t disrespect Marley or her family by discussing another woman.
My keys are in my room and when I step inside, Stacey’s scent wraps around me and I silently curse myself for putting her in my bed. Peaches and lilies have stained my sheets, my pillows, and my soul. Shit. Not my soul…just…ah hell. In a burst of frustration, I yank off the sheets and toss them into the dirty clothes, noting the other set of sheets already in there. More laundry, more peaches and lilies, and more thoughts of Stacey.
Stacey. Stacey. Stacey.
***
By the time I’m at the station, my nerves are shot. I park my motorcycle, storm into the building, and breeze past reception without so much as a passing glance. Heads turn my way as I cut through the desks and make my way to the rear of the building where the kennels are. Duke’s there. He’ll make everything better.
“Hey, Blevins, I’m here to pick up Duke,” I say to the paunchy older man sitting at the kennel desk. He shoves his glasses up over his nose and waves me through. As soon as I see my dog’s eyes, my pulse lowers and I can finally breathe. I slide the lock open, clip the leash to his collar, and thank Blevins. Every few months, Duke undergoes a week of intensive training, which is more like a refresher course, and I miss him terribly when he’s gone. I’ve learned to not only put my life in his hands when we’re out on a bust together, but he’s my family.
Outside the building, I trade my motorcycle for the K-9 SUV and drive home to spend some much needed time with Duke.
After a run in the park, a few games of fetch, and wrestling, Duke’s worn out and I’m starved. It’s after six, which means Stacey will be done working for the day, and if I wasn’t such a jerk, she’d be on her way here. But I’m a jerk and she’s not coming here.
I really want her here.
And so it’s time to apologize and pull off my biggest lie yet.
Me: You can have the couch.
Me: I don’t want you to stay at a hotel.
Stacey: I’m fine, Ace. Gonna stay at the Motel 6 down the street.
I want to beat my phone on my forehead and yell at her at the same time. Why is she acting so stubborn?
Me: Fine. I’ll come steal your room key so you can’t stay there. Such a waste of money.
Stacey: You wouldn’t.
Me: Try me.
Stacey: (…)
Me: Please.
Stacey: Fine. But you’re cooking dinner tonight.
Dinner. I can do dinner.
Stacey pulls up outside the house twenty minutes later and my pulse skyrockets. Duke whines when her car door shuts and he races to the window. Ethan’s head pops up from the back of the couch and he eyes me suspiciously. When she knocks, I remember the lie I’ve promised myself and take a couple deep breaths before pulling the door open. Friends. We’re just going to be friends.
“Hey,” she says through a whispered breath, and my heart lurches in my chest. Her hand moves to tuck a stray hair behind her ear and then my dog nudges her thigh, making her shriek. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Duke, away,” I order. He obeys, leaving Stacey and me standing awkwardly at the front door. She steps around and I close it, and then follow her to the couch. Ethan, Stacey, and I all sit stiffly while we wait on the pizza to be delivered.
“So that’s Duke?” she asks, turning her head to the pile of black and brown fur curled in a ball in the corner of the room. At the sound of his name, his ears perk up and he lifts his head, looking for permission to come meet our guest.
“Here,” I say, and Duke jumps to his feet and saunters over. His big brown eyes look Stacey over before he sits at my feet.
“Can I pet him?” she asks, tentatively holding out her hand. I nod and she falls to her knees on the floor getting on Duke’s level. My throat clenches as her hand absentmindedly falls to my thigh.
“He’s beautiful. I’ve always thought German Shepherds were amazing dogs,” she says, scratching behind his ears.
“Thanks, he came all the way from Germany as a pup.” I stifle a laugh threatening to burst from my lips as I remember teasing Marley about Duke’s language skills. “He didn’t understand a lick of English when I first got him so I had to give him all his commands in German.”
“Really? I never thought about dogs understanding different languages.” She’s running her hand down his back now and has finally removed her other hand from my thigh, leaving a warm tingle that’s quickly turning cold. Ethan and I laugh, both knowing where this conversation is headed.
“What?” Stacey glances up at Ethan and then me, her brown eyes dancing with curiosity.
“Oh, nothing,” Ethan says, balling his fist on the couch. He’s trying to contain his laughter as much as I am. “Why don’t you teach her some of those German phrases, Ace?”
I shoot him a death glare, but cave, knowing the phrases I’m about to say are nothing short of vulgar. I shrug, sit up straight, and scoot my back against the couch as I bring out my best German accent. “Kommen Sie auf meinem Schoß sitzen. Zeig mir deine Brüste.” I pull my lips between my teeth, holding in the laugh, but can’t fight my spreading lips.
“What do those mean?”
“Come. And lay down,” I lie, totally unable to contain my laughter.
“Wow. That’s a lot of German words compared to their English counterparts,” she says, totally oblivious that I just asked her to come sit on my lap and show me her boobs.
Chapter 23
Stacey
Ace makes me dizzy with how much he flip-flops. One minute he’s hot, the next cold—I swear he’s going to give me whiplash from his mood changes. This Ace, the relaxed and laid back version, is good and I like him very much. The way his eyes shine with love for his dog brings out an almost childish quality in him, like maybe he never had a dog as a kid and now he has one.
Eventually, Duke grows tired of me scratching behind his ears and nuzzling him and he returns to the corner of the living room. My duffle bag is still in my car but when I mention I need to grab it, Ace jumps off the couch and asks for my keys. Both Ethan and I glance up, wondering where the fire is.
“This has got to be one of the most awkward situations I’ve ever been in,” Ethan says when Ace disappears out the front door. He huffs a breath and clasps his hands together behind his head, bumping my head with his elbow. “Sorry. How are you holding up?”
“Does it matter? I just want to have my own place again and not be in anyone’s way.” I scoot over about a foot, steering clear of Ethan’s spear-like elbows. Ace return
s, my duffle bag slung over his shoulder, and his eyes travel between Ethan and me before he grunts and stalks back to his bedroom.
“As long as you cook more food like last night, you sure as heck won’t be in my way,” Ethan teases, flashing a wide, toothy grin.
“I see how it is. You talked Ace into letting me stay so you could use me for my mad skills in the kitchen.”
“You know it,” he says before standing and saying good night. His shift starts early in the morning so he makes his excuses to get to bed early. And by early, I mean 9 p.m. early.
“You scare him off?” Ace teases from the hall. He takes the cushion next to me, leaving little space between us. My body doesn’t realize we’re just doing the whole “friends” thing and it warms at his proximity. If body heat had fingers, mine would be tracing the muscles in Ace’s arms and abs and possibly dipping lower.
But we’re just friends.
“No, he needed to go to bed,” I say, scooting to the other end of the couch. “Duke is pretty cool.” Body, meet distraction in the form of Duke the police dog.
Ace gives me one of his rare real smiles and scoops the remote off the coffee table. For the next forty minutes we stare at the TV, watching some spy show I can’t follow. Julia’s offer is running around in my mind and I’m working out the pros and cons of accepting.
“Keep that up and you’ll have nothing left of your fingers,” Ace says, startling me out of concentration. I glance down at my hands and realize I’ve chewed off all my fingernails and have come dangerously close to the quick. “You okay? Not sure I’ve ever seen you so focused on giving yourself a manicure using your teeth.”
I twist on the couch so I’m facing Ace and tuck my feet under a pillow, warming my cold toes. “My boss offered to let me run the bookstore so she and her husband can retire in Florida.” I shiver from the slight chill in the room and pull another pillow over my chest.