by Lola StVil
The diner has gotten more successful, mostly due to her hard work and the fantastic team she has around her. Everyone agreed it was the perfect venue for our wedding reception, and while it wasn’t the glam affair most people dream of for their wedding, it was perfect for us. And it made Betty’s day when Grey told her what we planned on doing and invited her and William to the reception. She beamed with pride, telling anyone who would listen how she had inspired us. Grey put the reserved sign on their table, but when we arrived, they insisted it was our table now. Their love had blossomed at that table, and that was their gift to us. Grey had teared up at that and Betty had scolded her, telling her she would ruin her makeup.
I ended up going part-time at the hospital after a couple of months. It came to light that Dick was more of a dick than any of us imagined. He was caught by his partners embezzling money and was instantly dismissed. They had no interest in small-town life and sold off their assets at rock-bottom prices. The grocery store was bought by a young couple. I went along to a meeting with the investors. I was interested in buying the bar, not to run it, but to turn it into the free clinic I’d always dreamed of running.
Unfortunately, when I looked over the plans, I knew it would be too small for my needs, and it was bought by another couple who plan to keep it as a bar. After the meeting with the partners, they asked me what had changed my mind about the bar, and I told them it wasn’t really ideal for me. I explained that I didn’t want to keep running it as a bar, and it was too small for me.
They informed me they also owned a bank here. I told them I had no interest in running a bank and they told me they didn’t either; they had already transferred all of the customers to another branch and they were looking to sell the building, which was a lot bigger than the bar.
I went to take a look around, and it was perfect. I made an offer on the spot, which they accepted, and I turned the old bank into the free clinic for people who can’t afford insurance that I’ve dreamed of running ever since I got my medical license. Having no social life for seven years had sure made a good impression on my savings, which Grey had refused to let me use for the deposit on our house, saying that was something we had to buy together.
Now, I make a comfortable wage from working two days a week at the hospital, and I spend the other three days of my working week giving back to a community that never gave up on me, even when I almost gave up on them.
“We’re ready,” Grey calls from the hallway, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the present.
I get to my feet.
“We weady,” Jenna says from Grey’s side.
She beams as I scoop her up.
“Was it you taking forever to get ready?” I ask her. “I bet it was, wasn’t it?”
She shakes her head solemnly.
“Mommy took longer,” she announces.
I laugh as we walk down to the car.
“See. Even our two-year-old knows you take far too long getting ready,” I say.
Grey glares at me as she gets awkwardly into the car as I strap Jenna into her car seat. I laugh as I finish up and get into the driver’s seat and pull away. Grey nods down at her stomach, which is expanding almost by the day.
“You try getting ready quickly with this thing on your front,” she says. “I swear I wasn’t this big with Jenna, even toward the end. Are you sure I’m only twenty weeks?”
“Certain,” I tell her.
“Mommy fat,” Jenna announces.
“She sure is, baby,” Grey laughs.
We get to the clinic just in time for Grey’s appointment and are ushered through to the ultrasound room. Although Grey has great insurance, she insists that my team are the only doctors she trusts, and seeing as how her parents donated the money for us to add a birthing wing, it seems only fair that she can use the clinic.
Grey lies on the bed, and I sit beside it with Jenna on my knee. The door opens, and Grey’s midwife, Selena, comes in.
“Morning, guys.” She smiles.
She asks Grey a few questions, and I distract Jenna, who is trying to escape my hold. She laughs and decides she’s happy on my lap a little longer. Selena lifts Grey’s top up. She douses her with a generous helping of cold goo, which makes Grey wince.
“Slime,” Jenna announces.
Selena smiles at Jenna and runs the ultrasound wand over Grey’s stomach. She looks at the monitor and pauses, a slight frown on her face.
“Is everything alright?” Grey asks, instantly on high alert.
Selena’s face breaks into a grin, and she nods.
“Yup. Congratulations, Mom and Dad. It’s—”
“Oh no,” Grey cuts her off in alarm. “We don’t want to know the sex.”
“I know.” Selena smiles. “But I thought you might like to know that there are two of them in there.”
Grey’s jaw drops and then she looks at me and we both beam. Life really couldn’t get any more perfect than this.
THE END.
WANT MORE? MEET WYATT…
BOOK BLURB:
Winter
While climbing out of a bathroom window (don’t judge, you would have too if you met my date) I literally crash right into NYPD detective Wyatt Hunter.
Wyatt is all brawn, brains and beauty. He does things to me that I’d only read about in books. But after what happened with my ex, I can’t let another man in my bed or in my heart, no matter how much I ache for him…
Wyatt
Work is my number one focus. I don’t have time for games or anything more than the occasional one-night stand. Then this crazy lady crashed my undercover Op; Winter’s laugh is intoxicating and her curves are lethal. Her dark past has forced her to build a wall around her heart. But I don’t care what I have to do; Winter will be mine.
Chapter 1
WINTER
My date lifts the butter knife a few inches off the table and takes yet another look at his reflection on its shiny surface. He nods slightly to himself, satisfied that he is as gorgeous now as he was when he last looked—five minutes ago. I knew this date was headed downhill once we sat down and he ordered for me. Veal. I hate veal. I decided not to make a big deal and just order something else. I signal to the waitress for another menu while my date looks at his smile on the surface of the knife, yet again.
Oh please, please let there be cyanide on this dinner menu.
I scour the menu—there’s a lovely rosemary rack of lamb, a mouthwatering orange glazed duck, and a divine filet mignon with porcini mushrooms. However, there is no cyanide pill that I can quietly swallow and end my life with, thereby escaping this horror show of a first date.
“How’s your veal? It’s a specialty here. They only make it for select clientele such as myself,” my date says.
“I don’t like veal. I tried to tell you that, but—”
“It’s not like the others you’ve had. Here, try it,” he says, reaching for my fork. I pull my head back, but he follows me. I reluctantly open my mouth and let him feed me. It tastes awful. It’s soft and has a gamey taste to it. I wait for him to look at his refection in the knife again and then I spit the mushy veal into my napkin. As you can tell by now, I’m very classy.
“Roger, my sister tells me that you do a lot of charity work. What are some of the programs you work with?” I ask, determined to find something in common with him.
“Oh, no. I don’t do charity. I mean really, people need to stop begging, go out and get a job already, am I right?” he says with a booming laugh.
“Bree told me she met you at the benefit to aid Haiti.”
“Yeah, one of clients gave me a ticket, so I had to make an appearance. But other than that—it’s not my thing.”
“Charity isn’t your thing?”
“No, but you know what is my thing?”
Crawling into children’s rooms at night to swallow them whole?
“What is your thing?” I ask out loud.
“You,” he says with a cocky smirk.
It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. Roger is a real estate mogul. One that my sister said was my type. But the truth is she probably saw his black card and thought, well, it was worth a shot. But the fault lies with me. I knew better than to let my sister, Bree, set me up. This is not only my first date since Danny, it will most likely be my last.
“Winter, stop moping around the house. Danny and you are over. Get out into the world,” Bree said. She was right. In the past few months since Danny and I broke up, I happily gave my life over to Ben & Jerry ice cream and Netflix. So I pushed myself. And in order to make sure I left my house, I made my sister change my Netflix password and swear she wouldn’t give it to me until I started dating again.
I tune back in to Roger, hoping this date can still be salvaged. He’s in the middle of sharing his latest venture—selling a twenty-million-dollar home to the latest Hollywood starlet.
“Her people were so happy with my work, they invited me to her movie premier next weekend. Now, I can’t promise you will be my plus one—I mean, I do have two other dates lined up next week—but don’t fret, sweetheart, so far, you’re in the lead.”
Seriously, someone shoot me. Now.
In all fairness, I’m not sure I make the best person on a date. For one thing, I tend to live in my head—a lot. In addition, I’m also kind of a nerd. I suddenly feel my purse vibrating. I don’t need to look at it to know who’s texting me. My sister has a superpower—she can always tell when my date is about to go up in smoke. That’s usually when she texts me.
Bree: “Stop daydreaming and flirt w/ Roger!”
“This guy sucks. This date sucks. Give me my password”
“Only after you have gone on at least a dozen dates,” she writes.
“Give it to me now or I will never babysit for you again. You will spend the rest of your life at home—no hotel sex for you and Will.”
“Damn you!”
“Password. Now.”
“Fine. I-Love-My-Sis.”
“Nice try,” I text.
“Okay, okay. It’s Lily’s favorite park,” she admits.
I pull up the Netflix app on my cell, key in my niece’s info, and suddenly, I’m in.
Yes!
I stand up from the table and prepare to give him my standard sorry-this-won’t-work-for-me speech, but he’s not even facing me. He’s looking over at the waitress and flashing her his best “soap opera smile.” She blushes shyly, looks down at the floor and then back up at him. She’s giving him her “come do me” look.
Is this guy for real? Screw this. I’m out!
I take my purse, place it on my shoulder, and march towards the door. I’m about to exit when a couple enters the restaurant, holding hands and smiling. It’s Danny and his new girlfriend!
Shitshitshitshitshit!
I can’t let him see me. I’m not ready. This isn’t the right outfit. These shoes don’t send the right message. And I can only imagine what state my hair is in.
Okay, Winter Bennett. Keep it together. You are not here alone. You are on a date—a horrible one, but Danny doesn’t need to know that. Just go back to the table and look like you are having the time of your life.
I turn back towards the table only to watch what was once Roger’s mild flirtation with the waitress progress into the actual exchanging of numbers.
The things I do to watch Stranger Things and Orange Is the New Black! Damn you, Netflix!
Danny and his new super-hot model girlfriend are coming over. She’s tall like an Amazon and has long shiny “TV commercial” hair and lips that belong on makeup ads all over the world. Bitch.
Here they come…
No! I have to get out of here. Too late. He’s coming my way. A group of diners enter the foyer; I quickly duck behind them. I look around, and the only escape is the men’s room.
“Hey, I think that girl over there is—Winter!” Danny says as he gets tries to get a good look at me from behind the crowd. He comes closer, and I run to the men’s room. He follows me in.
Seriously?!
I don’t stop to think or reason in any way. I just open the window and hurl myself down to the dumpster below. I land in the large metal bin filled with trash headfirst. My arm scrapes against a large glass fragment, causing a painful and bloody gash. I howl in pain as I place my hand over my wound.
I frantically search for my purse, but it’s nowhere to be found. I drag myself over to the side of the bin and climb out. A few feet away, two dark figures are carrying on a conversation. The alley is too dark to see them fully but I’m hoping they will see me as I wave my hand and call out, “Hey! Excuse me! Fellas, can I use your phone? I need to call a—”
“Get down!” someone shouts behind me. I turn just in time to see a large figure crash into me and send me flying to the concrete floor. Shots are fired overhead, and the figure orders me to stay down. Everything happens so fast, it’s hard to know which came first—the hail of bullets, the shouting, or the sirens. I shut my eyes and bury my face in my hands as if that could somehow stop the bullets from making contact with me.
“Donavan is heading down Sixth Ave., cut him off!” he orders in a deep commanding voice on what sounds like a walkie-talkie.
“On it!” someone replies from the other end.
“What the hell is your problem, lady?” the man demands of me. I open my eyes to curse him out like any true New Yorker would. I mean, yeah, he may have just saved my life but who the hell is he to talk to me like that?
But when I take my hand from my face, I find the most piercing ocean blue eyes looking back at me. His rich dirty dark hair and perfectly sculpted features cause my head to spin. I look past his flawless face and down to his broad shoulders and brawny yet agile body. There’s a current of desire surging throughout my body that’s so strong I have to close my eyes and remind myself to breathe.
Seriously, this guy has the kind of hotness that makes good girls lose their shit!
Luckily, I’m done with men. And yet, I hear a gasp escape my lips as I take him in.
Steady, girl…
Chapter 2
WYATT HUNTER
I’m already having a crap day. My partner, Decker, and I put a lowlife away last month for dealing drugs outside a junior high school in lower Manhattan, and this morning that bastard got off on a technicality. One of my informants was a no-show at our prearranged meeting, the captain has been on my ass about taking a vacation whether or not I want to, and my sister-in-law is being more of a pain than usual about my love life—or lack thereof.
The point is, my day was a piece of shit already, so by the time I pulled the car into the alley between the warehouse and the restaurant, I was on edge. And my partner knew it. He told me tonight was gonna be an easy night. We know Donavan has been branching out from petty low-level crimes and into the large, more lucrative world of narcotics.
We need to catch him with his contact and try to flip him so we can get the guys he works for. Donavan isn’t very bright, and that works in our favor, but he’s jumpy and paranoid, so it took weeks to get someone to infiltrate his crew. We final got an in. And tonight, in this alley, we were supposed to get that bastard once and for all.
My undercover guy was in position, as was my team. I ordered them to stay as alert as possible because Donavan has been getting high off his supply and is extra jumpy. He’d shoot a rat thinking it was someone out to get him. It was important that Donavan feel at ease. So imagine my surprise when some crazy-ass lady jumps out of a window and into the dumpster. Right away Donavan begins to shoot at any and everything.
I race out of the car and push the crazy lady out of the way before he can make holes in her. Donavon takes off and Decker goes after him with sirens on. And now, I’m left in this alley, lying on top of this insane nut job. I’m so fucking pissed; it’s all I can do not to lose it. Her face is covered as I yell at her and ask her what the fuck she thinks she’s doing. She removes her hands, and I get a clear view of her face.
<
br /> She has vibrant, sparkling grey eyes that pull me in and make even the thought of looking away painful. Her small frame and delicate features make her look more like a doll than a grown woman. But one look at the slope of her breasts and the curve of her hips lets me know she is all grown up. We lock eyes. I hate her. Mostly.
Aside from ruining my night, she awakened my cock, and damned if it’s not seeking her out. What’s even more insane is she’s fresh from the dumpster, dipped in trash and slime. And yet, I have never seen a woman more beautiful…
Well, beautiful or not, this crazy woman just screwed up an operation that took three months to plan. And she will damn sure pay for it.
Her name is Winter Bennett, and she’s stubborn as fuck. She fights tooth and nail not to have to go to the hospital. After the EMT guys check her out, they tell her she’s good to go. But that’s not gonna happen.
“Get in the car,” I order her.
“I don’t need a ride,” she says dismissively.
“Hey lady, I’m not your fucking driver and this damn sure ain’t a car service. I’m taking you down to the station.”