Crime and Periodicals: Green Valley Library Book #2

by Romance, Smartypants

  “I get what you’re saying. But you were a little kid when you did that. I’m a grown woman, I should have known better. Hey—what are you doing out of school?”

  She flopped her backpack down and sprawled in a chair at one of the tables with a huge grin on her face. “I’m cutting. I didn’t feel like sitting around school today.”

  “You can’t just cut school whenever you feel like it.” She had never cut school before. Me and Dad would know it. Weston had gone through a rough phase his sophomore year—due to his loser father’s antics—whenever he cut school, we got a phone call right away. Thankfully he was better now.

  “Sure, I can. I have a 4.5 GPA. I’m the president of like, everything. I’ve already earned credit for college. I could graduate early if I wanted to.”

  “You make it hard to argue with you sometimes, Ruby.” I slid into the chair across from her and tousled her hair.

  “It’s like arguing with Google, isn’t it?” she said with a smug smile.

  I grinned at her. “Yeah, kind of. Plus, you’re cutting to go to the library. You’re my mini-me.”

  “We’re two nerds in a pod.” The smug left her expression as she grinned back. “It’s my night to pick up the chicken at Genie’s. Give me a ride later?”

  “Sure, I get off at three. Walk straight back to school and I’ll pick you up,” I told her. Even though her mood had lightened, I would still insist we talk more in depth later. Their father was a constant sore spot in their lives, and I was sick of him.

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay. I have a test last period anyway.”

  She got up to leave but turned back around when she made it to the door. “You know what you should think about?”

  “What?”

  “You’re afraid you pissed Wyatt off, and you went to the Dragon Biker Bar like a crazy person, but you’re here at work instead of hiding in your bed at home. That’s progress, Sabrina.” She smiled at me and took off.

  I smiled to myself. Small victories. I’d take it.

  After my uneventful shift at the library, I picked Ruby up and once again, pulled into the parking lot at Genie’s to pick up the chicken. I wasn’t nervous this time. What could possibly be worse than the last time I was here?

  “You’ve had a rough day. I’ll do the talking,” Ruby offered as we entered. We didn’t bother to hang our jackets on the hooks; we weren’t going to stay long.

  I turned back to look at Ruby. “Thanks.” Scanning the interior my gaze snagged on a booth and my heart lurched. I stopped and took a huge step backward, crashing into Ruby.

  “What? What is it?” she hissed and caught me by my arms before I landed on my butt on the floor.

  There was something worse than running into the Winston brothers in Genie’s Bar. Running into the Monroe brothers was infinitely worse. There they were, sitting in the booth we’d shared the other night. The only Monroe brother I’d officially met, besides Wyatt, of course, was Everett, but they all looked so much alike it was crazy. Tall, dark, and handsome, every single one of them. I could use the various characters Henry Cavill had played to describe them. Everett was Henry Cavill as Superman, when he was all beardy and hot during the oil rig scene—like he’d been working hard and needed a beer after a long day. The oldest brother, Barrett, resembled Henry Cavill in Mission: Impossible—Fallout, with a beardy mustache, curly hair on top, a button down shirt open at the throat and the sleeves rolled up. Forearms—mmm. Garrett was obviously the youngest. Think of Henry Cavill in The Tudors era. Garrett was jeans and a T-shirt, flirty smile hot. No sign of Wyatt though—clean cut, sexy, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent.

  Ruby peered around me where I stood at the edge of the lobby. “Holy Hufflepuffs, Sabrina,” she whispered. “It’s a total plethora of man candy over there. Too many hot guys at one time—I don’t think I can take it. My eyes are on overload.” She turned to leave.

  What?

  I was the one who runs away. This was confusing.

  “Sabrina!” Willa shouted my name and waved to me from behind the bar.

  I grabbed Ruby’s arm and pulled her along behind me. I contemplated ignoring them when three Monroe heads whipped around to look at me. But I waved to them anyway. I didn’t want to be rude. Plus, progress, dang it.

  Everett waved back with a raised eyebrow of concern. Great, he probably knew all about my Dragon Biker Bar experiment in idiocy earlier today. I sighed and smiled weakly at him.

  Ruby and I took a seat at the bar. “I heard all their middle names are William,” she whispered to me out of the blue and completely random.

  I shot her a look and nodded. It was true. They had been named after their father and every other Monroe man from generations past. Their mother had to put up a fight—they almost got stuck sharing it as a first name. Instead she gave them matchy first names that none of them were thrilled with. Wyatt had told me that fun fact during our epic three hour and thirty-seven-minute phone conversation.

  “Hey, y’all. Hang on a sec. I need to get their order first.” Willa tipped her head to the Monroe booth. They must have just got here.

  “Okay,” Ruby said without looking up. She had pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

  I spotted Genie come out from the swinging doors behind the counter and watched warily as she made her way down the bar. The look on her face told me to brace myself. Willa switched directions and stood at my side, just like a best friend should.

  Genie slapped a hand on the bar with a judgy grin. “Girl, tell me you did not go down to the Dragon Biker Bar. Your daddy is going to have a cow—"

  “Please don’t tell him, Miss Genie,” I interrupted.

  Ruby laughed without looking up from her phone. “He probably already knows,” she said.

  “How? How in the heck does everyone know what I did?” My mouth dropped open because UGH.

  Willa put her arm around me. “It’s Green Valley, Sabrina. Everyone knows everything.”

  Genie finally gave me a real answer. “I heard it from Patty who heard it from Julianne MacIntyre down at the library who heard it from Wyatt’s momma. Julianne ran into Becky Lee at the Piggly Wiggly when she was picking up her sandwich on her lunch break. And everyone knows Becky Lee Monroe always listens to the police scanner while she does her gardening, bless her heart.” Genie froze and looked up. “Garrett Monroe, I see you listening in. Don’t you go tellin’ your momma I blessed her heart, you hear?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I hear. I won’t say one word.” Garrett snickered and picked up his menu.

  Genie scrunched up her face and nodded. “Well, I have to finish up in back. Willa, go and get their order.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Willa saluted Genie and headed over to the Monroe table.

  I sighed and tried to make myself turn invisible so I could eavesdrop on Wyatt’s brothers.

  “We should have gone to Daisy’s Nut House. I want hot chocolate and pie for dinner, not fried chicken and beer.” I heard Everett say.

  Gah! I was going to give myself a headache straining to look at them from the corner of my eye.

  “I’m sorry, but we’re fresh out of pie and cocoa. Hot chocolate is for kids anyway, Everett.” Giving up all pretenses, I turned all the way around in my barstool to see a smirking Willa standing by their booth, notepad in one hand, the other on her hip.

  Eff it, I wanted to see what happened. I could take a lesson from Willa. Before she hooked up with her a-hole boyfriend (now ex-husband) Tommy, she was a master smart-mouth and could flirt a guy into submission like nobody’s business.

  “Never underestimate the power of a good cup of cocoa, Willa.” Everett looked up at her and pinned her with a big, gorgeous smile. Wow. “Hot chocolate and a well-timed nap are key ingredients to a perfect day.” He put his menu down to give her his full attention.

  Her lips parted as she studied his face. “That sounds perfect,” she whispered. Then she grinned. “It also sounds like something my grandpa would say.”

  I elbowe
d Ruby who was staring at them with an open mouth. Their banter had even managed to draw a teenage girl away from her phone. It was like a rom-com in the making. We exchanged a look. They were totally flirting. Go, Willa.

  “So, what can I get for you boys?” she finally asked them.

  “Beer and fried chicken,” Everett answered without looking away from Willa’s smiling face.

  “Sounds good. Us too,” Barrett superfluously added.

  “We have two more joining us in a bit. Will you bring extra plates and stuff?” Garrett asked.

  “Sure thing,” Willa said and walked back our way.

  “Willa! Oh. My. God,” I mouthed. She shook her head with her eyebrows up. I got the message—I would grill her about Everett later. “How was the apartment hunt? Any luck today?” I asked once she took her place behind the bar. She was still trying to find a place to rent. She had gone apartment hunting in Maryville today.

  She frowned. “No. Nothing but waiting lists. I’m on a few more, but it will be months.”

  “You need a place to rent?” Everett yelled. “My tenant just moved out. You’re welcome to it.” Clearly, he was not above eavesdropping either. He soooo liked Willa, I knew it.

  Willa’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean, live with you?” she yelled back. She held a finger out to us, then walked back to their table.

  Ruby and I turned our stools around to watch. I allowed myself to get involved in their flirt-fest. It was a good distraction from the angsty thoughts I had been drowning in earlier. Plus, I knew myself—there would be plenty of dwelling and obsessing and angsting out later. It was better to do it at home, where the Kit Kats and wine lived.

  “Not really. It’s my house, but it has a walk-out basement with an apartment in it. One bedroom, one bathroom. So, not really like living together, more like neighbors,” Everett informed her.

  “But you’re the landlord?” she grilled him.

  “Well, yeah.” He grinned at her.

  “Huh,” she said.

  “Oooh, take it, Willa. Then you can stay in town for sure,” Ruby butted in.

  Everett grinned. “Give me your number, Willa. I’ll call you and you can come take a look when it’s cleaned up,” he offered.

  Willa didn’t answer. She had her thinking face on.

  Everett sensed her hesitation and added, “Bring Sabrina, or whoever you want. No pressure, I haven’t listed it yet. I still have to get the cat hair professionally vacuumed out of the rugs and air out the patchouli and weed stench.”

  I watched her smile at him; it was her flirty smile. “You should know, up front—I won’t clean the oven unless I move, or something catches on fire in it. And I’ve been known to burn water.”

  “Believe it or not, I’ve seen worse,” he said and grinned broadly at her.

  “Thank you, Everett. Wyatt has my number. I’ll go and get your order put in.” She turned around and headed back toward Ruby and me.

  “He likes you and you were totally flirting with him—” Ruby whispered.

  “I’m a bartender. Innocuous flirting is part of my job. It’s habit,” Willa insisted. She was fully in denial over the sparks that had flown between her and Everett.

  I rolled my eyes at her and almost fell out of my stool when I saw Wyatt and Jackson, still in uniform, enter the bar.

  Wyatt noticed me right away. “Sabrina,” he said, voice gruff and eyes uncertain as he started walking toward me.

  “Wyatt, hi—”

  Then their radios started going off. Jackson rolled his eyes. “We have to go.” He waved to me and turned around to leave. He waved to me. Did that mean he didn’t hate me?

  “We’ll talk later, Sabrina,” Wyatt said in a tone of voice that gave no clues as to what in the heck we’d talk about later. He turned and followed Jackson out of the bar.

  What was that supposed to mean? And when would “later” be?

  In romance novels the phrase “we’ll talk later” always meant trouble. Since romance novels were my only frame of reference for romantic relationships, I got worried.

  Was Wyatt going to break our date? Did his ex-wife move back to town with a secret baby? Had he just found out he’d inherited a billion dollars?

  I didn’t know what to expect, and the uncertainty might just drive me crazy.

  “It’ll be okay, Sabrina,” Ruby whispered and took my hand.

  I hoped so.

  I liked Wyatt a lot. And even though it had only been a short time since I’d met him, I would be heartbroken if I lost my chance.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sabrina

  Sometimes I couldn’t sleep. I had been that way since I was a little girl. Thoughts would swirl in my brain of things I’d lost, things I wanted to find, things that refused to give me peace. I’d toss and turn and wreck my covers, never to get comfortable, only to get up and wander the house like a dead-eyed, stumbling zombie. Tonight was one of those nights. I was torturing myself over my stupid decision to go to the Dragon Biker Bar and I couldn’t manage to stop my racing thoughts. I was also torturing myself over Wyatt and what would happen between us. He had not called me. Was our date still on? I had been too scared to call him myself and find out.

  I got out of bed. There was no way I would go back to sleep now.

  Harry was upstairs, tucked up tight in his bed. My father was home. I didn’t need to check on him; I heard him snoring from the hallway when I checked Harry before I went to bed. I knew better than to check on Ruby and Weston anymore. Their teenage attitudes demanded ‘privacy.’ I understood that. I used to be that way too, once upon a time before Cora died.

  I was in the main kitchen, pouring hot water over a tea bag. On nights like this, I found solace in a hot cup of tea and my sister’s favorite mug. As I sipped, the warmth hit my system like a cup full of comfort. Cora and I would drink tea together when we were up late. Insomnia was probably a family thing—or maybe just a sister thing—because we’d always laugh together at the crazy sounding snores my father would fill the quiet house with.

  As I shuffled through the kitchen, my feet grew cold on the wood floor. Collapsing on the edge of the sectional in the living room I watched the pre-dawn moonlight filter through the windows cast everything in a dark silvery glow. I scooted to the corner of the couch and sank into the cushiony seat, tucking my feet under my booty to warm them.

  I stared outside and watched as the sun and moon fought for dominance. The sun won and early morning light filled the porch. My feet hit the floor when I saw movement there.

  It was Weston, slowly rocking by himself on the porch swing. Now, I respected and understood the desire for privacy. This wasn’t the time for it though. Rocking alone on a porch swing before dawn demanded checking on. I sat my empty mug on the coffee table and headed outside.

  “What are you doing out here, Weston? Did you sleep at all?” I asked when I reached him.

  “I broke up with Lizzy,” he answered without looking at me.

  I sat next to him on the swing. “Why did you decide to do that?” It surprised me. Weston loved Lizzy. He’d been dating Wyatt’s niece since ninth grade. He’d once told me he wanted to marry her someday.

  “She got into UT, early admission. She’ll be gone in January and she isn’t interested in trying long distance. She said we’re too young and she wants to be free to experience college. Her parents got divorced because they were together since high school and got sick of each other. At least, that’s what she told me. She was afraid to even talk to me about it. I think she was planning to just go.” He finally looked at me, the hurt in his eyes painful to see. “Wyatt told me. I saw him at Daisy’s Nut House. He mentioned the great news about Lizzy—and I had no clue. He told me to ask her about it because he didn’t like the idea of her blindsiding me.” He turned back toward the emerging dawn and stared into the distance.

  “I am so sorry. But maybe this breakup doesn’t have to be forever. Maybe it could just be you two taking a break.” I wished I coul
d hug him and take his pain away like when he was a little kid, but this was a heartbreak that a hug from his aunt couldn’t fix. He’d been through too much for someone his age.

  His shoulders shrugged up and didn’t come back down.

  I wanted to help him, and I didn’t know how. Weston had always supported her dreams. I couldn’t understand why Lizzy would think he wouldn’t be happy for her. I was also sad about Wyatt and hearing his name said out loud hurt my heart. Weston pulled me into a sideways hug. He must have sensed my misery matched his own.

  “I like Wyatt. He’s a good guy,” he finally said.

  “Yeah, he is. But I’m afraid I blew it,” I confessed.

  “How?” He turned to look at me.

  “I went to the Dragon Biker Bar to see your dad. Wyatt and Jackson James stopped me. Wyatt was mad, and he was right to be. It was stupid.”

  “I can’t believe you went there. Wow. Don’t do it again, no matter what Dad does, please?”

  “I won’t. I learned my lesson. Let’s go to Daisy’s and get breakfast to cheer us up,” I suggested. “Pop is going to watch Harry this morning because I have to work early.”

  “Good idea. I’m already dressed, but I should shower and change. I wore this yesterday. I got home last night and kind of just sat here.”

  “Oh, Weston.” I hugged him. He needed it, and so did I.

  He pulled back and shook his head. “No more sadness. It’s for the best, anyway. Lizzy needs to do this, and I won’t be the one who holds her back. It wouldn’t be right. And you’re right; it doesn’t have to be forever.”

  This apple had fallen so far from the tree it was on another planet in another galaxy in an alternate universe made up of nothing but future romance novel heroes.

  “You got it, Weston. No more sadness for us. Shower, change—I will too—then we’ll go. Ruby might even be up in time to go with us.”