Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 20048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s behave so we don’t get the boot.”
“I’ll try. Especially since they have the snipers on the rooftops.”
“What?”
“Yeah, you know, since they had that terrible shooting up at the parade in Highland Park. It’s a crazy security measure, but I guess it’s for the best.”
“It is a bit scary to me, but we need the protection. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“Seriously, Elle.”
We walk to where I want to stand, but there are chairs there and I’m about to cry, but there’s a sign on them. “For Autumn Sager & Friend.”
My mouth falls open and my sister says, “What?”
“Who did this? Did you?”
“Maybe…”
“When did you do it?”
“Well, maybe I was up early this morning.”
“So you’ve been fucking with me all this time?”
“Yeah. I came to help Andie and her shop set up, so I put a thing of chairs for you right away. We just have to give them back to Andie before we go back.” I give my sister a big squeeze and squeal. “Yeah, but you owe me. Now go get our coffees.”
“Fine,” I huff. “If I must.” I roll my eyes, smiling the entire time.
“Do you want your usual?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I’m practically skipping as I make my way over to Café La La, which is just twenty-five feet away. The line is pretty short right now, but soon it will be down the street. Thankfully, there are two shops on this street that sell early-morning coffee. Although they’ll pause for the parade.
“Sometimes I forget why I hate this place,” I sigh to myself, forgetting how nosy my neighbors are.
“It’s a shame to hear how you hate it here,” a deep voice says behind me. I gasp, feeling the color draining from my face. I have no idea who it is, but I refuse to back down from the assholes in this town, so I turn around and see a man in full tactical gear.
My eyebrows raise and so does his. They’re sexy brows too. Like the kind that comes from a man who is all beast. “Oh, I guess I shouldn’t be telling you that I hate this place.” My heart thumps inside my chest, but it feels like it could burst out.
He has his baseball cap on backward with his shades on the top of the hat, looking tough and ready to take down any troublemaker without breaking a sweat. The thought of him pinning me down crosses my mind, and my brain is going haywire. “Why is that?” he questioned, staring into my eyes like he was reading my soul.
“Well, I might seem like trouble,” I confess, biting down on my bottom lip.
“Hardly. You don’t look like the kind of trouble I’m watching for, but just in case, I’ll make sure I keep an eye on you.” Seriously, I don’t need soaked panties now. It’s too damn cold outside for it. They’ll be popsicle panties before the day is out.
I smile, letting out the quickest laugh. “Are you flirting with me, sir?”
“Perhaps I am.” His lips turn up in a crooked smile with a devilish look in his eyes.
“Autumn, I’m surprised you made it today,” a voice I recognize says from over my shoulder. I close my eyes and try to control my temper because she’s the last person I want to see or hear from.
“I’m surprised you could find your way out of bed this morning, Caroline.” She’s the perfect woman and my ex-boyfriend fell for her ways while we were still dating.
“Well, that’s because there’s no point being in it when my man isn’t in it,” she purrs, then she presses her hand on my shoulder. “But you wouldn’t know, would you?”
I wrench my shoulder out of the way. “Don’t put your filthy hands on me. Now I’m going to need a flea bath.”
“Don’t be a bitch because you can’t keep a man,” she hisses.
“I don’t believe she has a problem with keeping the right man,” the handsome, well-built man in uniform says. “Especially when he leaves for a girl not worth half of her.”
“Ouch. Now, if you’re done holding up the line, can you excuse us, Caroline? I need to get the coffee orders.” I wave her off and walk to the front, since we are next.
Lou Ann smiles at me and the handsome officer who hasn’t introduced himself to me yet. “Autumn, the usual?”
“Yes, make it a double. I’ll get my head bitten off if I don’t bring her cup back.”
“Or she’ll steal yours,” she says with a laugh.
“For real.”
His radio goes off while I’m talking and it sounds like garble, and he responds about returning now.
“I’ll take a large hot coffee with two sugars please,” he says behind me, dropping down the twenty bucks.
“Sorry, I’m sure you’re in a hurry.”
“It’s okay, beautiful. I’ll be seeing you around.” She makes his first and then he walks out before I get to say anything else.