Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
****
“So, er, I’ve got to head out early today,” Harlow said.
Ava smiled at the customer as she handed him his change before turning back to Harlow. “You have?”
“Yeah, er, do you think you can close up here?”
“Of course. It’s my shop. Is there anything exciting you have planned?”
“No.”
Ava frowned at Harlow’s abrupt response.
“It’s nothing. Boring crap that you don’t need to worry about.”
“Is everything okay?” Ava asked.
“Sure, yeah, everything is fine. In fact, you know what? I do need to head out kind of now. I hope that is okay.” Harlow was already removing her apron and heading near the exit before Ava could say anything.
“Your bag and coat are in the back,” she said as Harlow opened up the door.
“Right, right, of course. Yes. I’ll go and grab those things.” She chuckled. “Sorry. Head’s full of stuff right now.”
Ava couldn’t help but be suspicious. Harlow had been acting weirdly ever since Smokey had called her, and she couldn’t for the life of her think why.
The other woman was never so jumpy or so strange in acting. What was she hiding?
Harlow held up her hand in a wave and then left.
The shop was empty.
Abriana had taken Umberto for the day, along with Summer and Winter. Standing behind her shop counter, Ava reached out and tried to straighten … nothing. Everything was perfectly fine.
The lunch rush had already happened. Arrangements for the special Christmas baskets had already been made. She would start them at the end of the week, and collections were due very soon. For the next couple of hours, she served customers and cleaned up trays that were empty.
She missed her son. She loved working at the bakery, but she did miss being with Umberto. Just before closing, Abriana arrived, complete with Umberto and her own daughter, Bella.
“Hey, Ava,” Abriana said. “How was your day?”
“It has been pretty busy. Can I ask you a question?”
“You sure can.”
“Er, do you know anything about what Smokey wanted with Harlow?” Ava asked.
Abriana’s face went bright red. “What? No. I don’t, er, I don’t know.” She wouldn’t look at her. “Umberto has been an angel today, like always.”
Was Smokey … having an affair?
Harlow was younger than her, definitely more beautiful.
Pain sliced through Ava, and it made her take a step back. She felt tears fill her eyes, but she quickly gritted her teeth and rushed around the counter to pick up her son.
“Thank you for taking care of him,” she said.
“Anytime. Ava, are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Ava looked outside of her shop window and saw that Ugly Beast was already waiting for Abriana and Bella. “Ugly Beast is waiting for you.”
“Ava, I … I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, Abriana, I promise.”
She didn’t want to think about what Smokey was doing.
Abriana hesitated, and Ava forced herself to look at the other woman and smile. “Everything is fine. I promise.”
The other woman didn’t look convinced, but Ugly Beast chose that moment to press on his horn.
“We’ve got to go. We’re Christmas shopping. We’ll talk soon.”
“Yes, of course.”
Ava turned away from Abriana and made her way behind the counter. Umberto snuggled against her chest, and love exploded inside hers at being near her son. She loved this little guy so much. He was her world.
Smokey is having an affair?
She couldn’t even bring herself to picture Harlow and Smokey together. Ava tried to think of their interactions over the past few months. It was rare for Smokey to come to the shop. Harlow was always her buoyant self. Was that why Smokey had stopped coming to the shop as much?
He didn’t want her to find out that he was cheating on her?
“I think I’m going a little crazy, little man. There is no way Harlow and Smokey are having an affair. It just … no.”
Ava still thought she was losing her mind after she cleaned up the shop, closed it for the night, and then after loading Umberto into the back of the car, she found herself heading to the Hell’s Bastards MC clubhouse.
She didn’t pull into the parking lot.
There wasn’t a lot of light, but as she was about to drive off, she saw Harlow coming out of the clubhouse with Smokey. The two stood at the main door, and right in front of her eyes, she watched as Harlow hugged Smokey and then stepped away.
Chapter Six
“Thank you so much for seeing me, Smokey. I do appreciate it,” Larissa said.
Smokey sat back in his office chair and looked at Larissa. He had already told her that anything she saw within the clubhouse, she couldn’t tell Ava about. Seeing the confusion, he explained to her that he was planning a surprise for his woman and didn’t want it to be spoiled.
At which point Larissa promised him that her lips were sealed.