Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
For Olivia, moving back home wasn’t supposed to change everything—until it did.
Running into Bax was the last thing she expected, but that one encounter sets off a whirlwind of events she couldn’t have imagined. Now, with family tensions rising, exes resurfacing, and a hidden enemy out for revenge, Olivia must figure out who—or what—they’re fighting. Because one thing is certain: she and Bax have something worth fighting for.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER 1
Bax
Shoving open the door to Blue’s Bar and Grill, I step inside, bypassing the podium where a small crowd is waiting to be seated for dinner. I nod at the people I know as I head for the bar, where my brother Talon is sitting with a beer in front of him. His eyes are glued to the game playing on the TV behind the counter.
His focus turns to me when I pull out the stool next to his and ask, “Did you just get here?”
“About ten minutes ago.” He glances behind me. “Where’s Liam?”
“He’s on his way. He got caught up with the delivery guys that were dropping off the roofing supplies for that house on Hickson.”
“They late again?”
“You already know the answer to that question,” I mutter, and he presses his lips together.
“That’s the third time, right?”
“Yep, which is why we need to have a serious conversation about finding a new supplier.”
“We signed a contract with them, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, but I believe it’s up at the end of this year. We can confirm with Liam when he gets here.” I make eye contact with the bartender and motion to the beer Talon’s drinking, letting her know I’ll have the same and getting her smile in return.
“Did Maxim reach out to you?”
“No, what’s up?”
“He wants to meet up to talk about some work he’s wanting to have done at that house he and April bought to flip in West Nashville.”
“Do we have time to take on that job?”
“I’m not sure.” He shakes his head. “I’m going to meet with him on Monday and do a walk-through of the house to see how extensive the job would be. I just don’t know if we have the time to commit to that project with everything else we have going on.” He drags his eyes from mine to look at the TV when clapping erupts around us, and I do the same, catching the tail-end of the team that just scored a touchdown celebrating before it cuts to a commercial.
“You put any money on this game?”
“I bet Liam twenty dollars they’d win.” He shakes his head, lifting his beer. “This season was supposed to be their comeback.”
“You say that same shit every year.”
He turns to glare at me. “They’re your team too.”
“Yeah, but I’m not under some false impression that they’ll come back better than ever.” I laugh at the look he gives me, then change the subject. “Where’s Mia tonight?” He’s always with his wife and kids when he’s not working, and it’s rare that he asks to go out for a beer anymore.
“With her sister and all the kids, setting up for tomorrow.”
“What’s happening tomorrow?” I pick up my beer that the bartender slides in front of me.
“Pumpkin carving, and if you tell me you forgot and made other plans, Mia will have your balls.”
Shit.
“I didn’t forget.”
“Right.” He pulls out his phone when it starts to ring. “It’s Mia. I’m gonna go talk to her outside, be back.” He slides off his stool and walks toward the door.
I take a swig from my beer, then turn to look over my shoulder when a tinkle of laughter hits my ears. I wouldn’t say I know everyone who lives in the town I grew up in, but there aren’t many I don’t, and I definitely have never seen the woman sitting at a high-top table with my next-door neighbor Kourtney. The laughter comes again, and I watch her with her head thrown back and a smile on her face. Sensing me looking, she takes her eyes off Kourtney, and her face softens in a way that says we do, in fact, know each other as our eyes connect.
Dragging her gaze off mine, she says something to Kourtney, who looks back at me, lifting her hand in a small wave while her friend slides off the tall stool she’s sitting on. As she starts walking my way, I try to figure out how the fuck I know her.
I don’t. I would remember her long-as-fuck dark hair that my fingers could get lost in and the flare of her hips, which are accentuated by her jeans and the sweater she’s wearing. Her face has likely played a role in a million men’s fantasies. She’s not just pretty; she’s gorgeous, with delicate, feminine features, big brown eyes, and full lips that look unbelievably soft.