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“I will be a crazy person getting crazier by the day until the Grand Opening of the hotel, the day directly after that drama levels out some, I have a conference to attend in a small town outside of Seattle. During a weak moment a few months back, I promised an educational organization that I’d give a presentation on hotel management.”
“Oh right. That’s the same week I have the other audit at the other bank two hours away in Miser, Montana. I’d planned to stay in Miser until it’s completed. I probably won’t even leave the bank the entire time. We’ll ask her to marry us and then each of us will promptly leave town.”
Seth laughed. “That should be the test of love, right?”
“Yeah. Except this time when we come back home we won’t be facing a lonely future because she ran off with someone else after making us completely change our lives.”
“Right. It’s a good plan. I for one am anxious for a bright future.”
Garrett hung up with a new lease on life. For the first time in a long dry spell, their future love life looked bright.
* * * *
Jessica took a deep breath and stepped quietly out on to the dusty streets of Old West Town. Her gaze darted to several different places on a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree path search of her surroundings looking for trouble.
It didn’t take long for her to find it. Standing at the entrance to the saloon where she’d have to go through to get to her office, Chucky the fucker already waited for her. Damn it.
The moment he caught her surprised expression he mouthed the words, “I want my stamp collection back.”
Jessica lifted her chin and headed straight for him. If he was stupid enough to bait her like this continually, she wasn’t going to back down. It was an hour after she was due for work, but there he was lying in wait anyway. The Old West Town park wasn’t open for business to outside customers yet, but a few hotel patrons were already wandering about town, as was a perk of staying in the hotel.
Each and every morning for the past four days since realizing Chucky might be lurking, Jessica woke up and promptly dreaded going to work. Her stupid ex was screwing with her mind, ruining her outlook on life on a daily basis by seeking her out and surprising her when she least expected it.
Chucky had discovered her routine, managing to be somewhere along her path each and every day no matter how many times she varied her schedule.
Gray had been nothing short of heroic, but they were busy and he had his own things to do. He couldn’t stand guard over her all day long until Chucky found a way to make an appearance. And he did every single fucking day.
Seth and Garret had also promised to take him out if she ever gave the word, but she declined telling them, she wasn’t letting him win. Each night, after forcing herself to remain perky and unconcerned about her ex’s silent yet consistent harassment, the second she stepped into the house, her barrier of nice fell off like pants during the start of a porn show. The strain of being undaunted by his presence was wearing on her. Hard.
The only good news, and the single thing that kept her going, was that the official Grand Opening of the hotel was tomorrow. Chucky and his entourage, including his wife, Madeline, and Jessica’s former boss, Mr. Barrington, were all leaving town tomorrow.
Resisting the urge to break out into a song from Annie, she held on to the fact that their reservation had them checking out at noon tomorrow. There were no rooms left to rent starting twenty-four hours from noon today. Jessica would finally be free of his unending presence here in her newfound sanctuary.
The three of them had all been guests these past few days through the soft opening, although Chucky was the only one she’d actually laid eyes on. Fucker.
Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.
Jessica marched forward, putting extra zeal in her step, readying herself to face her stupid ex one last time. Tomorrow she wasn’t coming in until after they were scheduled to check out.
She approached with a rude greeting ready to fire through her lips the moment he was in hearing range. However, she didn’t get a chance to use it because this time he wasn’t alone. Beside him, was Madeline, his young, pregnant wife, and as a bonus her old boss was also in attendance for this morning’s showdown. Awesome.
