AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then I remembered all those positive things I was trying to keep focus on. The memory of them filled me up inside. I instantly felt better.
“Well, I didn’t exactly get to make my move, but I did spend the night with him.”
Tori’s eyes widened. “Get out,” she whispered.
“Oh, I’m out. And it was amazing.”
“Did he hold you?”
“Yep.”
“Kiss?”
“No, but I got a legit hug out of him, and it was the best hug of my life, hands down. Plus, he sort of held my face while we were talking. His thumb was definitely on my jaw.”
Tori smiled and held up her hand.
I high-fived it.
Then both of us started giggling.
“This is awesome. When are you going to make your move, though?” she asked.
“When the time is right and when he’s ready,” I told her, and seeing confusion in Tori’s eyes, I explained. “He needs time to process. I can’t rush him. He’s been through so much, T, and it isn’t easy for him to accept any goodness put on him. His first reaction is to reject it.”
“Well, he has you now, plus he’s got his kids back. And I told Jamie to get on board and pull Stitch into the group.”
“That’s seriously cool of you, T. Thanks.”
Tori played it off with a shrug. “Stitch is in with us,” she said. “He’s got a family for life now, no matter what. We’ll take care of him.”
They would take care of him.
Hearing that, I threw my arms around her.
Dogwood Beach wasn’t full of good people. It was full of the best people.Chapter FourteenSEANOne Week and Four Days Later
I tied my hair back and washed up at the sink, then I stepped inside the kitchen, where J.R. was watching between the fryer and the patty he had searing on the grill.
Turned out the kid wasn’t too bad after all. Any shift I needed covered or switched, he handled. I didn’t even mind all the talking he did back here anymore. I was used to it.
“Hey,” I greeted him.
J.R. lifted his chin. “What’s up? Your girl’s on the warpath today.”
“What?”
He tipped his chin at the window.
Brow pulling tight, I stepped up to the counter and scanned the floor until I spotted Shayla.
She was up at the front stacking menus together in a way it had me wondering what the fuck those menus did to piss her off.
The one guy seated at a table was watching her with suspicion. He was the only person waiting on food.
Typically, this place being dead wasn’t a good thing. Right now, I was thinking differently about that.
“She been like this all morning?” I asked, keeping my focus on Shayla.
“Yep. Got here and went straight for Nate’s office, then came out of it looking ready to lay the smackdown on somebody. From what I can tell, she’s pissed off at everyone. She’s even been throwing tickets at me, and I know I didn’t do shit.”
I watched Shayla drop a menu, pick it up, and slam it down on the stack she’d just straightened. Her face was flushed. It looked like she was panting.
I looked at Nate’s door.
What the fuck did he say to her?
Knowing Shayla was clearly upset about something pissed me off. And I could’ve waited until she walked over here and gotten answers out of her, but I went straight to the fucking source instead.
Like an idiot.
“What the fuck is she pissed about?” I demanded, storming into Nate’s office without bothering to knock.
Phone pressed to his ear, he stared at me, then muttered, “I gotta call you back.”
I waited until the phone hit the desk before I asked again, “Shayla. What the fuck is she pissed about?”
Nate leaned back in his chair. “You wanna rephrase that question, since you’re speaking to the man who could fire you?” he asked.
“No, I really don’t. She’s pissed, and I wanna know why. What’d you say to her?”
“She came in here telling me to give you a raise.”
Hearing that, my head jerked back. “She what?”
Nate nodded. “Telling me to give you one, not asking me, which wouldn’t have made a difference. I said it wasn’t any of her business what I paid you, and that she was out of line. She didn’t like hearing that. I’m assuming that’s why she’s pissed.”
I stood taller and brought my arms across my chest. “I didn’t ask her to do that,” I said quickly, needing Nate to know this. I didn’t want him thinking I’d send Shayla or anyone else in here to speak for me.
“Yeah, I figured.” Nate pulled off his glasses to rub at his eyes, breathing heavily, then he slid the frames up his nose and peered at me again. “Any reason why Shayla would come in here demanding I double your paycheck?”
I blinked. “She said double?”
Holy fuck. What the fuck?
“Yeah. She also told me I needed to reach out to the local paper and get them to feature you. Then she blasted me for not having a billboard up already with your face on it.”
