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1
Flick O’Malley liked fairytales.
The sweet version, not those dark, scary ones. She had enough darkness in her life already.
She flung her crutches out with practiced ease, swinging her way down the pavement. She was on a mission. She was going to have that happy-ever-after that came at the end of a fairytale. It wasn’t going to be easy. There were obstacles, and a bad guy intent on harming her. But she was going to get it. Only thing was, she just couldn’t achieve it on her own.
She sang out a hello to Aspen, who was crouched on the pavement next to her adorable sons, Caleb and Jamie. Aspen waved back with a smile. Flick loved living here in Haven. It was a special place where women were taken care of, cherished, and protected. These were some of the most content women in the world. They knew they were loved. They knew they were safe and it gave them all a confidence that was beautiful.
She wanted that.
This was her shot. Her chance to break free. She just had to find a prince to help her. She knew exactly the sort of guy he would be. He would be brave. Big. Tough. Fierce and protective. Possessive.
Most of all, she needed him to be a little bit mean. And she’d found the perfect man.
West Malone.
West had just taken a bite of his burger when he heard a commotion at the door of the diner.
“It’s okay, I got it! I’m all right.”
Don’t look over. Don’t look over. Don’t look over.
He hoped, prayed that if he didn’t look at her, she wouldn’t see him.
Right. Fat chance.
And, like a fool, he looked anyway. He sighed as he spotted her attempting to make her way through the swinging diner door on crutches. The bottom of her left leg was now in a bright purple cast, a few weeks ago it had been yellow. She pushed at the door, nearly catching an older man straight in the nose. Luckily, despite the fact he looked like he was pushing ninety, he had sharp reflexes, catching the door before it hit his face.
“Thanks, Mr. Mac!” she said.
West wasn’t surprised she knew his name. She seemed to know everyone. He’d lived there for years and he didn’t have a clue who the old guy was. Felicity O’Malley moved here two months and eighteen days ago. And yep, he was counting. Because for two months and seventeen days she’d been a pain in his fucking ass.
West rarely came into town. He’d probably eaten at the diner less than a handful of times. He should have just sat in the truck and waited for Mia to finish the damn shopping.
He really wished he hadn’t been in the house when she’d announced she needed to go to town and Alec had told him to take her. Unfortunately, all his other brothers had disappeared—leaving just him.
Don’t come over here. Don’t come over here.
She managed to navigate her way through the door, but in her haste to move across the room, her crutch slammed against a chair leg. She wobbled for a moment and he tensed, too far away to catch her if she crashed.
Thankfully someone closer leapt to their feet and grabbed her around the waist, steadying her. Felicity smiled up at him. A sweet, friendly smile he did not like.
And what he really didn’t like was her aiming it at the younger guy, who was practically panting as he stared down at her. West clenched his hands into a fists.
This was a good thing. If someone else caught her eye, she’d leave him alone. And he needed her to leave him alone.
“Thanks, Jimmy!” she said cheerfully. “I’m good now.”
“You sure, Flick?” the other guy asked doubtfully.
West snorted. Of course she wasn’t good. The girl was a walking disaster. Since she’d moved here, she’d been in a series of calamities, the latest was falling out of a tree and breaking her foot. What the hell had she been doing in a tree? Her guardian wasn’t doing a good job of looking out for her. Or even a somewhat decent job. She needed rules and boundaries. And a firm hand applied to her ass to enforce those rules.
Nothing to do with you. She’s just a nuisance, remember?
“I’m fine. Although you’d think I’d have the hang of these crutches after five weeks on them, wouldn’t you?” Her laugh filled the diner. His gut clenched. He shouldn’t find that laugh attractive. It was just like the rest of her. Young and naïve.
He forced himself to concentrate on eating his burger. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could get out of there, away from her.
; Please, God, don’t let her come over here.
“Hi, West.”
Yep, that was proof. God was not listening to him. In fact, he was pretty certain God was pissed and working against him.
Maybe he should try reverse psychology. Right. Had he just thought that? He was going to use reverse psychology on God? He was losing it. And he knew exactly whose fault that was.
He grunted out a greeting.
