AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And where is that?”
Of course it would be the sheriff who asked. “Uh… about as Midwest as you can get… Kansas City,” she lied, giving the same answer as she had at her two previous jobs. Something told her he wouldn’t take anything she said at face value though, giving her something else to stew over. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate. “I’ll just… get this turned in.” Whirling, she fled to the safety of behind the long counter.
Avery managed to serve Grayson and his friends without further mishap but getting through the last hour of her shift had never been so difficult. Finally putting a face to the man who’d had such a huge impact on her flight removed one barrier to enlisting his help. The biggest obstacle, getting to know him well enough to learn how much she could trust him still loomed. The friendly overtures from Sydney were both welcome and heartwarming. Other than Gertie, Clyde and Ed, the part-time cook, she hadn’t visited a lot with other people. When not working, she was walking the main streets and shops or catching up on some much-needed rest at the motel.
When the three men walked up to pay their tabs to Gertie at the cash register, Sydney stepped over to Avery with a smile. “Would you be interested in getting together sometime, just us girls? I hope you don’t mind my asking, but it hasn’t been that long since I was a newcomer here and didn’t know anyone, so I thought you could use a friend.”
Boy, could she. Not only that, getting close to one of Grayson’s friends could help Avery learn more about him. “I’d like that. Thank you. Being new is… difficult.”
Sydney nodded. “Where are you staying? I have a few hours free in the afternoons and can show you around.” She grimaced, adding, “Provided I don’t get lost myself. My sense of direction isn’t the best.”
“To say the least,” her fiancé drawled behind her, his blue eyes warm with humor.
“Hey, I’m getting better,” Sydney defended herself.
Grayson stepped over and tugged on her long hair, a toothpick now nestled in the corner of his mouth. “Is that why I found you parked over on Charleston Street the other day looking for Forest Lane?”
Avery smiled at their banter, but the shiver of awareness the sheriff’s nearness and gaze produced distracted her from hearing Sydney’s answer. Was it the fact this man had wrung such a stunning orgasm from her without even being in the same room, or the potential of being an ally that made him so desirable? Despite her trepidation over his job, she still ached to find out. She just wasn’t sure which possibility held the most appeal, or if he would be worth risking either her body or her safety.
“How about tomorrow, Avery? Nan’s Tea Shop is a quiet place we can sit and visit,” Sydney suggested.
“I’d like that, but I can meet you there…”
“Nonsense. Don’t listen to these guys. I’ll pick you up.”
Seeing no way around it, Avery sighed and admitted, “Okay, I’m at the motel…”
Gertie turned, snapping, “Girl, why didn’t you say you were forking out money every day for that dump?”
Uneasy with everyone’s eyes on her, Avery fidgeted and replied, “I… I plan to look for a place soon.”
“Nonsense.” Looking at Sydney, Gertie stated, “She can meet you there after moving into the studio apartment upstairs in the morning. It’s just a short walk from here.”
Her new friend smiled. “Don’t argue with her, Avery. It won’t do you any good. Let’s meet at one-thirty.”
Why did she feel as if her life was spiraling out of control again? Thanking her boss, Avery finished her shift in a daze, trying not to get her hopes up too much.
Caden and Sydney said goodbye and strolled toward Caden’s truck before Connor turned to Grayson and asked, “What are you thinking?”
Grayson glanced back at the diner they’d just exited and answered with a question of his own. “Does the new waitress seem familiar to you?”
“No, not at all, but she’s a cutie.”
He agreed with Connor’s observation, finding large whiskey eyes behind black frames, a small straight nose and lush, bottom lip all attractive features in the waitress’ flushed face, but the nagging sense of familiarity bugged him. “There’s something about the way she talks that’s teasing my memory, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why. I know I’ve never seen her before. I would’ve remembered those eyes.” And the way they shied away from direct eye contact with him.
Connor lifted a brow. “You could have toned down your Dom look, then you might not have scared her off.”
Grayson shrugged as he fished his keys out of his coat pocket. “Just because you’re on holiday from exerting your need for control doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be.” He regretted the remark as soon as his friend tightened up. “Sorry, Con. I know breakups are hard.” Only a few months had passed since Connor and his long-time girlfriend split ways.
“Really? How?” he asked, Connor’s tone as derisive as the look in his eyes. “You’ve never given a monogamous relationship a try.”
Stepping off the curb, Grayson grasped the cold door handle of his police cruiser, looking back at Connor over the hood. “True, but years of friendship count for something. You should consider taking either Caden or me up on our offers to listen while you vent. It might help.”
Just as he’d done whenever his brother or Grayson prodded Connor into talking about what caused his breakup with Annie, he shut him down. “See you tomorrow night.” With a wave, Connor hopped into his truck parked next to Grayson’s and pulled out without a backward glance.
Frustrated with his stubbornness, Grayson slid behind the wheel and cranked up the heat to dispel the chill of standing outside in the frigid air. As he drove down Main, heading out of town, he spotted Avery walking alone, hunched against the biting wind. Swearing under his breath, he pulled alongside her and lowered the window.
“Get in, I’ll give you a ride.” Hesitation replaced her surprise at his sudden appearance, but he wouldn’t let her balk. Not only would the evening turn pitch-black once she left the lighted square, but it was too fucking cold to walk the distance to the motel. “I can escort you back to the diner so you can bother Gertie to drive you or you can take me up on my offer. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I let you walk back to the motel alone at night.”
