AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod my head, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. She looks like an angel. The sexiest, smartest little angel I’ve ever seen. All soft, pale skin, pale eyes and honey brown hair piled on her head in some kind of clip that holds it off her slender neck. Even the glasses don’t take away from how pretty she is.
Yeah, I’ve noticed Cassidy Light. Who wouldn’t? She’s the epitome of bright, sunshiney happiness. If those are actual words. I don’t know. My mind’s not working.
“Franklin? That is your name, right?” Now there’s a furrow between her smooth, pale brow and I know I need to do something. Say something.
“Cassidy.”
Her light brown brows lift over her burgundy oval glasses and she giggles. “Yes, that’s my name. But yours is Franklin. Yes?”
I nod my head and try to unstick my tongue and loosen my frozen vocal cords.
“Thank you.”
She looks puzzled, her gray eyes sparkling. “For what?”
“For saying I was nice,” I whisper roughly. But then I stand up straight and struggle not to ditch my cart and run. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you around.”
Then like an absolute idiot, I run away from her. It’s probably for the best. I’m nothing but bad news and all I do is hurt people. I tried to help and it got me nothing but pain so now… it’s better to just stay out of things.
Checking out up front with the teenage daughter of the owner of the store, I avoid looking around, avoid drawing attention to myself because I can’t talk, can’t even think about anything but how pretty Cassidy Light is. Sparkling and funny and pretty and just so damn perfect.
The cashier gives me the total and I quickly pay for it and then gather up my bags and run out the door. I need to get home. Need to decompress from the stress and let all of it seep out of me before I keel over from a heart attack. Luckily, today is my day to work half a day since my employee, Rick, is there.
“Hey! Franklin, right?”
What is up today?
A Wildwood Construction truck pulls up alongside me and I try not to smile at the man in the truck. Heath is even grumpier than me. The man is a vault. I’m not sure why he’s talking to me. He never talks to anyone.
He parks the truck and gets out to stand in front of me. “I’m looking for a book.” His blue eyes slew side to side like he’s making a drug deal or something. “It’s the next book in the Baking with Becca series.”
My brow lifts and he snarls. “It’s for my daughter.”
“Sure, sure. I knew that. I think I might have a copy of it. I’ll double-check and give you a call?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll stop in tomorrow. If you don’t have it, I want to order it. Yale really wants it.”
Smiling, I nod and walk away. Heath grunts, walks back to his truck and gets inside, pulling away.
Sighing, I walk back up the road to the little cottage that I bought when I left my last home. Unlocking the door, I step inside and then unpack my things in the kitchen. I glance out the front window and notice that the house for sale sign is gone.
Sighing, I turn around and sit down at my little kitchen table. That means that my peaceful idyll is about to be over because since I moved in nobody’s lived next door to me. A whole year all alone in my little corner after I leave work.
My little bookstore doesn’t get a ton of traffic through it but it does get a bit so it’s stressful as hell for me. Each new person walking through that door makes my heart pound and my ears ring.
So the peace and quiet here in my house is my refuge.
I make myself a quick sandwich for lunch and then take a book in to my recliner and prop my feet up ready for a quiet afternoon alone with my favorite suspense author.
I’m only two minutes into it when there’s a crash and yelling next door.
I can’t hear what they’re yelling about but it sounds bad. I sit up and carefully mark my page in my book with a clip and then stomp to the door. Opening it, I hear a woman screaming at a man and he’s shouting back at her.
“I told you that we’re done, Ash. I don’t have anything to say.”
“I thought you were joking and then I come home to find you gone. Then you move into someplace else! What the hell, Cassidy!” he screams.
Jerking upright, I step outside the door and see a big man leaning over Cassidy Light’s tiny, curvy body.
