AllFreeNovel
Share Us
How is it possible for so much meaning, so much disgust and dislike, to be communicated through one word?
Ordinarily, with anyone else ever, I'd either smile and lay on the charm, disarm him with my honesty, or, most likely, freeze in place like a terrified bunny facing down a lion. That is not what I do.
Nope.
Something about this man has come to represent every single crappy thing in my life at the moment, not the least of them the fact that he wants twenty dollars from me when I can barely scrape together the two dollars I need for a damn cup of coffee.
He wants twenty dollars from me for taking up the space of a sleeping bag in his forest for three hours when not a single soul was using that campsite.
"Want to charge me for standing in a bookstore, too?" The venom in my voice surprises me.
He seems not at all surprised.
His eyes light and a smile that is definitely not representative of happiness curves his lips. "If I do, your sister will probably just pay that fine, too. So what's the point?"
Clover paid my fee? Damn it. She shouldn't have done that. Clearly, it hasn't made Ranger think highly of me.
Not that I care what Ranger thinks. Entitled ass.
Still, I hate having to depend on anyone for anything. I've worked too damn hard to become independent, to prove to everyone I have what it takes to succeed, only to lose it all before anyone even knew about my bakery.
"I'm surprised that would stop you. I would think it wouldn't matter who pays the fine as long as the National Park Service gets its due."
He narrows his eyes and licks his lips, taking two steps toward me. "The point ofyoupaying the fee would be foryouto learn to respect the forest and its resources. Having someone clean up your messes for you teaches you nothing."
I gasp like he smacked me and march forward until I'm toe to toe and nose to… well, to chest. He's really tall and I'm slightly below what is considered average height for a… Fine, damn it, I'm short. "I respect the forest. I love the forest. I just don't see why I need to pay money to some bureaucratic ass who—"
"You're hired," Lazarus says, like he's announcing the winner on a game show.
Ranger and I freeze and turn only our heads to look at Lazarus.
"What?" I ask.
"You're hiring her?" Ranger says. "Lazy, she's—"
"A baker," Lazarus says. "Who makes delicious baked goods like that cherry thingie you love so much, Grant."
I step away from Ranger, uh, Grant, and face Lazarus. "You haven't even—" I snap my lips shut. "Great! Thank you. I'll bring by those dozen brownies and two dozen breakfast pastries tomorrow." I glance at Grant, hating my life, before steeling my core and turning back to Lazarus. "Would it be possible to get twenty-five percent upfront for the order?"
"Of course," Lazarus says. "Would you be interested in being a barista? I could really use someone to take care of the coffee and snacks back here."
"Lazy, you're overstaffed as it—"
Lazarus puts a finger over Grant's lips. "I have a feeling this coffee and baked goods part of the store is going to more than pay for itself and Dani's salary. What it doesn't generate in money, it'll certainly earn in entertainment value."
I stare at Lazarus, confused. "You just want me to barista and bake, right? I don't dance or sing or anything."
He laughs. "No singing or dancing required. You just keep making sparks fly with my brother." He slaps Grant on the back. "That's all the entertainment I need."
"Sparks?"
"Lazy," Grant says, a warning clear in his voice. "Don't."
Lazarus' smile is gleeful. "This is going to be so much fun."
Grant sighs heavily. "You did hear the part about her stealing from the National Park Service, right?"
I glare at Grant. "I do not steal. I don't even cheat. And who the hell are you to tell anybody who to hire? You…" Darn it, what now? "You… You don't even know how to take a day off."
