AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m back now and opening my own bookstore. Or trying to,” she adds as she side-eyes me.
I try to listen in without making eye contact with her. I want to find out more of her story, but I don’t want her or anyone else to know it. This mystery woman just pops back into town, and they all know her? I’m invested.
“Well, I’m glad you’re back. We do need a bookstore; I’ll be your first customer,” she says and gives Paige a quick squeeze on the shoulder. Then she turns and calls into the dining room, “Grab a plate, everyone. Dinner’s ready!” She then heads over to the sideboard with a steaming casserole dish that smells mouthwateringly good. I’m so hungry.
“Allie, what were you saying earlier?” I wipe my hands on my apron and slide the bowls of bread out of the way for guests to come through and make their plates.
She glances at Paige and back at me and says, “You know how you said you needed help at the office?” She waits for me to nod, then whispers, “What about Paige? She needs a job, and you need the help.” She shrugs her shoulders and grins.
“No,” I say flatly. “I’m also sure Paige wouldnotbe interested in that either.” I narrow my eyes at Allie. “And I’m not interested.”
Only I am. I really am. But for some reason, I’m still holding a grudge with this chaotic woman.
“What would I not be interested in?” Paige asks innocently, looking at me and back to Allie.
Damn it, Allie. I grit my teeth, bracing myself.
“Well, Preston here needs an office manager. Badly. Someone to come in and get his new law firm up and running. Don’t you, Pres?” She grins, enjoying watching me squirm.
“Nope, I’m doing just fine.” I pick up another casserole dish and carry it to the sideboard, trying to stay busy and ignore the setup.
“Right.” Allie says with an expression of satisfaction in her eyes. “Well, Paige needs a job. It’s a perfect solution to everyone’s problems. You get an office manager, and she gets a job near the bakery so she can come in daily for coffee. See? Win-win for everyone here.” She grins and shrugs, as if she’s just solved all the problems and not created more chaos for me.
I stare at her disdainfully and hope that she feels how I’m screamingNo!andStop it!inside. But I can’t really be mad at Allie. I know she’s just trying to help us both out.
I cross my arms and lean back against the counter. I glance at Paige and wait for her to agree that this is the stupidest idea. But no. She looks me right in the eye and says, “That sounds like a great idea.”
I scoff and look away. “Are you kidding me? You don’t evenlikeme. Why would you want to work with me?”
“Of course I like you, Pres.” She uses the nickname Allie called me earlier, like we’re old pals. She’s doing this to annoy me, I know it. And it’s working.
“Oh, good! So it’s settled.” Allie claps her hands and smiles with glee. “You get a job, and you get an office manager. I’m sure you two can work out the rest. Perfect!” she says in a singsong voice as she grabs a plate and scoops cheesy chicken casserole onto her plate, along with a piece of bread. “This worked out great, didn’t it?” she calls over her shoulder to me and Paige, who’s still smirking at me like Kevin fromHome Alonewhen he’s about to make the robbers lives a living hell.
* * *
After dinner, I help clean up, but honestly, I’m not in a rush to get to my new place that doesn’t feel like home yet anyway. Theo is in the corner getting a makeover from a few of the guests’ little girls. He’s letting them put barrettes and ribbons in his fur, and he loves it. He’s not bothered in the least. He leans in and gives one of the kids a big kiss, and she giggles, throwing her arms around him and pulling him in for a hug. Theo leans into the kid. I love that dog. He’s literally perfect.
Ty sparked up the fire pit, and the gang’s all out there. Kase and Caleb are throwing balls for the other dogs to fetch. I contemplate joining them but decide to settle this office manager situation first.
I glance over to the garden shed and notice the lights are on in the loft. I make a quick Irish exit to head over there and talk some sense into Paige before anyone can interject again. Even though everyone else here seems to know her and like her, there’s no way she can work with me. She already hates me because she thinks I took her building. And that’s a mountain she’s apparently dying on, since she continues to accuse me of that.
I head up the stairs, and just as I’m about to knock, the door flies open. She groans with disappointment when she sees me. “Oh, it’s you.” She narrows her eyes. “What do you want?”
“Can I talk to you?” I ask calmly, trying to take a deep breath and not mess this up like I did during our previous interaction, where we somehow apparently became mortal enemies.
“Fine,” she says, stepping aside to let me in. I notice she’s already unpacked a few things, and her cat carrier is in the corner with the door open. I’m allergic to cats, so I’ll make this quick.
“Where’s your cat?” I ask, stepping to the side as she shuts the door.
“I don’t have a cat,” she says, looking at me strangely. “Why do you keep saying that? What is it with you and cats?”
“Then what was in your cat carrier?” I ask, confused. “I’m allergic to cats.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and she says, “Oh, Pancake.” She nods to the bed. My eyes follow, and I startle when I take in what’s lying there on its back, spread out on a pillow, relaxing like it belongs here and pays rent.
“What the hell? Get back! That’s a wild animal!” I shriek. I back up and shove her behind me as I make my way backward toward the door, pushing her behind me as I go. “He could have rabies!”
“What are you talking about? That’s Pancake,” she says, like I’m the crazy one here. Not the person who has a wild animal casually lounging on the bed. The bed I just vacated this morning. She moves around me to pick up the feral animal and cuddle it.
