Page 1 of Stars and Swipes

CHAPTER 1

Promise

One more hour. Just one more hour and I can go home for the day and enjoy a cool sweet tea on my little patio in the back and savor the breeze coming off the ocean at this cooler time of the evening.

I sigh and run my fingers through my hair, my eyes catching on my reflection in one of our antique mirrors on display. I wince and turn away immediately. I look like hell and there’s no other way to put it. My hair is hanging down on my shoulders in a limp, tangled mess. My eyes have dark circles under them and my skin is lackluster, pale and slightly sweaty from the humidity that the low country is famous for in the summer.

I growl and pull a hair tie off my wrist and yank my hair back and out of my face.

“Hey, Promise! How are you today? Anything new?” Petra giggles and I roll my eyes at her.

“I know you think that you’re super funny, Petra but I don’t agree.”

She grins at me, her long blond curls gleaming in the store lights, her blue eyes wide and happy. Petra always seems happy and sometimes I envy her that but I have a feeling that it’s actually only the tip of the iceberg with her. There’s something bubbling under the surface but she never lets anybody get close enough to figure out what it is.

“I don’t do new stuff and you know that.” I smirk at her. “Everything’s old in an antique store. Including me”

She giggles. “Yeah. I know. That’s why it’s so funny. Except for that snarky comment about yourself. You know damn well you’re not old, Promise. You’re just seasoned.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m thirty-three, Petra. I feel every single one of those years.”

She growls under her breath and then rushes around to hug me. “Girl. You need to stop being so nasty to yourself.”

I shrug my shoulders. “Not nasty if it’s true.”

Her eyes soften and she says, “Have you seen their son yet?”

My heart sinks and my eyes sting with tears. “No, the attorney said he’s been notified but that he’s just winding up his own affairs. I swear I don’t understand why he’s coming here. He hasn’t been back here since they moved here.”

She shakes her head. “That you know of. Besides, although you liked his parents you don’t know what their relationship was like. So don’t pre-judge the poor guy.”

I shoot her a cynical look. “You know. For a girl who’s been dumped by her boyfriend recently and has a horrible relationship with a certain man because of your parents and his, I find it hard to believe that you should tell me what to think.”

“Pfft! Behave. I know that you’re still upset about their deaths but maybe you’ll find out that their son is like them and he’ll be a great friend. Just try not to judge someone before you even meet them.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just upset about their death. I can’t believe that they went out for a nice dinner the next town over and were killed by a drunk driver. It’s so awful.”

“It is.” Petra comes around and hugs me, my head barely coming up to her chest. She’s tall, willowy and beautiful. She has a crazy job that she loves. And I’m just me. I run my mother’s’ old antique store that I inherited when she passed away a few years ago. I never went away to college. Petra did.

“But I want to remind you that they loved their son. They loved you. You both already have something in common.”

I eye her and then smile. “Good lord! You are such a sap!”

She grins. “Unrepentant too! But I know damn well that you’re not usually like this. You’re just in a funk. So….as soon as you close the doors tonight we’re gonna go out and have a few drinks and dance to a few songs and you’re gonna have fun!”

“I just wanted to go home and go to bed,” I protest. “I’m really tired.”

She stalks to the door and turns after she opens it, pointing at me. “Tonight we’re going out and you’re gonna have fun! Hell! Maybe you’ll even kiss a guy and dance with him.”

I snort. “I don’t remember the last time that I did anything like that.” My lady bits are probably closed up about now. Use them or lose them.

“You’ve been cooped up in the store too much. You’re still young. We both still are. It’s time to remember that! Wear a damn dress and some heels. No boots!” She hollers as she stalks out the door.

I groan and drop my head to my hands. “I shouldn’t be doing this. I have too much work to do.” The store needs a good cleaning and I need to get the ad finished for the Fourth of July sale that starts next week. I’ve also got some boxes that need to be priced and put out.

But under all the pressure to do all that stuff is a slow-burning desire to enjoy myself with my friends and finally have a night out, a few drinks and just relax like I don’t have a million things that need my attention.

So when it’s finally time to close up, I find myself heading next door to my cottage and climbing into the shower, washing up and then pulling out one of the few short, sexy dresses that I have left. I grab my bottle of lotion and squeeze out some on my legs and arms, smoothing it on until my pale arms and legs glow with health.

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