Page 4 of Blizzards and Brews

I was utterly fucked. And I had three triplets who were ready and waiting for me.

Chapter Two

Lindsay

Walking into Beatty’s house at the end of a long work day a few days later brought out a small sigh. It just didn’t have the same appeal as walking into my own place.

But thanks to my fuckboy ex… I no longer had one.

It had been a busy afternoon shift with Ollie and I was ready to relax and be alone. But that wasn’t my luck most days.

Not wanting to seem ungrateful, I fixed my face into an easy smile as I headed up the stairs. Just as my foot hit the bottom stair I heard voices drifting from the kitchen.

Biting back a sigh, I walked down the hall to join them, recognizing Summer's voice right away. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to them. They were amazing people. I was just tapped out for today.

Both Beatty and Summer, her granddaughter and my friend, looked up at me. Summer’s smile brightened as I walked in and she gave a cute, little wave.

“Just getting off work?” She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. It was hanging loose around her shoulders in beach waves. I always thought Summer was pretty, but she looked even more gorgeous. Now that she found her pack she was practically glowing.

“Yeah, I was on the afternoon shift today. Adam had something to do, so it was just me and Ollie. We definitely kept ourselves busy.”

“I'd like to say that I'm surprised a bar was that busy during the afternoon but with the food that you guys have, I can't blame them,” Summer grinned. “I could use some wings right about now.”

“Hell, I work at the only other diner in town and I get tired of what we've got,” Beatty said with a grin. “Sometimes Leander and I meet outside and swap plates.”

Both Summer and I cracked up, not at all surprised by Beatty's admission. I swear that woman could sweet talk the devil before he even realized what was happening. And Leander? The man looked like the devil but was sweet as pie, well, once you got to know him.

The phone rang in the house and Beatty rushed out of the room, leaving us alone.

Summer locked those blue eyes on me. “I heard you’re staying here with Beatty for a little bit,” she hedged. There was curiosity in her voice but also concern. “Are you okay, girl?”

It was nice to have a friend that wasn't just fishing for gossip. Sometimes in Holiday Hollow, it felt like sharing the tea was a way of life. Hell, I could appreciate it from the sidelines as well. It just hit a bit different when you were the topic of conversation, though.

I wasn't eager for this news to spread. It would end up right back at the bar and I’d have to answer more questions than I was willing to.

“Yes. I'm trying to keep it under wraps, though,” I admitted as I sat down next to her. “You know how the guys can get. We're practically family, they're a bit overprotective.”

“A bit?” Summer snorted. “And family?”

“What's that supposed to mean,” I laughed, shaking my head. “Why does everybody think that there's something more going on? It’s all platonic.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that there's not anything more going on, but I also know that it's probably due to stubbornness. Take it from someone who knows stubbornness. You can get in your own way and spend years regretting it.”

“This is just temporary,” I said, changing the subject right back to me staying at Beatty's and keeping itawayfrom the guys. “I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, but I’ll figure it out. The breakup was… unexpected to say the least. I mean, I never thought he was going to be the one I'd spend the rest of my life with. He was just someone to spend time with. Turns out, I shouldn’t have trusted him at all.”

Summer's blue eyes softened and she reached over to give my hand a squeeze. I wasn't usually the touchy-feely type, but right now I kind of embraced it, letting my friend comfort me. It wasn't often that I let my walls down and I needed it in the worst way.

For some reason, sitting and chatting with Summer in Beatty's kitchen had me ready to tell it all. Though I kept some information to myself. She didn't need to know the depth of how much my ex fucked me over.

The truth was I’d come home after a shift one afternoon to find my entire house gone.

Everything besides the clothes on my back and whatever I had in my locker at work was completely gone.

How does an entire house full of worldly possessions disappear you ask?

Well, a few years after my parents passed I decided I couldn’t stay in that big house alone anymore, especially once I’d found out my designation. I’d sold it and bought a small piece of property and a perfectly designed tiny home just for me. I needed my space, and it allowed me that in spades.

Of course when Jason told me he needed a place to stay, I’d initially balked. We’d only been seeing each other for a couple months in what I thought was a tourist tryst, or as Janet liked to say, a Holiday Honey.

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