Page 56 of Small Town Beast

“You saw your mother?” His hand stilled on her hair.

“She wasn’t home. It was for nothing.”

“What did you want with her?”

“To cuss her ass out,” said Tanya viciously. “Not like it would change anything,” she added in a softer voice.

His day had been a bust as well. Saverin hadn’t found Crash, who was apparently on a mission out in Oklahoma. He was supposed to be getting back tomorrow.

Tanya turned to him and put her arms around him. “Saverin, honey, can I sleep here tonight? I won’t be a bother. I don’t want to go back to my place.”

“Of course,” he said. “Let me go put dinner on.”

“What’s for dinner?”

“Ah– microwave lasagna. And biscuits. I expect you’ll need a ride to work tomorrow?”

“Yes. I don’t want to keep borrowing your truck. You should see the looks I was getting, leaving Florin!”

“They just couldn’t believe Saverin got himself a girl so pretty,” he teased.

“Yeah, I’m sure it was that.” Tanya shook her head and followed him into the house.

Ten

Chapter Ten

"You heard about the powerball?" Gwen asked Tanya the next day.“They’re announcing it tonight.”

Tanya rubbed her aching temples. “Did it hit a billion?"

"That's what I heard. I got forty tickets. Figure it won't hurt."

Tanya did the math. Gwen had spent nearly half yesterday’s check on lottery tickets.

“You are crazy. Girl, what aboutrent?”

“Rent? I’m going to win, Tanya. Then everybody will be payingmerent, see?”

“Only people from Florida or California ever win.”

“False,” Gwen declared. “The last winner was from San Jose.”

“San Jose is in California, Gwendolyn.”

“No it’s not. It’s right next to Arizona.”

“Baby, San Jose is not a state.”

“Whatever! I got the golden ticket. Iknowit.”

“What’s got you all in the sunshine? Did you and Rory…you know?”

“Hell no!”

Tanya coughed skeptically.

“I can neither confirm nor deny.” Giggling, Gwen unwrapped a cherry sucker. “What’s good, Tanya? You’re less of a zombie today.” She popped the candy in her mouth. “I mean, you’ve been a zombie for weeks. Is Amari sick or something?”

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