Page 26 of One Sultry Summer

“Daddy, what’s a jackalope?”

“It’s a jackrabbit with antelope horns, known as a mythical creature.”

“Sounds cute, but dangerous.” He stood there with an air of self-satisfaction, nodding as though I had complimented him, which was certainly not the case.

I glared back at him. “If you’ll excuse me. Thank you for allowing me to join you both today. Emily, it was a pleasure spending time with you.” I didn’t wait for a response and stormed back toward the inn.

There was no way that I was going to let some man get under my skin like a tick. Before I knew it, I quickly made it to my room. I opened the door and slammed it behind me. I paced back and forth, unable to calm down. In frustration, I grabbed the pillow, placed it over my face, andscreamed. If there were a gym nearby, I’d use a punching bag to release the anger I’m feeling in my gut.

I can’t help it; this man is driving me insane. It’s like hanging out with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They say women have ridiculous mood swings when they’re on their periods. What about men? This guy is so frustrating. He’s lucky I didn’t punch him in the throat and wipe that smug grin off his face.

I don’t know why he’s not with the mother of his child, but I have a pretty good idea of what drove her away. The man would drive any woman crazy. I huffed out a breath; my decision was final. I decided I no longer needed Wyatt to help me. What he can do is kiss my ass.

I take a deep breath, hold it for a count of four, exhale for another count of four, and repeat this process until the stress I’m feeling levels out and my breathing becomes calm again. My cell phone rings, interrupting the calm I was experiencing. Ipulled the phone from my dress pocket.

“Hello?”

“Valerie. I wanted to see how you’re settling into town?”

“Mr. Graves, things are going a little slow right now.”

“How so?”

“I’ve already run into a few of the townsfolk and they’re not keen on outsiders.”

“I’m sure there are others in town that will fall under your charm.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence, Mr. Graves.”

“Keep up the good work Valerie and let me know if you need any assistance.” He hung up before I could go into detail about the obstacles that we were running into. I think I’m a little bit more disappointed in myself than he is. It’s nice to see that someone has that much trust in me. Gosh, I’d give anything for a drink right now.

However, there’s no way I’m going to go alonelooking for a place to drink. As I glanced at the bedside table, the clock caught my eye, its hands boldly declaring it was 5:45 PM. The warm glow of the afternoon light spilled into the room, hinting that the day was well on its way to winding down.

My stomach rumbles, but I don’t know if I can eat right now, although I know I should. I scroll through my phone to see if there are any missed calls or messages and see none. I’m sure Devin is still sleeping off this virus he caught. I message him to ask if he wants me to bring back any food.

I walked downstairs and proceeded to the dining area, aiming to avoid Wyatt and Emily and any further confrontation. Carrying a tray, I navigated through the buffet, yet nothing appealed to me. I yearn for the familiar comfort of soup served in a sourdough bread bowl, reminiscent of meals I find in San Francisco on Pier thirty-nine.

“Valerie?’ I turned my head to see Mrs. Woodsstanding in the doorway. She looks as exhausted as I feel, but I doubt that she’s tired from dealing with Wyatt’s attitude. “Would you care for some company?”

“I’d like that.” I fill up my plate with a salad and dressing and grab another piece of garlic bread. We agreed to sit down near the window, and she joined me with a cup of tea. I noticed the aroma of the tea had hints of floral, fruit, and honey.

“How did things go today?” I bite my lip trying to think of how to answer her. “That bad, huh?”

“It started well, but honestly, I don’t think I accomplished much today.”

“Well…if you’d like, I can take you to meet a couple of people in town on Friday.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

“It’s my pleasure.” She took a sip from her cup. “I get to visit with everyone, and it gives me an excuse to take a break from working.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

She looked at my plate, and her expression slidinto a frown. “Did you not like the available food choices?”

I waved my hands. “Oh, not in the least. I just didn’t have much of an appetite. So I decided to eat something light.”

“Don’t let work or other matters affect eating properly.”

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