Page 6 of Beat around the Bush
Lennon
Six p.m. couldn’t have come sooner. I needed a beer, or two. Oakley’s white blouse tucked into her light wash skinny jeans with her sneakers clouded my mind. Her amber hair popped against her white shirt, and it was so damn long. I could imagine my fist wrapped around it, those green eyes boring up at me.
Fuck, seriously?
She was going to be my fucking employee. I couldn’t be thinking of her like this. Especially not as her boss. She deserved my respect, not me fantasizing about her bent over my desk.
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I finished my third recount of the money in the till, locked it away in the safe, and grabbed my keys off the desk. Heading out of my office, I found Jacey in the canned dog food aisle facing the labels forward.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Yep.”
We walked side by side out of the store, and I turned, locking the door behind me. My number one rule with my employees was that no one closed up alone. It wasn’t hard when Jacey, Leo, and I were the only ones who worked here at the moment. Leo had started working here a few years ago as a cashier, but now he did a little bit of everything.
Though Bell Buckle was a small town where bad things rarely happened, it wasn’t impossible. I’d rather my employees be safe than sorry.
“Is Oakley coming in tomorrow?” Jacey asked.
My steps faltered at the mention of her name and I hoped Jacey hadn’t noticed. “Yeah, I was hoping you could show her how to use the register.”
“Works for me.”
I caught the devious smile on her face. “What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Spill, Jace.”
We approached her vehicle, which was a few spots over from mine. She turned with her back to her door. “She’s cute.”
“So?”
She shrugged. “That’s all.” I rolled my eyes as she turned to open the driver door. “See you tomorrow, Len.”
I grumbled a goodbye and crossed the short distance to my truck, getting behind the wheel. I waited until Jacey drove away, then started my engine.
Driving out of the parking lot, I headed in the direction of my parents’ ranch. I needed that cold beer and a distraction, and there wasn’t a better way to get my mind off things than spending time with my dysfunctional family.
***
I parked my truck in the driveway next to my brother Callan’s. The sun had already set, pushing the point that winter was already here with its late sunrises and early sunsets. Hopping out, I found my family on the back patio, sitting around a table that could practically seat half the town.
My mom thought it was necessary to find a table big enough for all of her kids, plus friends and significant others. Once one of us started having kids, I’m sure she’d find an outdoor set that could seat thirty instead of just twelve.
“Hey,” I greeted everyone.
I bent to give my mom a kiss on the cheek before pulling a seat out next to her.
“How was your day, sweetie?” my mom asked.
My dad sat next to her with a cigar in his hand, his lips turned down with the typical frown he wore. I was starting to think the graying mustache just gave him the natural facial expression.
“As good as it can get,” I replied.
Lettie, my youngest sibling, sat forward in her chair. Bailey, her fiancé, was next to her with his hand on her thigh. “Didn’t you have that interview today?” she asked.
“Yep.”
