Page 47 of Never Fear (Whiskey Ridge)
“Aren’t together?” Brynne grinned like she knew something I didn’t as she went back to spraying down the sticky seats. “Does he know that?”
“Yes, he knows that,” I quickly snapped back. But after a second of thought, I dropped my gaze back to my phone. Brynne giggled as I typed.
You know we’re not together, right?
Annoying stalker: Doesn’t stop me from claiming you as mine.
So possessive. Does this get you all the girls, or only the desperate ones?
Annoying stalker: It got me you
See, but I just told you we’re not together, so that’s so far from the truth it’s nearly laughable
Annoying stalker: I didn’t see you laughing when my tongue was inside your pussy
Instantly, my cheeks flamed at the memory. Fuck him for being so good at making me lose sight of my hatred towards him.
I’m leaving work in five. I’ll be home when I decide to come home
Annoying stalker: You’ll regret that, McKenna
Didn’t I know it.
Right as I slipped my phone into my waist apron’s front pocket, Monica came out through the kitchen door. She’d been back there all day, rifling through cabinets and searching through the desk. I figured she was likely looking for the deed to the diner so she could sell it as soon as possible, but I didn’t care enough to ask. Even if Brynne and I lost our jobs, we’d figure it out. Booker would probably insist she stay home at the ranch rather than finding another job. And me? Well, I was never one to shoot down the idea of stripping.
“If you two want to leave early, I can clean up those last tables once they’re done,” Monica said, coming to a stop beside me. She’d come to talk to us individually earlier, learning a little here and there about how Marv ran the diner. He didn’t do it efficiently, so there were some things she’d made note of changing. But other than that, she’d left us alone, watching us work from afar to likely see who shewanted to keep on the team if she didn’t end up shutting the place down first.
I ignored how her elbow brushed mine and met Brynne’s gaze as I spoke. “Are you sure?”
“It’s barely two tables, girls. I’ve got it.” Monica set a chilled palm on my shoulder. “Enjoy your night.”
Brynne took note of the contact and set her spray bottle and rag on the bar top. “Thanks, Monica.”
Monica flashed that same toothy smile at the two of us. “You’re welcome.”
After Brynne and I finished grabbing our things, putting away our aprons, and doing our time cards, we headed out the front door of the diner. We typically left out the back, but it seemed best to avoid dark alleys lately. If Austin heard I was back there with no one other than Brynne, he’d likely burst that vein that always bulged in his forehead when he was furious about being helpless.
Poor guy.
“Is it just me, or did she seem a little…weird?” I commented as we stopped beside Brynne’s passenger door in the parking lot. November in Whiskey Ridge was always cold, but being used to the early winters that blew through this part of Idaho, it was bearable for bare legs and a thin coat. Even so, our breath cast white plumes of frigid air as we spoke.
Brynne opened the door to toss her purse inside the vehicle. “For being Marv’s daughter? Yeah. I wasn’t expecting that.”
I glanced back at the diner, wrapping my arms around myself. Not from the chill, but from everything elsehappening around me lately. Austin might’ve been right—he should’ve been here to drive me home—but stubborn was my middle name, and I didn’t rely on men. At least, not until lately. Maybe my stubbornness was wearing away, replacing itself with the realization that maybe sometimes it was okay to rely on someone else.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket but I ignored it, knowing exactly who it was. Austin was probably a littletoocodependent on me at this point. Or protective. We’ll go with the latter, given he was clingy at best.
“Well, it’s good to know you won’t be ditching me for the new girl in town anytime soon.”
Brynne closed the passenger door while I opened my driver one. On the days we worked together, we tried to park next to each other, so long as some ass didn’t park next to one of us instead of in one of the other fifteen open spots in the lot.
She let out a breathy laugh, for some reason sounding nervous. “I’d never replace you.”
After setting my phone in the cup holder, I turned to face her. “What’s that look for?”
“What look?”
“The one with your eyes all sappy and your brows pinched together despite your best efforts to remain neutral.”
