Page 13 of The Trouble With Attraction (Rock Canyon, Idaho 6)

l the same old shit had been dragged back up. How many times would they go for each other’s throat? When she’d mentioned being single, Eric had seen a window of opportunity, had nearly acted upon it.

And she’d slammed it in his face.

No more dangling after Gracie McAllister like some whipped douche bag. He was fucking done.

Chapter Six

The Next Day

Gracie rubbed her temples as she sat in Gemma’s booth at the Rock Canyon Independence Day Extravaganza, closing her eyes behind her dark sunglasses. Gemma was reading her the newest Small Town Scandals column and not surprising, it mentioned Gracie’s recent break up.

“It’s true that after four successful months, Jake and Gracie, or ‘Jacie’ as I liked to call them, are doneso. It’s not that surprising, especially given Ms. McAllister’s track record with men, but what is astonishing is that the very night the two called it quits, Gracie stayed late at Buck’s Shot Bar with none other than Eric Henderson! As you all know, these two made quite a stir this year when they were found together in the community center supplies closet in a compromising position—”

“Oh, come on!” Gracie cried loudly, before groaning in regret. Between her late night of beer drinking and the wicked dream she’d had involving Eric Henderson, she was fighting a migraine of epic proportions. “She’s making it sound like Katie found me straddling him. We fell asleep.”

“Do you want me to keep going?”

“Fuck no, it’s making me feel worse.”

“Do you need some more Advil?” Gemma asked.

“No, I’m okay, but I could use some gum. I have to do a turn at the kissing booth in—”he checked her cell, wincing as the effort caused a sharp stabbing pain in her brain. “—ten minutes.”

“You better get over there. You know how Mrs. Andrews gets, especially when it’s you.”

Gracie had no idea what she’d ever done to the crotchety old bitch, but she was in no mood to deal with her shit. “She can go suck an egg. My head is pounding, my mouth is dry and frankly, I can’t get rid of the taste of ass. I just want to go lay down.”

Gemma handed her a bottle of water and a piece of gum. “Maybe the next time a hot bartender asks you to wait around for him and offers you all the beer you can drink, you’ll say no.”

“Please, it was a half a pitcher, and excuse me for giving the asshole the benefit of the doubt.” Although, Gracie had to admit that the last part of their conversation was a bit fuzzy and she wasn’t sure if maybe she had been the jerk. However, she wasn’t going to admit that to Gemma.

“I have no idea why you let him get to you, especially since you don’t even like him.”

“Maybe because of the same reason Mrs. Andrews gets to me.” Getting slowly off the chair and standing with a groan, Gracie said, “I’m going to go catch up to her royal awfulness. I’ll see you later at the fireworks.”

“Okay, have fun.”

Gracie grimaced. Sitting around letting the single men of Rock Canyon try to stick their tongue down her throat was not her idea of fun, but it was for charity, so Gracie had gone along with it. Besides, her coffee shop, The Local Bean, had set up a tent selling pastries, so the kissing booth also gave her a chance to send people over to spend money at her booth.

Hey, if she was going to suffer through an hour of slobbering fools, she was going to get something out of it.

As she walked along, studying the booths as she passed, she thought about what Gemma had said. The truth was, she had liked Eric a long time ago. Although he was five years older, she’d been drawn to the strong, silent older Henderson brother, even going so far to get a fake ID so she could get into Buck’s and actually talk to him. Even though she was eighteen and perfectly legal, he never seemed to notice her.

All that had gained her was his ridicule and getting tossed out of Buck’s in front of everyone. It had been humiliating, and sadly her ego had never fully recovered.

As she came around the corner towards the kissing booth, a white wooden box with red painted trim, she read the sign Kisses for $1, and she nearly made a u-turn. What could Mrs. Andrews really do to her if she skipped out?

Too late, the witch spotted her. Mrs. Andrews looked down at her watch, as if she couldn’t believe Gracie wasn’t late. “Thank you for donating your time, Gracie.”

“Hey, I’m always willing to give up my lips for the good of Rock Canyon.” Taking a drink of water, and then popping the gum in her mouth, she chewed loudly.

Mrs. Andrews looked like she’d swallowed a bug. “Please get rid of the gum before your shift begins.”

Gracie took a few more chomps and swallowed it with a smile. “Done.”

The old bat picked up the megaphone and appeared to want to clobber her with it. At least I didn’t spit it out on the ground like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

“Changing of the lips, changing of the lips. Come steal a kiss from our beautiful barista, Gracie McAllister, and just for your information, boys, she’s single again.”

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