Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Kindness for the sake of kindness wasn’t something in her realm of experience.
Luke plated the fish and chips and scooted the food toward her. “You’re doing great for your first day.”
“Thank you.” She caught herself hunching her shoulders and stopped. “I’ll just get these out.”
“Sloan.”
She froze in the middle of picking up the two plates, and turned to face Marge. Excuses bubbled up—I’m doing the best I can!—but she didn’t let them past her lips. She cleared her throat. “Yes?”
Marge surveyed her, the big woman’s hands on her hips. “Take the rest of your shift off. I can handle it from here.”
No. Oh God, don’t fire me. She kept her death grip on the plates. Show no fear. “Ma’am, I haven’t complained, haven’t dropped anything, and I haven’t messed up a single order.”
Marge raised her eyebrows. “I’m not blind, girl. I know. You did good today—you even helped me haul in those massive bags of flour without whining. But if you stand for another minute longer, you’re going to keel over and then you’re no good to anyone. Take the rest of the day off and be back at seven tomorrow.”
She blinked, hardly daring to believe it. “I did…good?”
“Don’t make me say it again. Git.” Marge took the plates out of her hands and strode through the doorway into the main dining area.
Luke chuckled. “That’s my girl—as subtle as a two-by-four to the side of the head. Don’t let her scare you. She’s got a soft spot a mile wide.”
“Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it.” Sloan rubbed a hand over her face, exhaustion weighing her down. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Luke.”
“Hey.” He waited for her to look at him before continuing. “Soak your feet and do some walking or something or your muscles will tighten up and you’ll be a mess tomorrow. There’s a yoga class one of the local girls, Jessica, runs out on the beach every morning at sunrise.” There was no mistaking the concern in his eyes. “Might be something you could use.”
Apparently for all her training at hiding what she was feeling, she’d done a poor job of it in this new setting. Sloan opened her mouth to beg off, but reconsidered. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life hiding in a borrowed beach house in between shifts and wandering the coast alone. At some point she’d have to actually meet the people she served food to.
And I could use some of the peace yoga is supposed to bring.
She managed a smile. “I’ll try it out.”
“Good.” He held up a container with another smile. “Now do as Marge says and git.”
Judging from the heavenly smells wafting from the container, it was some of the very same fish and chips she’d just been about to deliver. Sloan took it, the feeling of being at a loss only getting worse. “Is food a perk of the job Marge neglected to mention?”
Luke gave her a strange look. “I’m not sure where you came from, but we take care of our own in Callaway Rock. You worked hard and don’t think I missed the fact you haven’t eaten since you started your shift. You need to keep up your energy.” He started to pat her on the shoulder, but stopped the motion when she flinched. “Get some rest. We’ll see you in the morning.”
Sloan walked out of the diner feeling more confused than ever. She’d known this little town in Oregon wasn’t anything like back home, but right now it didn’t seem like it was on the same planet.
She kicked off her shoes as soon as she hit the stairs leading down to the beach, and couldn’t stop a tiny moan of relief. She walked over the sand toward her house, which was fast becoming a home, and slowed to watch the people around her. The beach wasn’t crowded by any means, but there was a group of teenagers lounging in the meager Oregon sunlight, the girls in bikinis and the boys throwing a Frisbee. They all looked so carefree, it actually made her heart ache. She’d never been like that as a teenager.
No, ever since she could remember, she was aware of the fate awaiting her because of the family she’d been born into. The O’Malley sons might grow up to take their place within the family business, both legal and illicit, but there was only one role Seamus O’Malley had for his daughters—marriage to the man most likely to accumulate power for the family.
Her sister Carrigan had bucked that rule and been exiled as a result. Sloan shook her head and resumed walking. Exiled. Here in Callaway Rock, it seemed impossible that such a thing even existed anymore, let alone in the US.
If we’d been born a fisherman’s family instead of a mob boss’s, Devlin would still be alive.