Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“Where the fuck are you?” Cruz asked, not allowing him to answer nicely.
“I said I would be there at eight.”
“It is fucking eight o’clock, you asshole.”
Jaxson frowned and moved the pillow out of the way, only to find that Tillie’s alarm clock was flashing. He reached for his watch that he placed on the side of the bed, and sure enough, it was five minutes past eight.
“Shit!”
“Yeah, and you promised you’d be here by eight. What kind of ser—”
“I’ll be right there.” He hung up his cell phone and ran a hand down his face. “Your alarm clock isn’t working,” he said.
Tillie frowned, moved across the bed, and winced. “Crap. I’ll change the batteries. It was working yesterday.”
Jaxson sighed. “I’ve got to go, and trust me, I do not want to cut this short, however, Cruz is a pain in the ass. Seriously, the guy needs to get laid.”
“Don’t do it, Jaxson. I told you all of that in confidence. Do not get involved.”
“I won’t, but come on, it would make my life easier.”
“And Kate would never trust me again, and I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s not like I have a lot of friends in town.”
“Bullshit, you have a lot of friends.”
“People like me and are nice to me, but I don’t actually have a whole load of friends. Kate’s the same.”
Jaxson pulled on his jeans and his shirt and leaned across the bed. “I’ll meet you for lunch. Bring Belle, we’ll have a picnic or something. We’ll talk more, then, I’ve got to go.”
Belle was at the back door, pawing at it, and he felt so bad. He let her out and quickly shouted up to Tillie that he had done that.
His woman was already rushing downstairs, belting up her robe. “I’ll take care of it,” she said, moving toward him and kissing him on the lips, before heading back toward the door where he’d let Belle out.
For a second, he watched Tillie go, just admiring the full curves of her ass, and the truth was, he couldn’t take his eyes away from her.
One last lingering look, and he finally forced himself to leave.
****
Tillie sat back from her sewing machine, pressing “stop” on her camera, and then gripping her shoulders, as she tried to ease the tension out of the back of her neck. She’d been sitting over her sewing machine for a good three hours, and lunch was not too far away. Her coffee had gone cold, and she got to her feet, turning all her machines off for the time being. She didn’t like to leave her house unless everything was turned off.
She closed and locked the garage door, and made her way through to the kitchen, finishing as much of her coffee as she could stand. Cold coffee was not her favorite. Once she drank that, she let Belle out the backyard to have a quick bathroom break. She gathered her scoop and dealt with it before making her way back into the house to wash her hands.
She grabbed her bag, and there was no point in a jacket as it was still too hot. She put Belle on a lead, because no matter how much time she spent training Belle, whenever her little dog got a scent of something, there was absolutely no stopping her.
Tillie locked up her house, left, and made her way toward town. She didn’t live too far from town, and she said hello to each neighbor she passed. Several said hello back, and there were a couple of girls who walked past her, giggling behind their hands. She didn’t let it bother her. Girls giggled for no reason, apparently.
Tillie checked her cell phone to see where Jaxson wanted to meet up, and rather than wait for him to order, she headed into his favorite coffee shop and ordered what he would have liked.
“That’s her. That is the girl he’s currently with,” someone said, attempting to whisper and absolutely failing at it.
“Her. I’d give it a month. Let’s face it, he is not a man who can stay with one woman.”
“He is already staying with her.”
“Yeah, well, I heard he has a thing for Kate at the fabric shop, so I think he’s playing both of them. There is also a rumor he’s doing both at the same time.”
Tillie thanked the lady behind the counter and made her way outside. Belle jumped up, like she always did, and settled onto her lap.
Would there always be people speculating about her and Jaxson’s relationship? She knew he had a terrible reputation. It wasn’t like she was immune to how he was, or what he used to do.
“Tillie, hello, I am so glad to see you.”
She’d been so distracted by her own thoughts, she hadn’t even heard Susan Riggs, Jaxson’s mother, step up to her at her table. As usual, Belle was not impressed.