Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“I had a great time,” I said stupidly. “Thanks.”
“No, thank you,” she insisted. “That was just what I needed.”
“Why?” When she looked at me with confusion in her eyes, I elaborated, “Why did you need to have sex last night?”
“Oh, it’s a long story.” She avoided my gaze.
We reached the turnoff for her cousin’s cabin, and I angled my truck into the woods to follow her directions. “Must have been something pretty bad to take you way out of your comfort zone like that.”
“My ex cheated on me,” she said quietly. “Or rather, he was cheating with me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I thought he was the one. I thought I loved him, and I thought he felt the same.” Her hands were folded across her lap, bearing almost no resemblance to the claws that had scratched my backside the night before.
“At least you know,” I said. There wasn’t much to say that would be helpful, I knew. “At least you got out of that situation. You can start fresh.”
“Yeah,” she agreed.
The cabin rose from the mountainside above us, rugged with its wooden angles and peaked roof. I wanted one of my own and quickly cut off a whiff of jealousy that blew through my heart. Someday soon I would have enough money to move, and I would be free to rent or buy a similar cabin in the woods. Until then, I would have to be content with what I did have, and that included a job that I was going to be late for.
“Thanks again,” Tammy said, climbing out of the truck.
I nodded, unable to think of an appropriate way to say goodbye. She had walked into my life like a cool breeze and had disappeared just as easily. If she decided to stay in Singer’s Ridge, I would probably see her around. Maybe we would meet again at the Lucky Lady or at the diner or the grocery store. Small-town friendliness seemed inadequate considering what we had just shared. I didn’t want to ask for her number out of respect for her desire for a meaningless fling.
She was already halfway up the porch steps by the time I put two words together. They were useless at that point, so I shifted into gear and nudged the truck slowly down the road until I reached the highway. I hit the gas and made it to work with just under a minute to spare.
“You seem distracted today,” the manager observed after the third time I missed a cut on a lumber order.
I tossed the mistake into the bargain bin and started over.
“Get it right, or I’ll have to find someone else to take over,” he warned.
I nodded, less in the mood for his condescending shit than usual. He didn’t give one flying fuck that I was the boss’ son. I forced myself to focus on my work, when all I really wanted was to relive those luxurious hours of the previous night. I could still see Tammy spread out on my bed, legs wide and ready to receive me. I could still feel her skin, tender and warm beneath my fingertips.
I didn’t know what had possessed me to take her home from the bar. I had told Polly, just like I told all the other girls, I wasn’t interested in dating. But Tammy had been different somehow. Maybe it was because she was a big-city girl, someone who I had never met before. Maybe her insistence on zero commitment had opened the door for me to take a chance. Whatever had happened, I was hooked. There was no use trying to deny it; I wanted to see Tammy again. I cursed myself for not getting her number. Just because we had agreed that there would be no strings attached didn’t mean that I couldn’t ask her out on a second date.
My logical mind rebelled. She hadn’t asked for my phone number, and she hadn’t given any indication that she wanted to see me again. I should just take her at her word and accept the fact that she had just been looking to get screwed. I did my part, and now it was over.
I caught the board just before the saw veered off again, saving myself from a fourth mistake. If I had any chance of keeping all my fingers, I was going to have to banish Tammy to the back of my mind, at least until my shift was over. I let her go with regret, wondering when I would ever see her again. Hopefully, she would stick around town long enough to give me a second chance.
6
TAMMY
Macy was doing laundry alone in the house when I returned. I set my purse down and headed over to her, grabbing some fresh clothes to help her fold. She took one look at me, her little black dress wrinkled from the night it spent on the floor and clapped.