Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“So you’d rather we fight?”
“I’d rather you not sleep with the one woman you don’t have a right to.”
Anger built inside of me. I took a deep breath and composed myself. “With all due respect, that would be none of your business if it were happening, but it’s simply not. Nothing has happened with Presley. We’re just two stressed-out people, finally seeing eye to eye. We have a mutual respect for one another. And I’ll say it again: we were just having fun.”
She moved her head from side to side. “You know I suspected something weird when you asked me to make that peach cobbler.”
“That was just a nice gesture. It didn’t mean anything.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean to tell me you’re not attracted to her?”
I looked up at the window to make sure Presley wasn’t looking out. “Why does that even matter if we’re not involved?” I whispered.
“Your brother would flip.”
I raised my voice. “Really? Because he doesn’t give me the impression that he gives a shit about anything or anyone lately.”
“Trust me. This would most definitely wake him up. She left him, and now he’s gonna find out there’s something going on between you two? You think that’s not gonna hurt him?”
Mom didn’t know the story behind why Presley and Tanner had ended things. She had no clue my brother had cheated. But I didn’t feel it was my place to share Presley’s business. However, given that my mother was still under the impression Presley had done Tanner wrong, her attitude wasn’t surprising.
Then she said, “And what’s this I heard from Harry the realtor—that you told him you’re putting a hold on plans to sell The Palm?”
“How the hell did you find out about that?”
“Ran into him last night at the market with Alex. He mentioned it.”
“He should’ve kept his big mouth shut. He’s probably just upset that he’s potentially gonna lose a commission.” I groaned. “Anyway, my plans aren’t canceled. They’re just…on hold.”
“I don’t think giving up that fight is a smart idea. Do you?”
“It’s not about the financial aspect. I’ve just been thinking about the impact selling would have on Presley and Alex. They like it here, and Presley really wants to revive the place. It’s like her…passion. I should at least give her a chance.”
Mom squinted. “And your feelings for her have nothing to do with that?”
I had two choices. I could lie, or not say anything at all. I chose the latter.
My mother proceeded to say one more thing to piss me off before she left.
“I have an appointment, but before I go, I just want you to think long and hard about the repercussions of getting too close to Presley. This isn’t some fling you can mess up like all the others. She’ll be in this family forever. If something were to happen, not only will you mess up things with your brother, but Alex too. All I’m asking is for you to think on that for a while.”
“I hear you, Mother,” I said, gritting my teeth.
After she left, I decided to take a walk to let off some steam. It was a little unnerving that two people—my mother and Fern—had now picked up on the fact that something was brewing between Presley and me. It would only be a matter of time before Alex became the third. And then Tanner. It was one thing to enjoy being around her in secret, to be attracted to her on the down-low. But now it was on people’s radar.
I was supposed to have come to Beaufort to handle the sale of The Palm Inn. But if I’d all but given up on that fight, what was the point of staying? My being here now was because I wanted to be. If I kept going, it was going to end in someone getting hurt, either Presley or Tanner.
And I couldn’t let that happen.
CHAPTER 11
* * *
Presley
Later that week, things were really coming along around The Palm Inn. Between the new air conditioning almost fully installed and the fact that someone had booked a room for a weekend late in July, I was feeling more confident than ever.
Levi hadn’t joined us for dinner tonight. He’d been out of the house most of the day, so it was just Alex and me cleaning up after supper. As my son handed me a plate from the table, he hit me with a question I definitely wasn’t prepared for.
“Why do people call boobs tits?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Where did you hear that term?”
“Some boys at the playground the other day were talking about Uncle Levi—how they saw some picture of him online with a woman who had really big tits. I had to ask them what that meant. They told me tits are boobs.”
Letting out a long breath, I continued washing the dishes as I spoke. “I don’t actually have a clear answer to your question. It’s a name people use to describe women’s breasts, sometimes when they’re doing it in a derogatory way.”