Page 15 of Joy
Oh my God, was I trying to flirt?
Was I flirting withtacos?
I got into the car and banged my forehead against the steering wheel. Silas was so not the kind of guy I usually went for. He was too rugged and too innocent and getting ten words out of him was like fucking pulling teeth. And yet here I was, all jittery and nervous and hoping he’d like what I made him. Two days ago I’d been angry at him—angry for hitting his car and angry he showed no sympathy and angry he’d even existed. It made him ugly to me.
And how crazy is that? Now that the blind rage had subsided, Silas was really attractive. And pretty nice. Maybe even a little into me? I mean, jury was still out on that, because he was a hard one to nail down, but he definitely wasn’t as straight as an arrow.
I started the car and pulled away from the work site.
I had to remember I was just passing through.
I had no intention of staying in New Hampshire for longer than it took to pay for our repairs.
But still. I wanted Silas to like my cooking.
And I sort of hoped he thought I was cute.
I LIKEDmornings in Lancaster.
With a cup of coffee in hand, I slipped out the back door of the B&B. The patio was in the shade, and the air was fresh and sweet. There were birds chirping and helping themselves to feeders. Just across the well-kept lawn was the tree line. The town was so isolated up in the northern part of the state that deer and bear and shit were less than a hundred feet away.
For a city boy like me, I had to admit it was unnerving. Wild animals that could hurt you wereright there, and these folks weren’t fazed in the slightest.
A gentle breeze rustled one of Bridget’s purple wind chimes hanging from the roof, adding music to the otherwise still and quiet day.
Pretty.
I closed my eyes, savoring it.
I wondered if Silas was awake. Did he stand outside like this too?
“Good morning!”
I jumped and spilled coffee on myself and the ground. “Shit.”
“Oops, sorry about that, honey,” Bridget said from behind me.
I turned, wiping at my shirt. “It’s okay.”
She smiled from the open door. “Hey. Come inside for a second.”
I frowned and flicked the coffee from my hand before following Bridget back into the house. “What is it?” I asked as we walked down the hall to the main entrance.
She moved behind the counter and opened the ledger. “Well, I think we have a little problem with your room.”
Motherfucker.“What’s that?”
“It seems like Bernard double-booked.”
“Er… what’s that mean?”
She hummed to herself as she flipped through the pages. “Yeah… uh-huh. Okay. He definitely did. We have a couple due in today who have your room. They paid two months ago.”
“I can move to another room.”
She looked up and made a face while twirling some of her purple hair with a finger. “They’re all booked, angel-face.”
Son of a bitch!“Oh.” I tapped the mostly empty mug in my hand. “For how long?”
