Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“So I’m fired?”
"At this rate, everyone will lose their job."
He shoves some of the papers on his desk in frustration, and a few swirl to the floor. When I reach down and pick them up, my eyes run over the documents.
“You want some help with this?” I ask, although I have no reason to be nice to George.
I’ve promised myself I won't be a jerk just because other people are. My grandma always told me to kill them with kindness and never sink to their level. People will eventually bury themselves.
“What?” He glances over to me, seeing the papers in my hand. “Give me those.”
“Sorry, I'm only trying to help. I mean, not to be rude, but this is kind of old school.” I place the papers on the desk and shrug. “If it’s money issues, maybe I could take a peek?” George’s eyes narrow. “I’m not my father, and unlike him I actually have some education under my belt.” What he’s doing at the diner is pretty basic stuff.
“Not like there’s anything to steal.” George scoffs a humorless laugh.
“So?” I ask, and even I’m wondering what I’m doing. I’m not going to sit around here without a reason when I can go home and check on Grandpa and start searching for a new job. Grandpa can be by himself, I just don't like leaving him alone for too long.
“Fine.” George stands. “It’s all yours.” He waves a hand over his desk.
“Really?”
He shrugs again. It might be nice to maybe prove myself. “I just need to call my grandpa and let him know I’ll be late.” When I stand up, I remember the pain in my hip and flinch.
"All right, how about I make some dinner you can take home for him?"
“That would be really sweet of you.”
“Don’t get used to it,” George grumbles before leaving me alone in his office.
I’m not fired. I’ll take my small win and for now breathe a sigh of relief. These moments never seem to last.
Chapter Four
Booker
Mary Beth Carpenter is a busybody around town, and I do my best to avoid her when possible. She’s the one that organizes the town’s annual tour of homes where people dress up their home or business for Christmas and then everyone comes and looks at how nice it is. I never understood the appeal of something like that, but Mary Beth and all her church friends make a big deal about it being the event of the season.
She was the one that signed me up for it without me really agreeing to it and then said all the money from the sale of the tickets went to charity. I would have much rather donated straight to the charity, but she said if I had my barn on the tour, it would encourage other people to participate. Reluctantly, I agreed. Which is probably why she’s chasing me down in the parking lot of the diner.
“Oh Booker!” Mary Beth sing-songs. “Can I bend your ear for a second or ten?” She giggles at her own joke but doesn’t wait for me to respond. “Now we’ve got to talk about getting your barn decorated for the tour. Christmas is around the corner, and we need to sprinkle a little cheer before it’s too late.”
“I’ve got it taken care of,” I tell her, and then I watch as her eye twitches.
“Already taken care of? But what do you mean? The girls and I were going to come over and do it for you.”
“It’s not necessary.” I tip my hat in her direction, but when I go to walk into the diner, she jumps in front of me.
“Booker, I’m sure whatever you have planned is fine for a normal event, but this is the tour of homes.” She smiles like a retired beauty queen that forgot the pageant was over forty years ago. “We want this event to be better than fine, we want it to be spectacular.” She waves her hand through the air, and I let out an exasperated sigh.
“Either I decorate my barn the way I want to, or I’m out.” She puffs up her cheeks like she’s going to say something, but I stare down at her, not flinching.
“Well, I suppose I don’t have a choice then,” she concedes.
“I’ll see you on the tour,” I tell her before I step around her and go into the diner.
When I get inside the diner, it’s busy, but I take the same seat I had last time. Joy is already talking to another customer, so I wait for Sabrina to come over.
It’s been two days since I last saw her, but I’ve thought about her nonstop. I had a shipment of cattle come in yesterday and I had to go out with my ranch hands and make sure they got them taken care of. Normally I’d leave it to them, but a couple of my guys on the crew had food poisoning, so I had to fill in.