Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
All I knew was that I sometimes struggled to look away from her. Her features pulled me in. Deep dimples and dark eyes that smiled almost more than her lips. Curves that made every article of clothing she wore look as if it was custom-designed for her body. Lips that were full, plump, and—
“Tatiana,” I called out.
“Yes, Alex?” she replied, walking over to me.
“Who is that?” I asked, nodding toward the woman across the street who was laughing as a huge mutt jumped on her, licking her face to filth. Disgusting.
“That’s Yara Kingsley.” She clapped her hands, seemingly giddy that I was asking about the woman. “Oh, you have to meet her. I can introduce you if—”
“I don’t want to meet her,” I snipped.
“Then why are you asking about her?”
“People in town seem fond of her.”
“Well, of course they are. She is Yara. What’s not to like?”
Plenty, I imagine.
“Ohhhh!” Tatiana wore a goofy grin and nudged me in the arm. “Does someone have a crush on her?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I was curious about who she was, that’s all.”
“Why weren’t you curious about anyone else on the street? Many people are around.”
But they aren’t her.
Why was I curious about her? Why did she stand out so much more than all those others who seemed so black and white compared to her? It was as if she’d rolled in every color in the rainbow while the rest of the world around her remained dull. Maybe that was why I was curious. I understood dullness. I knew mundane and muted. Yara seemed to be none of that. She felt like light, which bothered me because I was so used to the darkness.
I grumbled and rolled my eyes. “I stepped in her dog’s crap the other day. I wondered why so many people like a woman like her.”
“Oh, it must’ve been an odd occurrence for you to step in her dog’s poop. Yara is a big activist about cleaning up after people’s pets. She volunteers to clean it up at the dog park three days a week. That’s Yara for you. She’s so sweet. And single,” she added in, singing the last word.
I arched an eyebrow. “Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Emphasize the word single.”
“Oh. Did I do that?”
“You did. You said single.”
“Well, I figured you might want to know that information.”
“Why would I care that she’s single?”
I wouldn’t.
I don’t.
Tatiana smiled as if she believed differently. “All I’m saying is, I wouldn’t judge you for having a crush on her.”
“Why would I have a crush on her? I didn’t even know her name until five seconds ago.”
“Because Yara Kingsley is quite crushable. If it weren’t for her annoying ex-husband, she’d probably have men lining up outside her door for a date.”
“Annoying ex?”
“Cole. He’s the chief of police in town. Between you and me, I’m not a fan after how he did Yara so wrong in their marriage, but you know. He’s the head of the unspoken boys’ club.”
“What does that mean?”
“You know those people who never grow out of their frat-boy era? The boys will be boys clan? That’s Cole, but he only got worse with age. I can’t prove it, but I feel like he got every guy in town to do some kind of weird bro-code thing where they’d refused to date sweet Yara after she filed for divorce.”
So she married the chief I’d run into earlier that week. That made sense. If she found a way to like him enough to lead to marriage, her taste in things was way off. I knew I didn’t like her for a reason.
Then again, she did divorce him. That had to count for something.
Don’t make excuses for her, Alex.
“You know, I’m good friends with the Kingsley family,” Tatiana mentioned.
“Sounds like you are good friends with everyone.”
“What can I say? I’m a people person. You know what? I could walk right over there and give Yara your number if you’d—”
“Tatiana.”
“Yes?”
“Get back to work.”
She smiled and shook her head and then poked my cheek. Yup. That’s right. She poked my cheek. “You’re blushing a little, Alex.”
I grimaced. “It’s hot. Have the staff turn up the air-conditioning.”
“Whatever you say, chef,” she sang as she danced away, leaving me with my eyes lingering on Yara.
Yara.
She looked like a Yara, too.
Maddeningly beautiful.
CHAPTER 8
Yara
“Yara! Yara!” someone shouted as I sat in the dog park watching Cocoa run around with the other pups in the park. I prided myself in knowing every single dog’s name in town. And if I didn’t, I introduced myself as soon as possible.
I glanced up to see Tatiana darting my way with a clipboard and the biggest grin on her face. That wasn’t shocking. Tatiana was probably one of the happiest people in town—if not on the planet.
She slid beside me on the bench and nudged my arm repeatedly. “How are you?” she asked.