Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 138588 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138588 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
“Vodka tonic it is,” Callie said with a nod. “I will be right back.”
Callie hustled off, and she saw her stop at a booth to her left. Callie leaned over as though whispering to whoever was in the booth.
Everyone would know because she’d been stupid enough to announce it to the world.
Sabrina Leal—schoolteacher extraordinaire—had told the whole town she had a boyfriend, and he hadn’t even shown up to their first date.
She was not going to cry.
Well, she would, but she wouldn’t do it here.
When she got home she would cry her eyes out and figure out how to put on a brave face when her dad asked her how things were going with Wyatt.
Her dad? Was she an idiot for calling him her dad? He wasn’t. He was Elisa’s dad. Sabrina’s father had never wanted to see her. He’d left and never looked back. He hadn’t sent her birthday cards or called to see how she was. He’d walked out and left her with a cold, unemotional mother.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be on a date or something?” A familiar blonde slid into the seat across from Sabrina. Gemma Wells was dressed for a date night in a white silk blouse, a rope of pearls around her neck and her makeup done perfectly. “Your sister mentioned this was a big thing for you.”
Gemma worked with Elisa. She supposed it wasn’t shocking Elisa had mentioned her sister had a date since it rarely happened. She had to be set up with guys. She couldn’t find her own.
Her brain sought for any other explanation than the truth. But there wasn’t one. Lies would only get her into more trouble. “He changed his mind.”
“Changed his mind?” Gemma asked.
“Who changed his mind?” Holly Burke turned in her seat. She was at the table to the side of Sabrina’s booth, and she wasn’t alone. There was a large man with longish dark hair, a slightly smaller one with gold-blond neatly cut hair, and a baby girl in a high chair. Alexei Markov, Caleb Burke, and their little girl, Amelia.
Sabrina should have remembered Bliss wasn’t a town where people kept to themselves. They weren’t in high tourist season, so everyone inside the cozy pub was a local and everyone would be interested in gossip about the new girl.
She’d kind of wanted it when she’d thought Wyatt would be here. She’d wanted to sit in Trio with her hot guy and know everyone was talking about the new couple in town.
Pride goeth before the fall. She could hear her mom say the words, see the judgment in her eyes.
Had it only been a couple of hours before that she’d sat with her sister and promised to ignore those voices? She sniffled and forced a smile on her face. “Wyatt was supposed to meet me for dinner, but it turns out he has other things to do. It’s okay. I don’t mind eating alone.”
The big Russian leaned over, his head cocking to the side to look around his partner. “Wyatt Kemp? He asks you to dinner and does not show? We are certain he is all right and has not had the accidents?”
She wasn’t sure why Holly’s husband was so concerned. Alexei wasn’t the doctor in the group. Dr. Burke was, but he showed zero interest in anything but getting Amelia to eat her dinner.
“Oh, it was no accident.” A bit of anger was starting to thrum through her system. There had been no need at all to tell her he cared about her. He could have had his weekend of sex and fun and she would have gone on her merry way. She wouldn’t have opened herself up the way she had. They both could have come out of this thing with whole hearts, but some men needed a trophy.
It wouldn’t be her tears.
“It was not?” Alexei stood and moved close to Holly, who had turned her chair.
Callie came rushing in with her vodka tonic. She placed it in front of Sabrina. “There you go, sweetie.”
“Damn. Did my kids drive you to drink, Teach?” Max Harper stopped as he was making his way across the dining room. She’d seen the Harpers sitting with Nell and Henry and their baby as she’d walked in.
Sawyer called her Teach. He growled it when he wanted her attention on him. Said it softly when he kissed her. Winked at her as he said it when he was feeling playful.
Damn it, they were going to get her stupid tears.
Max’s eyes widened as though he’d realized he was in the room with something terrifying. He backed up even as Holly stood and started toward her.
Sabrina felt tears rolling down her cheeks.
Max’s horrified expression deepened, and he started walking away. “Rach, we’re going to lose her, but it’s not my fault. I think Alexei said something to her.”