Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“This is Erin at the Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co. We need assistance.”
“Oh, please,” he sneers, but he starts to back up a couple of paces. “Gonna tell on me? Jesus, what a bunch of sniveling babies. I guess you’re not so brave when you don’t have some asshole at the ready to fight your battles for you, are you?”
Several customers are standing, just waiting to jump in if this jerk takes it too far and lays a hand on us.
Which I kind of hope he does because I’d love to kick him in the balls.
“I don’t need anyone to fight for me,” Millie says calmly. “But I won’t be harassed, here at my job or anywhere else. This is my home. These are my people. And you’re nothing but an annoying little bug.”
Just as he steps forward, the door flings open, and Millie’s brother, Chase, walks in, his hand on his weapon and fire burning in those hazel eyes.
“What’s the problem?” he asks.
“We’d like these customers to be escorted out,” I reply as Millie continues to have a staring contest with the asshole in question. “They’ve been rude and threatening, and we don’t want them here.”
“I’m not rude,” Asshole says with a smirk.
“You heard her,” Chase says. “Let’s go, guys.”
“I have the right to be here,” he insists. “We all do. This is a free country.”
“This,” Chase emphasizes, “is a private business, and you’ve been asked to leave. Don’t make me arrest you for trespassing.”
“You little bitch,” he snarls at Millie. “You’ve done nothing but cause me trouble on this trip, and you’re going to pay for it, you hear me?”
“Oh, my God,” one of the others says with exasperation. “Why can’t you keep your mouth shut?”
“On second thought, I believe I will arrest you for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and verbal assault. Do you want to press charges, ladies?”
“Yes,” we reply in unison just as Asshole takes a swing at Chase, who easily ducks out of the way and twists Asshole’s arm behind his back as Chase reaches for his handcuffs.
“Let’s add on assault on an officer,” Chase says with a wink for Millie and me. “We’ll take your friends with us, so they can either post bail for you or leave without you. Either way, I don’t care as long as you get the fuck out of my town. Come on, guys.”
“You’re such a fucker,” the quiet guy says to the asshole friend as all of them walk out the door.
“Well,” Polly, the owner of the cutest dress shop in town, says from the corner. “I almost came over there to punch that guy.”
Polly’s no taller than five feet, and can’t weigh more than ninety pounds, but I can see by the look on her face that she’s a force to be reckoned with.
“Chase must have been nearby,” Millie says after she swallows hard. I know that bully put her on edge, and I hate to see that. “I’m glad he came quickly.”
“You were handling yourself,” I assure her. “He’s nothing but a bully.”
“Yeah, I know. I hope they go home and get the hell out of my town.”
“Chase will run them off,” another customer calls out. I glance over and see that it’s Peter, the driver who helped me with my car yesterday. “But if you want someone to escort you home later, just let one of us know.”
“Thanks, Pete,” Millie says with a wink. “You’re the sweetest. Okay, everyone, I’m going back to business as usual.”
Taking her hint, everyone goes back to what they were doing before the incident, and Millie and I begin to clean up our mess from our earlier rush.
“Hey, I have a question,” I say as I wring out a rag in the sink. “Do you know of anywhere that’s hiring part time?”
Millie frowns over at me. “Why do you ask?”
“I need a second job.” I sigh and wipe down the countertop by the espresso machine. “My car has decided to be dramatic and needs a lot of attention, so I’ll need another source of income for a little while.”
“Is that so?” Millie leans on the counter and smiles over at me. “I might just know of something kind of perfect, but first I have to ask if you like kids.”
“Uh, sure? Why do I feel like this is a trick question?”
“It’s not. It’s an honest question.”
“I like kids. I have cousins younger than me, and we were always babysitting and stuff. Is the school hiring or something?”
“I wouldn’t know about that, but I do know that my oldest brother, Remington, is looking for a nanny to help him out at the ranch. Holly and Johnny are the kindest, most well-behaved, and amazing kids on the planet.”
“I’m sure they are.” I can’t help but grin at how proud Millie sounds.
“He’s a single dad, and with the kids getting older and having more activities and stuff, he just can’t manage it all by himself anymore. I finally talked him into hiring someone, and I know you. You’re totally trustworthy.”