Chapter 7
I always tell new hires – don’t think of me as your boss, think of me as afriend who can fire you.
Iroll over in bed to encounter a cold and empty side. Dang. It’s been four weeks since Cole left, and I still imagine him in my bed every single morning. I’m obsessed and I don’t like it one bit.
I check the clock – four-thirty in the morning. Another sleepless night. Welp. I might as well get up and head to work. There’s no sense lollygagging in bed where I’ll spend my time dreaming about a man I can’t have.
A man who messages me every day despite my refusal to respond. I’m cutting the heartstrings attached to him as quickly as I can. Too bad my heart doesn’t agree. I rub my hand over my chest where it aches. It’s heartburn, I tell myself. Not heartache.
“Hey, boss lady,” Moon greets when I enter the inn thirty minutes later. “You’re early.”
“And you’re entirely too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed considering you worked at the brewery until closing.”
She winks. “Because I haven’t gone to sleep yet.”
“Please tell me you and my sister Ashlyn weren’t causing trouble all night long.”
Moon and my baby sister have been getting in trouble since the two of them were knee high. I wish I could blame Moon for all of their shenanigans, but I know my sister is the instigator nine times out of ten. Ashlyn is a troublemaker of the highest order.
“Okay. I won’t tell you.”
“Will I be getting a visit from Chief Alston?”
She giggles. “Don’t be silly. Ashlyn and I have learned our lesson.”
“I hope so,” I mutter under my breath.
I survey the breakfast preparation. Things appear to be on schedule. The muffins and fresh bread have arrived from the bakery, Bake me Happy, the cheese and meat platters are ready, and the sausage is sizzling in the pan.
“What about omelets and scrambled eggs?” I open the fridge as I ask and my head rears back at the smell. “What the hell?”
“Sorry. One egg was rotten. I thought I got rid of the smell.”
I slam the refrigerator close and take deep breaths as my stomach rolls. I place a hand on my middle to calm it, but nothing’s helping. “I’m going to…”
I don’t bother finishing my sentence before marching off to open the door. I take gulps of fresh air from outside until I’m convinced my stomach is going to keep down its meager contents.
“Sorry, boss lady,” Moon apologizes again when I return.
I wave away her concern. She currently works as a waitress at the brewery in town, but her goal is to become a chef. I agreed to give her a chance despite her lack of qualifications. I know she’s worried I’m going to fire her now, but it’s not her fault one of the eggs was bad.
“I’ll check with Phoenix later and ask if other customers complained about rotten eggs.”
Phoenix is a dairy farmer who makes the best goat cheese in the world. He’s also one of Lyric’s brothers. Lyric’s other brother, River, gives tourists green tours.
Lyric and my sister, Aspen, are trying to work things out since she finally knows the truth about the day she left town. I’ve never seen her happier. And I’m not jealous at all. Nope. I’m not. I don’t need a man. And I certainly don’t have time for one.
“Let me whip you up an omelet for breakfast,” she offers.
“Mushrooms and—”
“Cheese.” She rolls her eyes. “I know.”
“I’ll be in my office.”
Office sounds way more glamorous than what the room actually is. It’s a tiny area I carved out underneath the stairwell. There’s enough space for a desk, a filing cabinet, and two chairs. Usually, I drag my computer into the kitchen to work, but with Moon preparing breakfast, I’ll stick to my office.
I collapse in my chair. Insomnia is a bitch. I’m tired all the time, but I can’t seem to fall asleep at night. I blame Cole. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have all these sexy dreams and wake up feeling unfulfilled. Stupid man.