Red Hot: A Friends to Lovers Small Town Rom Com
Page 18
I pulled back a few inches so I’d be less visible as I spied, more than curious. And, I had to admit, feeling pretty satisfied the horrible woman wasn’t going to get her way.
“But you always give me corn for my chicken. I come here and your brother gives me a big sack of dried corn.”
Ah, yes. Her emotional support chicken.
The one she sometimes brought into the store with her, claiming it was officially registered as a support animal so she was allowed. Granted, no one had ever seen the paperwork, but I had given in and let her bring it inside. It was easier than fighting about it.
I wasn’t inclined to do so any more however. If she ever came in again after that last encounter.
“Well, my brother’s not here,” he said, still shaking his head.
“But—"
“Look, they sell fifty-pound bags of cracked corn at the feed store for ten bucks. I suggest you go there.”
“But I always got it here for free,” she protested.
“Not anymore, you don’t,” he said.
“Your parents are going to hear about this!”
He laughed. “Go for it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do to prepare for actual paying customers.”
With a humph, she spun and I had to jump backwards to not look as if I’d been hovering, eavesdropping.
When she cleared the doorway, she sent me a glare. “You and your boyfriend deserve each other.”
I forced a smile. “Thank you. I agree.”
She humphed again and stalked to her car. I didn’t take the time to watch her leave, though I probably should have, if only to make sure she didn’t sideswipe my truck on her way out.
Instead I strode into the building and right up to Cash. I grabbed his face in both hands, stood on tiptoe and pressed a big kiss to his lips. He kissed me back with as much passion as our first kiss. As I hoped he always would.
When I finally pulled away, he said, “What was that for?”
“Just for being you. God, I love you. And I love how you told off Betty Frank.”
“I love you too. But ugh, that woman.” He shook his head. “I’m shaking, she makes me so mad. How she treated you—”
“It’s okay. You were perfect. You are perfect.”
He blew out a laugh. “I’m not sure even I agree with you on that.”
“Nope. You are. Perfect for me.”
Cash tipped his head. “All right. I agree to that. We’re perfect for each other.”
We really were. Even horrible Betty agreed.
“Oh, my God, you guys!” Bethany’s voice had me turning, just as I’d been about to kiss my man one more time.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You won't believe this,” she began.
Cash lifted a brow. “Try us.”
“Bart came into the shop after school yesterday to get a cookie.”
Cash narrowed his eyes. “He’s supposed to come right home after school.”
Bethany frowned. “You hush up, Cashel. He deserves a sweet before he starts an afternoon full of chores and homework.”
“Yeah,” I agreed with Bethany, while shooting Cash a grin.
“Yes, ma’am.” He scowled but wrapped an arm around me.
“Anyway, I usually give it to him for free.” She pointed a finger at Cash. “Not one word. He always offers to pay but I won’t let him.”
Cash drew in a breath and let it out in a sigh but kept quiet.
Bethany continued, “So, he brought me a little bundle of letters tied with a ribbon. He said he wanted me to have it as a gift since I’m so nice to him. I thanked him but I was busy. A couple of customers came in so I shoved them under the register and forgot about them until today when I finally took the time to open them up.”
“What were they?” I asked, dying to know what had her so excited.
“Rose's old love letters,” she burst out.
“What?” I asked, eyes wide.
“Yes! Dated from like World War I.”
“Holy cow.”
“I bet he found them in the attic of her old house while he was living there,” Cash suggested.
My eyes widened with realization. “I bet you’re right. Harper and I found an old wedding dress in that attic from about the same era.”
“I knew that old bird wasn't done with this town yet.” Bethany shook her head. “Those journals in Agnes’s attic were just the beginning.”
“You’re right. We have to tell Harper. She’s going to flip.” Our resident author would probably get a new book out of them.
“Do you think I should give them to her? Or do you want them?” Bethany asked, sounding a bit less excited at the prospect of parting with the letters.
I realized something. Harper had Stone. I had Cash. But all Bethany had was a job that kept her busy all the time and two best friends who were now so occupied with our boyfriends we weren’t there for her as much as we used to be.
Bethany needed these letters. Needed the mystery and the romance in them, more than Harper or me.
“I think you should keep them,” I said.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yup. Harper has the journals. I bought half of her possessions from the attic in her old house. I think you should keep the letters. That way we all have a little something from Rose.”
“Okay.” She nodded, looking happy. “But I'll make sure to scan them like Harper did the journals so we have a digital copy. And I’ll take notes and let you guys know what's in them.”
Cash let out a snort. “Knowing Rose, God only knows what you’re going to find in there.”
“I personally can’t wait to see.” I grinned.
Bethany let out a breath. “Okay. I gotta get back to the bakery. I just couldn’t wait to tell you. Talk later?”
“Definitely.” I nodded
When she’d gone, Cash smiled at me. “That was nice of you, telling her to keep them. I know you were dying to get your hands on those letters.”
I turned to face him. “I'm dying to get my hands on something all right, but it's not those letters.”
“Oh, really?” He grinned as I yanked on his belt buckle to pull him closer.
“Can we lock that door for a little while?” I asked, shooting a glance behind me.
“I most definitely can. Or we can leave it open and take our chances.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“You are such a bad boy,” I reprimanded.
He cocked up a brow. “Obviously you like me bad, so don't expect me to change any time soon.”
“I wouldn't want you to.”
Our impending kiss was again interrupted, this time by Boone skidding in through the door. “Did you hear?”
“Hear what?” Cash asked sounding less than patient. I knew what he was thinking. He should have locked the door.
Bethany came back inside on Boone’s heels and said, “Somebody bought the old diner. Boone just told me outside.”
“It’s sat empty for eight years. Where did you hear this?” I asked, wide eyed.
“Lainey at the bar,” Boone answered. “Some really rich dude from Philly.”
Lainey. She was the one person in this town we might actually be able to trust to have accurate information and not just hearsay.
While we all digested that information, Alice Mudd hustled in the door with Mary Brimley hot on her heels.
Next to me, Cash sighed.
I felt his pain. This happened at my store too. If I made the mistake of leaving the door unlocked while I closed up, even if I had turned off the lights and flipped the sign to Closed, people still came inside. It never failed.
I squeezed his hand in sympathy as the two old women pushed their way past Boone and Bethany.
“Did you hear ?” Mary asked. She looked and sounded as if she were bursting with information.
I knew what she was going to say. We all did. Though what version we got in this game of small-town telephone from the two old biddies about th
e sale of the diner should be interesting.
Cash’s gaze met mine and again I knew what he was thinking. What we were both thinking. That was the thing about Mudville—the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
Considering my relationship with Cash was all part of that cycle, I wasn’t going to complain. Not one little bit.
I got to be in love with my best friend, and trust me, we were both really enjoying the benefits.
Don’t miss HONEY BUNS for more small town Mudville crazy! There’s the appearance of the mysterious millionaire from Philly, more secrets from Rose’s letters, and Bethany’s love story, all as the reopening of the Mudville Diner turns Main Street on its ear!
Get HONEY BUNS
catjohnson.net/honey-buns
Check out all the small town tales from Mudville
KISSING BOOKS (Harper)
RED HOT (Red)
HONEY BUNS (Bethany)
ZERO F**KS (Boone)
MISTER NAUGHTY (Harper & Stone)
For the most up to date and complete book list visit
CatJohnson.net/books
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cat Johnson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. She resides in the real life quirky upstate New York small town that inspired Mudville and its [mostly] fictional inhabitants, both human and of the animal variety.
For more, visit CatJohnson.net
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COPYRIGHT
RED HOT
CAT JOHNSON
Copyright© 2020 Cat Johnson
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