He nodded. “Maybe the next candidate will be better.”
Nash stepped up beside us, shoveling another bite of cereal into his mouth. “We should ask her first thing how she feels about sugar.”
Holt choked on a laugh. “It’s good to have priorities.”
Tires crunching gravel sounded before we caught sight of any vehicle. A second later, a cherry-red sportscar rounded my drive.
Holt let out a low whistle. “Nice car. But not all that practical for winters in Cedar Ridge.”
It pulled to a stop in front of my steps. The driver’s side door opened, and a woman stepped out. She wore boots with high, pointy heels, and a skirt that barely covered her ass. As she glanced up at the four of us on the front porch, her eyes lit up.
“Well, it’s my lucky day.Fourhandsome interviewers. Don’t worry, boys. I work for sexual favors.”
Holt released a strangled laugh. Roan let out some sort of growl. And Nash started choking on his cereal.
“I know which one Drew would hire,” Holt mumbled.
There was only one thing I could say. “F my life.”
4
HALLIE
I staredat the door as if we were about to do battle. And maybe we were. I’d done just as I’d said I would and had taken things one step at a time all morning. But this was the most daunting. The one it felt as though I couldn’t turn back from.
Forcing my hand from my side, I rested it on the doorknob, but I couldn’t get it to turn. I focused on the silver metal peeking through my pale fingers as if I could move it with my mind. I bit the inside of my cheek and twisted.
Bright sunlight hit my face, and the smell of fresh pine air filled my nose. They both helped. But it still took a beat of three for me to step outside.
I tapped my pocket, feeling the keycard there, and shut the door behind me. The click of the lock sounded like a cannon in my ears.
“Just three blocks,” I told myself.
I started moving before I had a chance to rush back into my motel room. I picked up a brisk pace, knowing the sooner I arrived at my destination, the better it would be. There weren’t a ton of people out—most were probably sleeping in. But there were enough to make me feel relatively safe yet not claustrophobic.
People lifted their hands in a wave or bobbed their heads in a nod, even though they didn’t know me from Adam. It was jarring at first, but memories swept back in from time spent in the nearby area growing up. I remembered how warm and welcoming people were.
I missed that. Wondered what it would’ve been like to grow up in a place like this, where everyone knew your name and looked out for you.
Rounding the corner, I caught sight of the sign for the café. A burst of pleasure and pride swept through me. My therapist had drilled into me that I needed to celebrate every win, no matter how small.
I’d driven halfway across the country. I’d stayed alone in motels. I was interviewing for a job that I thought I’d absolutely love. And I was trying a new coffee shop in what could potentially be my new home. I deserved a damn double chocolate muffin.
The bell over the door tinkled as I opened it. There were a handful of patrons inside, but it wasn’t overly crowded. A small line had formed at the register, and a woman stood behind it, moving between taking orders and grabbing coffees and food.
I crossed the warm and inviting space to stand behind three women who looked a few years older than me. They huddled together, talking and laughing.
“Do you really think Aspen wants food from her workplace on her wedding day?” a petite blonde asked.
“These are the best baked goods in town, G,” a raven-haired woman argued.
The third woman laughed, swiping a hand over her pregnant belly. “I’m so hungry, I might hurt you if you make me go somewhere else right now.”
The blonde grinned. “I know that hangry feeling. Thankfully, Caden fed me before I left.”
The dark-haired woman shot the pregnant woman a smile. “Is Holt falling down on the job, Wren?”
She shook her head. “He left early to get the hotel suite ready with Caden. They’ve got a whole spread up there.”
