“I’m afraid you’ll need to go elsewhere, ma’am,” Brooke tells Savannah, her thin brows furrowed in disapproval. “I won’t stand for my employees being threatened. If I need to get the police involved, I will.”
Her voice is steely, sure of herself and frigid, and she keeps her gaze unwavering on Savannah.
“She’s lying!” Savannah chokes out around a series of coughs. “I was just trying to see a doctor and she?—”
“Ms. Ward!” Brooke cuts her off again. “You need to leave. I’ll not say it again.”
A thread of smugness wraps around my elation at seeing Savannah get cut down so thoroughly. I’m not surprised that Brooke is familiar with her—in a town this small, everyone knows everyone’s business, and Dad wasn’t exactly quiet about anything she or her family has gotten up to in their attempts to fuck with us.
“Fuck you both,” Savannah spits viciously. “You’ll regret this. My aunt’s a lawyer. She’ll ruin this whole stupid clinic.”
She turns without another word and stomps out of the clinic, her stupid blanket trailing behind her like the world’s most pathetic cape. I suppress the laugh tickling at the back of my throat. Brooke probably wouldn’t be too thrilled with that, even if she did take my side on this one.
She sighs after the door slams closed behind Savannah and slants her gaze over to me. “We’re lucky you’re only temporary,” she says teasingly. “If she tries to make good on that lawsuit, we’ll just say you were already let go.”
I snort, letting the backhanded compliment roll off my shoulders. “I’ll be just as ready to leave as y’all are to get rid of me,” I promise. “Can I take my first break?”
Brooke said I could take a break in the morning and the afternoon, plus my lunch break, I just can’t combine them to get a full hour for lunch.
It’s not like anything is going on, anyway.
“Go ahead,” Brooke says with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. “I’ll watch the front. Remember to clock out and don’t take more than fifteen minutes.”
I shoot her a playful salute and bounce my way back toward the staff room after grabbing my phone. I’ve got a pep in my step that even the concept of having to work can’t dampen, and I need to tell Pennyeverything.
I didn’t expect my first day to be so exciting, but I might be able to get behind this whole ‘working for a living’ thing if I can fuck with people like this.
Chapter Six
BENNETT
“We’re waitingon our place to be built right now,” Bo says, chest puffing out proudly as he shoots staples into place. “Dad put aside a little bit in savings for all of us, so I used mine on a down payment. Kenzie and I have known each other since we were kids, but we only got together after she came back from college. It was a whole thing, had someone try to baby trap me while she and I were working things out. If you meet someone named Savannah Ward, take my advice andrun.”
God, that’s the last fucking thing I need. “Trust me, I’m not looking for anything but work. Romance is the last thing on my mind.”
My mind unhelpfully conjures an image of the blonde that keeps worming her way into my thoughts. I remind myself firmly that she’sBo’s fucking sister, and that I really don’t have any interest in a relationship, casual or otherwise.
Getting my dick wet isn’t worth it.
“Smart man,” Bo says with a laugh as I wrestle more chicken wire into place along the fence. “I don’t really mind living here, but I’m looking forward to some privacy, just me and the missus.Plus, my little sister and my dad are going toe to toe about damn near everything right now, so I’ll just be happy to get away from all that.”
Well. Looks like my thoughts of her aren’t going anywhere for now. I don’t meet Bo’s eyes, worried he’ll see some hint of just how much I’ve been thinking about his little sister. Or worse,whatI’ve been thinking about her.
“Yeah, I can imagine. My family’s always been pretty relaxed, but Pa can get all up in arms about shit sometimes, and my brother and I have to talk him down from the ledge.”
Bo snorts in amusement as he staples the last piece of this roll of chicken wire into place.
“Every damn day this week she’s been antagonizing Dad,” he says with a shake of his head as he stands. “She’s always been a little shit, but she’s really laying it on thick recently. Always said Magnolia was far too sweet of a name for that brat.”
His voice is far fonder than his words are, but I can’t focus on that right now. There’s only one word echoing in my skull.
Magnolia.
Fuck, itisa sweet name.
“Just hope she’s not causing more problems today,” Bo says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "It’s her third day working at this job Dad got her. Sending up prayers for the poor souls she’ll come across.”
I chuckle at the teasing look Bo shoots me. “She sounds like a terror.”
