Snowed In Read Free

didn’t work out. Sure, you put a lot of time into it—more fool you, honey—but you’re probably better off without him.”
    â€œHow can you say that? You don’t know him! You don’t even know me!”
    â€œI may be old, but I ain’t slow. Maureen, you need a distraction. You need something to keep your mind off the fact that you lost a relationship that wasn’t that great to begin with.”
    Oh my gosh , Maureen thought, if this woman tries to kiss me, I am never grocery shopping again .
    â€œDon’t look at me like that, girlie. You’re cute, but I don’t swing that way.”
    Maureen blushed. The god had really affected her ego.
    â€œBut you’re on the right track.”
    â€œPardon?”
    â€œYou need a fling! When my Earl died, bless his heart, I didn’t waste any time mourning. Of course, Earl was a low-down, dumb-bum drunk with three other girls on the side, but I loved the bastard. No, as soon as that casket closed, I got back in the game.”
    Maureen blinked at Pippa. Got back in the game? Surely, now, she wasn’t receiving sexual advice from a woman old enough to be her grandmother?
    â€œI found I had plenty of wild oats left to sow, so I did. Then I met my Marv, and we’ve been together for three months now. He’s got a bad ticker and he can’t eat sugar, but he tells me I’m enough sugar for him. I tell you what—I’m the luckiest gal alive.”
    That was sweet, Maureen thought. A little gross, but sweet.
    â€œSo will you do it?”
    â€œDo what?”
    â€œWake up, girlie! Get out there and have meaningless sex! Fuck that bastard right out of your system!”
    Maureen’s eyes widened.
    â€œYes, that’s right, an old lady said ‘fuck.’ Don’t you think there’s something wrong with the fact that a woman twice your age has more sexual satisfaction than you do?”
    This was definitely the strangest pep talk she’d ever received. But somehow, it was working.
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œI said, okay.”
    â€œOkay what?”
    â€œOkay, I’ll go out and have meaningless sex! I’ll fuck that bastard right out of my system!”
    A passing woman covered her toddler’s ears and shot Maureen a dirty look.
    â€œGo on, girlie!” shouted Pippa, oblivious to the ruckus she was causing.
    â€œI will go on! Thanks. I’m glad to have met you.”
    â€œYou’re a sweet girl, Maureen. But I don’t want to see you crying in this aisle ever again,” Pippa said as she pushed her cart away.
    Maureen took a deep breath and lifted her head with determination. No more crying in the grocery store. No more crying anywhere, not over Dave, not over any man. She was going to go home, burn these sweatpants, and start fucking!
    Tomorrow, probably.

Chapter 5
    Gavin saw Pippa come out of the grocery store and pocketed his phone. The new guy was holding down the office just fine.
    â€œI got you bread, milk, eggs, and some other stuff, you ingrate,” she said, handing him his change.
    â€œThank you, Pippa. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he replied. Sleep in, probably. He started loading her bags in the back of his truck. “Jesus, Pippa, did you leave anything on the shelves?”
    â€œWhen that dumb-bum on channel eleven says a storm is coming, he’s usually right. I don’t want to be snowed in without any food. Besides, Marv is coming over tonight. So I’m hoping we get snowed in for a while.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
    Great mental image , he thought.
    â€œIt’s not a bad idea, you know. You should get snowed in with someone.”
    His mind immediately went to the mystery woman in the ice cream aisle. Dammit, he’d almost gone a whole trip to the store without thinking of her.
    â€œRight.”
    â€œThink about it. Oh, hey, girlie! You gonna do what I told