The Seraphina Donavan Collection: Contemporary Read Free

she thought. With the cropped blazer and heels, it was a little dressy for a dive bar in Falls Creek, but nervous or not, it made her feel sexy.
    Tugging at the bustier a little, she gasped when her sister smacked her hand. “Ow!”
    “Stop it. You look fine. It’s not like you can hide those things anyway!”
    If it’d been anyone but Ashley, she might have been offended. Elbowing her sister sharply, she moved past her toward the leering doorman. “Last one in...”
    Ashley rolled her eyes. “It’s The Store. Everything in there is rotten.”
    It was true. The Store was the only bar in town. It used to be called something else but the last owner said he got tired of all the patrons having to lie to their wives about where they were, so he changed the name.
    Ten dollars poorer and wearing a black stamp on her hand that was probably tattoo grade, Lexi claimed the last empty booth in the bar. The band was setting up and if one thing was always true at The Store, the beer would be cold and the music would be awful. But the chili cheese fries would be to die for.
    Ashley scooted into the booth across from her, squinting toward the bar. She needed bifocals but refused to even consider it since she was only forty. “Who is that?”
    Lexi followed her gaze and immediately wanted to crawl under the table—Morgan, and it shouldn't have been a surprise. There was literally nowhere else in town to go. On a heavy sigh, she answered her sister, “That is your former fiancee!”
    Ashley grimaced. “I didn’t recognize him!”
    “Because he’s more than two feet away from you. Just give in already and get your damn bifocals!”
    Ashley gave her a hard stare. “I don’t need them. I’m not old, dammit.”
    Lexi shrugged. Brent would eventually just haul Ashley to the optometrist and with quiet stubbornness, force her to do what was best for her. “He’s working with his uncle—he's also handling the kitchen remodel.”
    Ashley gaped at her. “I know I'm your silent partner, but I must be living under a rock to have missed all that!”
    “I emailed you everything!” Lexi protested. Sometimes, she wondered if going into business with her sister had been a wise choice, but she would never have gotten the business loan otherwise.
    “Honey, you know I don't read your emails. Unless they have cute kittens in them…Jesus! Morgan Donnelly!” Shaking her head in wonderment, Ashley looked wistful for a moment. “Well, wait here for Brent. I gotta at least go say hi—you think he’s still pissed?”
    Lexi rolled her eyes. “You were engaged and you did sleep with his best friend, but I’m going to assume that in twenty plus years, he’s managed to get some closure.”
    Ashley scrunched up her face, repeating, “Closure, schmosure. Sometimes…you’re just a raging bitch.”
    Smiling sweetly, Lexi fired back, “Must be a family trait.”
    With another eye roll and what appeared to be an extended middle finger, Ashley rose from their booth and headed toward the bar.
     
    ~*~*~
     
    Morgan sipped at his beer as he watched the muted game on the flat screen mounted over the bar. He’d already given up hope of them winning. His favorite team had botched the game horribly, but he was committed.
    He’d known the instant they’d walked into the bar. He’d felt it and his eyes were drawn in her direction. It was probably his imagination, or maybe a brain tumor, but he could’ve sworn he caught a whiff of sweet vanilla, despite the smell of cheap beer and deep fried everything in the bar.
    For the past week, he'd been tormented by her. She was always nice, pleasant, cheerful and so damned sweet that it made his own surliness feel just plain mean. Even though he'd sealed off the area where they'd been tearing out the steps and dry wall, the thin veil of plastic did little to dampen his awareness of her.
    Over the sawdust and plaster, he could still smell her. Whenever the hammers and saws stopped, he could hear her humming as