Gun Shy E-Book

Ashley Bostock

• Herausgeber: Ashley Bostock
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Looking for love…
Marilyn Jacobs has everything in her life that she wants…except the right man. She wants excitement, she wants passion…she wants the gorgeous man she just met! Making a bold first move seemed like the perfect plan until Loverboy ignored her come-on. Her humiliation is only slightly appeased because she knows she’ll never see him again. What are the odds, right?

Or not.
Blake Bryant is all about work, and while casual sex with a beautiful woman isn’t something he normally turns down, Marilyn is the ex of his new business partner. Drama and complications are two things Blake avoids more than commitment. No matter how intriguing and tempting Marilyn is.

But when both Blake and Marilyn are caught up in a suspicious robbery, they both must decide what’s really important in life and if they’re willing to admit their true feelings…before it’s too late.

Leseprobe

Gun Shy

A Love on Target Novel

Ashley Bostock

Copyright © 2020 by Ashley Bostock

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

For Dorothy

Until we meet again. I hope I make you proud! Love you so much, mamacita.

Contents

Not to Miss!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Epilogue

Irresistible Billionaires

Not to Miss!

Also by Ashley Bostock

About the Author

Not to Miss!

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Chapter One

Marilyn drove down Main street, the wind whipping her curls about from the open top in her Jeep. She loved to ride with the top down and since the weather was warmer than usual this time of year in Colorado, it gave her good reason to do so.

That and she was about to get salon perfect, so it really didn’t matter what her hair looked like right now.

She turned left and pulled in between the lines of the parking spot, shutting off the engine. Rumors on Main was a total splurge for her. A high-end salon in the Town of Windsor. Situated inside of one of the many stately homes on Main Street, the salon always made her feel much more upscale than she was used to and even though it could be pricey, Marilyn always felt like a million bucks when she walked out.

Didn’t a girl need some pampering every once in a while? This was hers, getting her hair done, though she was never one to know when she should get it cut or not. Split ends? Heck, she didn’t even know what that meant, but the moment that her curls started to pull down and not have their usual bounciness, she scheduled an appointment lighting fast.

Grabbing her purse, Marilyn made sure to stuff all her valuables inside before exiting the Jeep. First rule of open top: never leave anything tempting for others to start rooting through the interior. She had lost two cell phones and more than a few chargers that way. The Jeep’s clock said twelve noon on the dot and Marilyn smiled as she shut the door. She had always been a stickler for being punctual and she was right on time.

Another car pulled into the parking lot just as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Her steps picked up, a smile on her face. There was no way she was going to let someone beat her to the door, not when she was on time.

Marilyn glanced over her shoulder to see if the driver was in fact heading into the salon or going someplace else and she nearly tripped over her own two feet as she caught a glimpse of what was walking toward her.

Hottie alert. The tall, gorgeous man was just removing his mirrored sunglasses and Marilyn immediately resumed her walking at a clipped pace, skirting the small stone path that led up to the front door of the salon. The last thing she needed was to be busted by a hot guy for staring at him like a fool.

Even if her stomach was fluttering wildly at what she had glimpsed.

Pushing open the door to the salon, she stepped inside, the smell of hair product assaulting her senses. “Marilyn! Hey, is it that time again?”

Marilyn smiled at Betty, the receptionist as she carefully wrote her name on the check-in book. “Yes, I’m afraid it is. I held off as long as I could.”

“Well your hair still looks gorgeous,” Betty commented, motioning to the bench. “Have a seat. We will get you back shortly.”

“Thanks,” Marilyn said, taking up one corner of the bench as the door opened, nearly knocking into her in the process.

She put a hand out to stop it from swinging into her, and squeaked as the hot guy from the sidewalk came in, a cell phone pressed to his ear. His eyes found hers and he lowered the phone. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah, I’m fine,” she forced out. He made his way to the check-in counter and it gave her prime opportunity to ogle him more. Well, her and the rest of the salon. All pairs of female eyes were on him as he checked in with Betty. He was tall, with a head full of brown hair that he kept raking off his forehead, likely the reason he was here.

Duh, he was here to get his hair cut.

But that was just the beginning. Tall, dark and sexy clearly liked to spend time outdoors—his tanned skin on display in his simple grey t-shirt and cargo shorts. That and he was also in shape. His forearms bunched as he wrote his name down sending hot shivers throughout Marilyn’s body.

Down girl.

When he nodded and smiled at Betty, Marilyn frowned. His confident, I-got-you grin made it clear that he knew he looked good, and that he had grabbed everyone’s attention in the salon. Confident and sexy. Figures.

Well, he had everyone’s attention for sure and the dimple on his right cheek had to be a lethal weapon of some sort. It was explosive in its own right.

And God, how she loved dimples. Dimples were her weakness when it came to guys and it was probably not a good weakness to have. Well, doughnuts were also bad and she loved those too, even if her thighs didn’t. So there was always good with the bad.

He turned and she immediately started to fumble around in her purse for the non-existent thing she needed, nearly jumping off the bench as he sat next to her. His arm brushed against hers.

And crap, even his cologne smelled like he was sex on a stick.

With her gaze locked on a curling iron, Marilyn willed herself not to look at him. She didn’t want to inflate his ego even more than it probably was, considering he was in a salon full of women. Because what kind of guy came to a salon that catered to mostly women, if not a cocky one? His arm continued to brush against hers as he moved about and Marilyn couldn’t help it.

She glanced at him.

His eyes were bright green, the color of a rolling pasture in the height of spring.

She loved the color green. She loved it even more now. Her heart beat madly.

The rest of his face was just as beautiful, with a strong jawline dusted with the barest hint of early afternoon stubble that was somehow still sexy on him. His nose had the slightest crook in it, making her wonder if he had broken it in his past.

And his lips. They were the kissable kind, that was for sure. His bottom lip was full, the kind that a girl would want to take between her teeth and gently tug into her mouth.

Marilyn refrained from fanning her face with her hand. It was so hot in here all of a sudden. Her eyes snapped up to his again. How much more embarrassed could she possibly be? Staring at him like he was that doughnut she always tried to resist. He was probably wondering what kind of person she was, too. Staring at him like he was her last meal. Either that, or he was used to it.

She was not. She didn’t normally act this way. Deep breath. “Um, hi,” she said lamely. She crossed her hands together in her lap. She resisted the urge to fan her face once more even though it burned like crazy.

“Hi,” he whispered in a husky voice. Her nipples tightened. Even in a whisper, his voice sent a chill down her spine.

Her throat closed up. She could hardly breathe, let alone speak. Being the suddenly nervous wreck that she was, all she could do was manage a weak nod of her head.

Then the stranger smiled again.

“Please stop doing that.” She was going to melt into a messy puddle of water right there on the salon floor.

His lips twitched. “Quit doing what?”

“You’re back already? It seems like you were just in here.” One of the stylists said to him, tapping her scissors against the palm of her hand. Thankfully, Marilyn was saved from answering the sexy stranger.

He held her gaze a second too long before he turned to the stylist. “What can I say? My hair grows fast.” He made a show of threading his hands through his hair and flashing those deadly dimples.

Oh, gosh.

“Fast is good. It means you’re healthy,” she replied. “Come on back. I’m ready if you are.”

Marilyn watched as he moved in front of her and to a chair nearest her, his eyes briefly catching hers in the mirror’s reflection. A slow burn grin appeared on his face and Marilyn forced herself to look away, her heart pounding in her chest.

She knew her mother taught her better than to stare at strangers, but she was pretty sure her mother would approve of this one exception.

“Marilyn? You ready, dear?”

Marilyn looked up to the stylist who normally cut her hair standing in front of her, a tentative smile on her lips.

What was her name?

She knew it.

The woman had cut Marilyn’s hair numerous times before. Was Marilyn really this love struck she couldn’t think straight?

Adeline Mondragon. Yes! Damn.

That was it.

She barely found her voice. “Yes, Adeline, I’m ready.”

Marilyn stood up on wobbly legs and followed the stylist to her booth, ignoring the hot stranger as she passed. She was here to relax and enjoy her cut, not make eyes at another customer. She sat down and they discussed the usual before finally agreeing upon giving her a bunch of layers but not too short, so Marilyn could still wear her ever-faithful ponytail.

Marilyn had always had long hair. At the most, it never went below the middle of her back or above her shoulders. She liked it that way so that she could always pull it back if she needed to. With summer coming, layers would make it lighter and cooler.

With Marilyn’s mind occupied about her hair wants, she almost forgot about the hottie for a few moments.

Almost.

When she scanned the house-turned-salon, Lover Boy was nowhere to be found.

Where did he go? He was far more than just eye candy to look at. There was something about him, something that made her want to see him again to know if the insta-connection she had felt was real.

Suddenly, logic took over – she remembered he came in for a haircut and he hadn’t had one yet. It’d been mere minutes.

Maybe he was just getting his hair washed.

Yep. That had to be it.

Oh, yep, that was it.

Atta boy. She tried to take her eyes off him, to look away, but this man was like a magnet. It was crazy. She was like a starved tiger stalking its prey.

This was ridiculous. She was a grown ass woman, not some teenager enthralled by the high school quarterback.

He strolled into the stylists’ area with an air of confidence that she had seen at the check in counter. His brownish-blond hair was wet from his washing, and stuck out on top like a wet dog after a bath, but Marilyn was pretty sure she had never seen anything sexier. On anyone else it would look stupid, but on him, he owned it.

Confident and good-looking.

Who could resist?

Her palms started to sweat and Marilyn was well-aware of the unmistakable feeling low in her belly, spreading out through her limbs.

Yep that was desire.

Making a little sound under breath, Marilyn forced a deep breath. What was she thinking?

Get a grip, girl.

It was time for her wash and she did her best to look into the other room as she passed his booth, not brave enough to catch his gaze again. Adeline worked magic into washing and massaging Marilyn’s head, giving her a moment to close her eyes and just simply relax, which was so nice.

When was the last time she had relaxed like this?

Heck, when was the last time she had thought about another male like she was now? Quite some time, that was for sure.

Especially not since Tyler.

Tyler had truly been her first love and at one time, who she thought she would marry. They had been together three years after all.

Far long enough to put a ring on it.

Tyler had been aggressive about being with her as well. She had brushed him off at first, but he kept coming around, sending her flowers and dropping texts that had made her laugh. Eventually, she went out with him because she was impressed that, no matter how silly he was, he went after what he wanted.

Their first date went well, though nothing explosive like the fireworks she had hoped for, but the more they talked and the more they hung out, Marilyn started to like him. Before she knew it three years went by.

Boy, how time flies.

However, one day well into the three year mark, Marilyn had literally woke up one morning still without a ring on her finger, and no hope for a future. It wasn’t that Tyler was a bad person. No he was, well, just there. He was comfortable, like a well-worn shoe that never gave you any trouble. She could predict his movements, even his silly pickup lines. She knew when to expect him home, what he liked to see in the fridge, how to make the right noises whenever they had sex.

All in all, it wasn’t explosive, but it never really had been either. Tyler hadn’t made her squirm. Marilyn thought that was what she liked—a calm orderly life without any surprises.

But she realized she wanted spark. The day she had told Tyler she didn’t love him any longer, Marilyn had started to wonder what it would be like to have someone that would make her uncomfortable. Make her squirm in her seat from wet panties. Give her spark.

Someone like Mr. Dimples over there.

She and Tyler had remained friends since their break-up. He had taken the breakup with his normal demeanor, just packing the stuff up that he had kept at her house and left, only to text her a few days later wanting to have dinner. There were times he made her uncomfortable, but Marilyn knew that it was likely because of their closeness before they had broken up. Time. Time is what they both needed.

With that being said, it was a little difficult to have any kind of boyfriend/sex life with him around. She had tried once, to date someone else, but Tyler had shown up at their once favorite bar, where she was on the date, and effectively ruined the vibe she was having with her date. Tyler had apologized and she had forgiven him, but Marilyn was starting to wonder if she would have to break off their friendship too.

Wasn’t there some sort of saying about exes not able to be friends? In the beginning she thought that was fine, but now she realized it only worked with certain people—and Tyler wasn’t one of them.

Marilyn squirmed in the chair as Adeline washed the shampoo out of her hair. Tyler just hadn’t been the one for her, and now she was looking for someone else—something else that was the opposite of boring Tyler. Could she handle the opposite? Was she exciting enough to do so? There was nothing about her that was exciting. At least, that was how she saw herself.

But she wanted more. She wanted what the women whispered about in places like this. She wanted to laugh in bed, something she had never done with Tyler. She wanted to feel alive.

She wanted to enjoy sex with her partner. Have multiple O’s and dare she consciously put it out there? She wanted to deep throat a guy and know he enjoyed it. She wanted a man that would fist his hand through her hair and—she felt her cheeks heat—fuck her mouth so thoroughly that her jaw hurt.

And she wanted to love, truly love.

It was all scarily exciting to be thinking like this, but Marilyn knew the moment that Tyler had walked out that day, and she had sighed in relief, that he hadn’t been the life for her.

“All done. Let’s go give you some layers,” Adeline said while she wrapped the towel turban around Marilyn’s head. She leaned close to Marilyn and whispered, “And check out the eye candy.”

“Phew, thought it was just me,” Marilyn laughed and together they walked into the middle room to work on her hair.

“Oh honey, no.” Adeline laughed as Marilyn sat back in the chair, rubbing the towel against Marilyn’s curls. “You would have to be blind not to see something as fine as that.”

Marilyn pursed her lips to keep from laughing.

The rest of her appointment flew by quickly. Adeline performed magic on her hair and gave her absolutely stunning layers, which kept her attention away from the object of her thoughts.

Which was extremely hard knowing that he was only a few feet away, his deep baritone carrying on a conversation with his stylist that echoed through the salon. There wasn’t a red blooded female that wasn’t paying attention to him conversing with his stylist.

Marilyn tried to keep up with Adeline’s endless chatter while she cut and styled her hair, though her thoughts were scattered, largely due to the man that had all but busted into her life today.

Is this a sign? Marilyn didn’t know but she liked to think so.

“All done!”

Adeline spun Marilyn’s chair around and she caught a glimpse of her new do. “It’s great as always.” She ran her hands through the ends. Perfect.

“Your hair is so easy to style.” Adeline took off Marilyn’s cape. Marilyn rose out of the chair and turned around in time to see the sexy stranger at the front desk, reaching for his wallet.

“Thank you, Blake. We’ll see you in another month or so.”

Blake. Her eyes perused his muscular forearms. It fit him.

How could she have never seen him before in town? Windsor had a population of about 20,000, give or take some, and it’s not like she didn’t do stuff in town. She went to the festivals and the farmers’ markets and what-not.

Was he taken? There was no wedding ring on his finger, but Marilyn imagined he wasn’t the type of guy that stayed single.

Besides, he was coming to this salon, that catered to women more than men. Maybe his girlfriend had pushed him to come here.

She felt a bit of a letdown as she paid Betty, leaving a generous tip for Adeline before walking out into the brilliant sunshine. She had done too much thinking about the hot stranger—had pretty much given him a blow job in her mind—and got herself all worked up before not even thinking about the fact that he could be taken already.

Maybe that was why she hadn’t seen him around.

Still, what if he wasn’t? What if this had been the chance meeting she had been waiting for?

One thing was for sure, she had to hurry if she wanted to see if this was going to be more than just a passing glance.

Marilyn walked, well practically ran, back to the parking lot and stopped short when she saw that he was standing in between her Jeep and his car. Her heart thudded in her chest as she approached her Jeep, trying to come up with something witty to say to him, something that would make him forget that she had stared at him so openly earlier.

This was her big moment and she didn’t want to blow it.

Well, not again anyway.

“Yeah, I will. Okay. See ya.” Blake ended the call, blowing out a breath as he tucked the phone in his pocket. Why did his new business partner always have to call him about stupid shit? He wished his partner would handle little things himself and then, when something bigger, more important, came up, he would involve Blake.

“Rough day?”

Blake glanced behind him and saw the brunette from earlier headed towards him, a tentative smile on her face. Damn, she looked good.

What was her name? He heard the stylist say it earlier, but his mind had been too focused on work. “Nothing I can’t handle.” He clenched his jaw, hating the way it came out harsher than he intended.

Her eyebrows arched. “Sorry. You just looked…well, it doesn’t matter. Sorry to bother you.”

“I’m sorry. I have a new business partner and we’re still at the getting-to-know-each-other stage. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” He smiled. “It’s been a long day.”

She gave a little laugh, looking away. “Of course. Don’t apologize. Look, I couldn’t help but notice you in the salon and the entire time I sat there, I kept thinking that this might be the only time in my entire life that I might see you, and I just have to tell you that you’re the sexiest man I have ever laid eyes on.”

Well okay. Blake smirked as she clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes rounding as she realized what she had told him. That she’d possibly thought it and had the nerve to speak it. Damn, she was adorable. “Thanks.”

Her face reddened in embarrassment. “I can’t believe…just forget everything I said.”

“No way,” he laughed, enjoying the banter. After everything he was dealing with, it was nice to have this exchange, to make him forget how irritating his business partner was being. “You’ve already said it. There’s no take backs.”

She opened and shut her mouth like a fish before nervously tucking a curl behind her ear. Blake followed her movements, wondering if her curls felt as soft as they looked. He had the urge to rub one between his fingertips to find out. Usually, he was the one dishing out that sort of banter, enjoying making a beautiful woman blush—much like this one was doing right now.

“I-I’m just gonna go now,” she mumbled, climbing into her Jeep and cranking the engine.

Blake opened his mouth to protest, but she was already pulling out of the parking lot, speeding away before he could get the first word out.

Well, hell.

What was she thinking?

Since laying eyes upon Blake, Marilyn had asked herself that over a dozen times and now she was so mortified, she couldn’t believe what she’d said to him.

How could she say all of those things to a complete stranger? She knew it. That whole putting out the deep throating thing to the universe had made her crazy. What was worse was that he didn’t even say anything, not even a joke to ease her embarrassment!

No, he had just stood there. Like he couldn’t believe a human would spout such things to a stranger. Heck, she sorta didn’t blame him. She would have ran the other way if a guy had said that to her—thinking all he wanted was in her pants and that he could be a potential stalker.

Well, maybe she didn’t give him a chance to say anything. But still. What could be more embarrassing than spilling your guts to a complete stranger and not getting any response? At the moment, she didn’t think there could possibly be anything worse.

While she continued to drive toward home, Marilyn found herself glad she didn’t know anything past his first name. Blake. It had such a ring to it. Hadn’t she just debated with herself if he was taken already or not? They had never met, bumped into each other, or seen each other before today and Marilyn doubted she would see him again.

That helped ease some of her embarrassment. There. That would be what she stuck with. There was no need to worry about seeing Blake again. Yes, she was mortified but really after her boring love life with Tyler, it was also sort of freeing to be that way. Who cared, anyway? What was done, was done. No point in dwelling on it.

Chapter Two

Driving through town, Marilyn found herself thinking about all the reasons she loved this place. Windsor’s location was superb – ten minutes from the interstate as well as a ten to fifteen minute drive to the larger cities surrounding Windsor – Greeley and Fort Collins and it was a great place to raise a family. The town was known for its beautiful lakes, stunning golf courses and a twenty-one mile trail that connected Greeley to Windsor, all the while wandering along the Cache La Poudre River.

Marilyn loved the people of Windsor, too. The small town feel was exactly what one would see on TV. One where people weren’t afraid to say hello and wave to you on their walk. She had gotten to know a variety of people since moving here, which was also partially due to the fact that she owned the town’s only bookstore. In a time where information was literally at one’s fingers, she was glad that she had found a place where people still saw the need for books.

She loved owning her own business. She had always loved books. When a building had gone up for sale on Main Street, not too far from home, she had jumped at the opportunity. Because it was a little outdated, and the owners badly wanted to sell it, she got a killer deal. From there she put all her blood, sweat and tears, as well as her money, into fixing it up. When all was done, it had been made into a cozy used bookstore.

She had always wanted to own a bookstore. It was something about the smell of old books that warmed her heart and while her friends had been into boys and partying, Marilyn had spent her time cozied up in a chair with a book in her hand. She loved all sorts of books, not picky on what the genre brought. Marilyn viewed reading as a way to get away from the reality of life, where money nor education mattered. She found herself getting lost in the stories she read, sometimes even making them up in her head to cope.

Once she finished her business degree, it made perfect since to her to open a bookstore. Her parents had initially hated the idea, citing that with today’s technology no one would care about reading, much less buying used books.

But Marilyn had stuck to her dream, no matter the odds that were stacked against her. She fell in love with the charm and the old storefront that was perfect for her store.

She then slowly began investing every spare dime she had into any used book she could find, and began saving them in her unfinished basement while she was remodeling her storefront and when the time came, slipped them onto the newly oiled shelves by genre, marveling at the fact that she was really a small business owner.

Before she knew it, she had enough of an inventory to officially open. It was a little slow at first but once people saw what she offered - book reading groups, Wi-Fi and an espresso bar, business had picked up. She had book groups every Wednesday night, which was more of a social hour than anything, but her absolute favorite night of the week. Mostly made up of women, they talked about what books they were reading, which ones they couldn’t put down—usually the naughty ones—and which ones they couldn’t wait to get their hands on. It wasn’t a real formal meeting. Marilyn started the group by talking about the latest book she had read and it went from there. In total, there were generally 10 women at book group – one of whom was always there, Marilyn’s best friend, Amber.

It was actually Amber who had suggested that Marilyn put in an espresso counter in the bookstore because, according to Amber, who didn’t love a latte while they looked at books or did some work? While Marilyn didn’t want to turn her bookstore into a coffee shop, there had to be some sort of draw to the store and after a soft opening to see if the espresso machine would bring in additional customers, she had kept it going full time. Lusting after Literature was officially born and Marilyn hadn’t looked back since. For the last two years, she had poured everything into that bookstore, trying to keep it profitable..

But the bookstore wasn’t her only love. Marilyn pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine, staring at the house in front of her. While Marilyn’s house wasn’t anything fancy, she loved it too. It was her oasis, her home away from the bookstore and the chaos that always seemed to follow her in running a small business. It was a small two-bedroom home that had been built in 1914. It’s charm matched the rest of the houses on the street.

Right now, it was more welcoming than ever. She was excited to have the day off and have time to herself.

Marilyn stepped out of her jeep and took her time putting the top up, not liking the amount of clouds that had taken the sunshine away. The ever present pride filled in her chest as she took the small gravel path to her porch. She had two white rocking chairs on her porch that offset the beautiful sky blue color of the house, complete with a swing situated on the left side of that porch.

It was her favorite place to watch the sunrise before she went into work in the mornings, enjoying the peace and quiet of the neighborhood before her day truly started. Not only that, it was a good place to have a glass of wine in the evenings, the sounds of the children in the neighborhood filling the air. While the house had spoken to her when she viewed it, it was really the neighborhood that had sold Marilyn on moving here.

She unlocked the front door and walked in, kicking off her shoes right across the threshold. One of the perks of living by herself meant she could kick off her shoes and not worry about someone complaining about them.

Well, that was just one of the perks really. It was nice being single again, to not worry about someone wanting her home or even wanting her attention. She could eat what she wanted, when she wanted and if she felt like sleeping on the couch, then she could.

Of course the loneliness set in some times, especially if she had more than a few days off in a row. Marilyn tried to fill her days with gardening, which she absolutely loved to do, or running, which wasn’t her favorite but she forced herself to do it anyway.

Today was going to be gardening. Marilyn walked into the master bedroom, removing her clothes as she did so. There were a few rose bushes she wanted to put in the ground before it rained.

Her cell phone suddenly rang and Marilyn dug around in her bag for it, cursing as she did. Why couldn’t a person ever find a phone inside a purse? Locating the infernal piece of technology, Marilyn hit the answer button before even looking at the number. “Hello?”

“Hey Marilyn.”

Damn it, I should have checked.

“Tyler. Hi. How are you?” She tried not to roll her eyes as she waited for him to respond.

He had called her like ten times in the last two days, wanting her to go to the local brewery with him, claiming he had some big surprise to show her. Marilyn wasn’t sure what that surprise could be but she just didn’t have it in her to see what that surprise was.