Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
JOANNA
Ihead out for my second caffeine fix around a quarter to eleven.
I’ve been extremely slow moving this morning, but it’s been the most relaxing day I’ve had in ages, so I regret nothing.
After breakfast, I finally got to enjoy the hot bubble bath I’ve been craving.
It was a glorious thirty minutes spent doing absolutely nothing but enjoying the feel of the silky water on my skin.
After bathing, I sat in bed in nothing but a towel and played a cozy game on my portable gaming system.
Then, when I was good and ready, I got dressed and headed out.
I wanted to wear something a little more fashionable than what I typically wear around the farm, so I picked out a pair of green corduroys and matched them with a denim vest and a long sleeve, white lace top.
With just one glance in the mirror, I felt confident but not overly dressed up.
The pants are extremely comfortable, meaning I can fully relax while walking around town looking my best.
A few heart decorations are still sporadically strung along the light poles and street signs, and I wonder who’s going to be the one to eventually volunteer to take them down.
I can’t help but laugh a little, wondering if Raegan will get roped into the next town event, as most of the businesses have already morphed from red to green for Saint Patrick’s Day.
But not Double Double. It’s as plain as ever, which is surprising, because I’m greeted by Simone at the counter.
“Hey girl.” She waves enthusiastically.
“You haven’t snuck in a four leaf clover yet?” I ask, sarcastically.
Her eyes focus on me, totally serious. “Oh, they’re coming.
I ordered fancy napkins where the repeating print is so small you can’t really tell what you’re looking at.
” She smirks and waves a hand flippantly.
“Jamie will barely notice.” Then she leans in, as if this next part is a secret.
“I do have something a bit more garish though. I’ll wait to spring that on him the day of. ” She winks.
I love that Simone has made such an impact with her addition. Hiring her was a great decision on Jamie’s part, even if he pretends to hate her decor.
She finishes what she’s been working on at the espresso machine. “Wait, why are you here so early?”
I puff out my chest and declare the momentous occasion proudly. “I took off today.”
Simone’s hand flies to her chest. “You’re kidding! Joanna Shepherd has a day off?”
I bite my lip and shrug, previous conviction fading. “Yep. My mom’s back, so I’m taking a belated birthday break.”
She reaches across the counter and grabs my arm.
“Are you going to the watch party tonight?” I nod, and she tilts her head back, letting out a huge breath toward the ceiling.
“Yesssss, thank god. I need more women to hang out with.” Her head lowers to meet my bashful expression.
Hers has turned stoic. “Not that I don’t like being around everyone here.
” She glances around the shop, then whispers, “I just need some feminine energy for balance, you know what I mean?”
I shake my head, perplexed, but beam from ear to ear. “Somehow, I know exactly what you mean.”
I sit by the window and enjoy my pistachio latte for a while.
People-watching in Shadow Hills is one of my favorite past times, but I rarely get to immerse myself in the comings and goings of the town.
Small town life has been nice, but sometimes I crave the excitement of the city.
I’ve visited Nashville a handful of times in my life, and the people-watching there is exquisite.
Though I can’t deny, the drama in Shadow Hills is way more entertaining, given I actually know the people behind it.
I’m still sitting in Double Double when Layton comes in for his shift.
He smiles and waves politely, then goes to the back to get ready.
I check the time and realize I need to get going if I want to meet Raegan.
I haven’t been in Bound and Buried in ages, but maybe I’ll find a new manga I’d like to read.
I toss my empty cup in the trash, and as I’m leaving, I’m stopped by Casey entering at the same time.
“Whoops.” I step aside clumsily.
They look bright-eyed and…are they standing up straighter? Something is definitely different about them. Normally, they’re hunched over with hair covering their face, and you might get a mumble of response here and there. But Casey actually looks me right in the eye and says, “Hi Joanna!”
I’m taken aback by how cheery they are, but Simone and Layton don’t seem to notice. Either that, or this isn’t new, and they’ve already gotten used to it. I wonder what happened to change Casey’s demeanor so drastically.
They saunter up to the counter and slide behind the register to clock in, dripping with swagger. Simone is standing to their left and hip checks them playfully. Casey blushes, and Simone winks.
Is there something going on between them?
I smile knowingly to myself as I leave the shop. It might be selfish of me to think, but that might just be the perfect distraction to get everyone’s eyes away from me and Aidan.
I walk down the sidewalk as a gust of wind whips through the buildings.
The new buds on the trees flutter to the ground like raindrops.
I push through the heavy wooden doors of Bound and Buried and head straight for the Mystery/Thriller section.
After browsing for a few minutes, I stumble upon Raegan wielding a box cutter.
I purposefully shuffle my shoes noisily across the floor, so I don’t startle her as she slices into the last box.
Wouldn’t want her to confuse me with a sheet of cardboard.
Her upturned face reveals her subtle laugh lines. “What’s up? I thought you were spending the morning doing nothing.”
I plant a hand on my hip. “Nothing means whatever I want it to be, and right now it’s wasting time visiting you while looking at books.”
Her lips press together, and she narrows her eyes playfully. “Are you calling me a waste of time, or the books? Either way, I’m insulted.”
I mischievously kick the box in front of her. “What’s in there?”
Her eyes brighten. “New releases for Tuesday. There’s something I’ve been waiting for in here,” she says in a sing-song voice.
Her fingers greedily tear open the flaps of cardboard and dig through the contents.
She pulls out several non-fiction books, a handful of romances with those cute and colorful covers, and then she squeals.
“Ah-ha!” She raises up a chunky hardback with two hands like it’s the new-born king of Pride Rock.
I can’t tell what it is, but there’s a single rose dripping with blood on the front cover.
“This is the final installment to my favorite vampire romance from when I was a teenager.”
I let out an, “Ah, yes,” the memories flooding back to me.
I remember those books fondly. I only made it about halfway through the series, seeing as it went on forever—I’m pretty sure there are at least twenty books—but I’m not surprised that Raegan has kept up with it.
“Is this really the last one?” I ask, reaching for the sacred text.
“That’s what she says,” Raegan confirms, referring to the author, P.K. Myer. “But give her five years after the buzz dies down and the royalties start getting smaller, then she’ll want to write more.”
She hands me the book, and I read the quote from another romance author on the cover. ‘THE UNTAMED ROSE is both dangerous and delicious!’ - Stefanni Kate, author of VAMP STAMPED.
“Just out of curiosity,” I say with ambivalence, “are there any more vampire romances you’d recommend?”
Raegan’s brows skyrocket. “Do I ever.”
She leads me to the Paranormal Romance section of the book-store, a section I didn’t even know existed, and pulls out a title I don’t recognize. On the back cover it reads:
Bite Me, Darling by Megan Nocturne:
Luna Monroe never expected her quiet life in a small town to be interrupted by the kind of nightmare she only read about in books.
That is, until Elias Draven—the dangerously handsome, impossibly brooding, and undeniably sexy vampire—shows up at her doorstep, with eyes that practically scream, I want to bite you, but I also want to kiss you.
.. maybe both? Luna quickly learns that Elias isn’t just any vampire—he’s an ancient, glittering, and way-too-tempting mystery who swears he’s trying to resist the urge to sink his fangs into her neck.
.. and other parts of her body. But when Luna starts tempting him in ways she never expected, she realizes the real danger isn’t just the threat of eternal damnation.
.. it’s how hard it’s becoming to ignore the heat between them.
I scowl. Now that sounds way too familiar.
I shove the book back at Raegan. “Do you have anything more subtle?”
Instead of placing the book back in its proper place on the shelf, she hands it back to me. “I think this is exactly what you’re looking for.”
My stomach drops. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She doesn’t respond other than to give me a knowing smile. “Just let me know how you like it,” she says, walking back down the aisle in the opposite direction.
I pay at the counter and slip the paperback into my bag. “I guess you’ll be at the watch party tonight, huh?” I ask Raegan as I’m leaving.
She nods jauntily. “Yep! I’m excited we finally get to hang out at something like this together. Plus, Simone is coming! You can get to know her better.”
“I talked with her earlier, actually.” I poke Raegan in the boob. “She said she’s desperate to be around women.”
Her eyes scrunch as she laughs. “I totally get it. Being surrounded by all that masculine energy at the coffee shop must be a lot.”
We say our goodbyes as I walk to the end of the block where I parked by Kiki’s.
I debate whether to grab lunch, but wanting to save a little money, I decide to head back home and make something there.
Even though I’m supposed to be spending this time away from the farm, I miss Thumper, and I sort of want to check on my mom.
As I’m getting into my car, I spy a figure with bright red hair out of my peripheral vision. I turn to get another glance, but whatever I thought I saw is gone. Funny. For a second, I thought it was the same person I saw running into the road the night of the speed dating event.
I shake it off, assuming it was a bird or something.
When I get back to the farm, my mother is hauling a bale of hay with her four by four.
Our youngest cow, Julio, is keeping up with her at a trot, trying to grab a bite.
I smile to myself as I head up to my apartment.
I toss my bag on the bed and the paperback slips out, as if reminding me it’s there.
Since there’s nothing for me to do at the moment, I guess there’s no harm in sampling the first chapter.
I flip through the pages, easily falling into the words on the page.
It’s a quick read, and despite some of the cringey dialogue, the plot is holding my interest. The next time I lift my eyes from the page to glance at the clock, an hour has passed, and I managed to blast through the first three chapters.
The vampire lore is interesting. It’s pretty cliche, following all the typical tropes I’ve heard before, and none of it even remotely resembles the truth.
At least, not the truth that Aidan has told me.
And the male main character reminds me nothing of Aidan, so I feel a bit less awkward reading it.
I keep reading through most of the afternoon, taking breaks here and there to make lunch and use the bathroom.
I’m over halfway through the book when I see it’s time to head over to Bones for the watch party.
I have zero interest in watching the Super Bowl, but I’m happy to have an excuse to hang out with my friends.
Not to mention there’ll be great bar snacks.
I change into something more comfortable, knowing we’ll be there a while.
I choose an oversized teal sweatshirt that matches the colors of the team we supposedly want to win and a pair of my favorite swishy pants.
They’re just nylon joggers that have the texture of a 90s windbreaker, but I like referring to them by how they feel when I walk.
Raegan has a pair, too. We bought them together on a trip to the mall.
Just as I’m walking out to my car, I get a text from Raegan. I slip into the passenger seat and check the message.
SUNDAY 6:58 P.M. Bones is closed. We’re moving the party to Aidan’s house.
It’s moments like this I miss having a flip phone, if only to slam it closed.
“Son of a bitch.”