drawl to his voice. “And don’t mention it.”
She swallowed hard and tried to catch her breath. Just because a little kiss had gone viral, didn’t mean it would affect any issues she had already. It was just a kiss. A kiss that had apparently gone around the world. But that was fine. She didn’t do anything wrong.
No one could take Rowan from her because a man had kissed her.
She kept repeating that to herself until her heart finally stopped racing. When she looked up, all three men had worried expressions on their faces and their hands out as if they wanted to touch her but were afraid to spook her.
Great, she’d acted like a freak once again because she couldn’t control everything…anything.
“He didn’t hurt me or anything,” Blake said lamely. “Everyone was chanting at us to kiss, so we did. No harm, no foul. And soon, someone else will be the next shareable video, and no one will remember this.”
Brandon studied her face. “Okay, then. If that’s what you’re saying. And as for Graham, if you need anything, you come to us, okay? We’re here for you.”
She nodded silently and tried to catch her breath. When the bell above the door rang, she jumped and looked over. “I’ll go take care of this person.”
“Sounds good,” Brandon said calmly. She was intently aware that all three men had their eyes on her back as she went up to the two young women at the front of the store. She hated that the three of them were so worried about her, and she’d made a mess of herself seeing that viral video, but she knew there was nothing she could do.
She’d just stay away from Graham, and everything would be okay. Soon, she’d forget the feel of his lips against hers, the feel of his hand in her hair, and his beard along her skin. The damn thing had been surprisingly soft.
And that was enough of that.
“How can I help you, ladies?” she said once she’d reached the front. She’d worry about ink and piercings and nothing else. She could control this, could work with this. And that would have to be enough.
By the time her shift was over, she was a bundle of nerves. She’d Facetimed Rowan when she was locked in the back room and had said her goodbyes since her daughter was going to stay over at a friend’s house that night for a slumber party. She hated that she wouldn’t be sleeping under the same roof as her baby, but there was nothing she could do about it. Rowan was growing up, and sleepovers were just a part of it.
But she missed her daughter already.
Blake sighed and drove to the grocery store to pick up something to eat. She had food in the house, but was too stressed to do anything about it. A prepared salad with all the fixings as well as a large slice of chocolate cake would make her feel better. At least, the cake would. She tried not to eat too much sugar as she wasn’t twenty anymore and her ass kept growing with each passing month, but her baby was at her first sleepover, and damn it, Blake needed cake.
She got a small cart since she would inevitably find something else she needed in the store, and went to the prepared food section. Since it was after six on a Friday night, the place wasn’t that busy. Most sane people were either at home with their families or eating out for the night. Blake would get her sad little salad, her chocolate cake, and do some laundry that had been piling up. Mrs. Gonzales kept doing her laundry for her, and Blake hated that. So she’d gone to the trouble of hiding her laundry basket in the back of her closet so the older woman wouldn’t work so hard.
So far, the plan had worked, but as the other woman had found the basket in its last hiding place, Blake wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the woman who had taken Blake and Rowan under her wing, it was more that she didn’t want Mrs. Gonzales to tire herself out. She’d finally retired from the cleaning service she’d worked at for
She swallowed hard and tried to catch her breath. Just because a little kiss had gone viral, didn’t mean it would affect any issues she had already. It was just a kiss. A kiss that had apparently gone around the world. But that was fine. She didn’t do anything wrong.
No one could take Rowan from her because a man had kissed her.
She kept repeating that to herself until her heart finally stopped racing. When she looked up, all three men had worried expressions on their faces and their hands out as if they wanted to touch her but were afraid to spook her.
Great, she’d acted like a freak once again because she couldn’t control everything…anything.
“He didn’t hurt me or anything,” Blake said lamely. “Everyone was chanting at us to kiss, so we did. No harm, no foul. And soon, someone else will be the next shareable video, and no one will remember this.”
Brandon studied her face. “Okay, then. If that’s what you’re saying. And as for Graham, if you need anything, you come to us, okay? We’re here for you.”
She nodded silently and tried to catch her breath. When the bell above the door rang, she jumped and looked over. “I’ll go take care of this person.”
“Sounds good,” Brandon said calmly. She was intently aware that all three men had their eyes on her back as she went up to the two young women at the front of the store. She hated that the three of them were so worried about her, and she’d made a mess of herself seeing that viral video, but she knew there was nothing she could do.
She’d just stay away from Graham, and everything would be okay. Soon, she’d forget the feel of his lips against hers, the feel of his hand in her hair, and his beard along her skin. The damn thing had been surprisingly soft.
And that was enough of that.
“How can I help you, ladies?” she said once she’d reached the front. She’d worry about ink and piercings and nothing else. She could control this, could work with this. And that would have to be enough.
By the time her shift was over, she was a bundle of nerves. She’d Facetimed Rowan when she was locked in the back room and had said her goodbyes since her daughter was going to stay over at a friend’s house that night for a slumber party. She hated that she wouldn’t be sleeping under the same roof as her baby, but there was nothing she could do about it. Rowan was growing up, and sleepovers were just a part of it.
But she missed her daughter already.
Blake sighed and drove to the grocery store to pick up something to eat. She had food in the house, but was too stressed to do anything about it. A prepared salad with all the fixings as well as a large slice of chocolate cake would make her feel better. At least, the cake would. She tried not to eat too much sugar as she wasn’t twenty anymore and her ass kept growing with each passing month, but her baby was at her first sleepover, and damn it, Blake needed cake.
She got a small cart since she would inevitably find something else she needed in the store, and went to the prepared food section. Since it was after six on a Friday night, the place wasn’t that busy. Most sane people were either at home with their families or eating out for the night. Blake would get her sad little salad, her chocolate cake, and do some laundry that had been piling up. Mrs. Gonzales kept doing her laundry for her, and Blake hated that. So she’d gone to the trouble of hiding her laundry basket in the back of her closet so the older woman wouldn’t work so hard.
So far, the plan had worked, but as the other woman had found the basket in its last hiding place, Blake wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the woman who had taken Blake and Rowan under her wing, it was more that she didn’t want Mrs. Gonzales to tire herself out. She’d finally retired from the cleaning service she’d worked at for
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