Wildflower (Colors #4) by Jessica Prince

hear. “Will you keep your voice down? How old are we, thirteen?”
    I couldn’t help myself, my friend was totally crushing on the sexy-as-sin Deputy and it was impossible not to tease her. “Derrick and Chloe sitting in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N—Ow! Jesus!” I yelped, rubbing at the spot on my bicep where she pinched the shit out of me. “What the hell, Chloe?”
    “That’s what you deserved,” she whisper-yelled. “Now shut your stupid face hole! He’s coming over here!”
    I stifled a giggle just as a rich, thick voice dripping with charm that could melt the panties off of any woman spoke from just over my shoulder.
    “Hey there, sunshine.”
    “ Sunshine ?” I mouthed at Chloe as she grew even redder.
    “H-hi,” she stuttered before clearing her throat and trying again. “Hi, Derrick, how are you?”
    “I’m good. Be better if I could get a cup of coffee.”
    “Oh… uh, sure,” she stumbled over her words. It was so adorable watching her get all flustered over a man. “Black?”
    “Yep. In a to-go cup, if you don’t mind.”
    Her back turned toward us as he stepped up to the counter right next to me. I looked out the corner of my eye to get a better look at him up close.
    “Hello,” he said, drawing my full attention.
    “Hi.” I smiled. Man, if the guy was hot from a distance, he was completely disarming up close. He was older. Not by much, but definitely in his early thirties if the smile lines around his face and the tiny hints of gray in his closely buzzed hair was any indication.
    “Okay, here you go.” Chloe’s smile was blindingly bright, if not somewhat goofy.
    “Ah, you’re a lifesaver. Nothing better than your coffee, sweetheart.”
    I didn’t think it was possible for my friend to turn any redder, but obviously I was wrong. She giggled, and… oh, dear baby Jesus, was that a snort?
    Yep, by the way Chloe’s eyes grew wide and Derrick chuckled lightly, she most definitely just snorted. I wanted to save her, I really did. But watching the train wreck that was happening in front of me was just too damned entertaining.
    “Well,” Derrick started, taking a step back from the counter as he lifted his cup in the air. “Thanks for to coffee. See ya around.”
    “Yeah. You too!” Chloe returned, a little too loudly, as he stepped out the door and into the cold.
    As soon as the door closed behind him, cutting out the frigid air from outside, Chloe’s head fell onto the counter top with a thud and an, “Oh God.”
    “That went well,” I spoke cheerfully.
    “Shut up,” she muttered, thumping her head against the hard wood a couple times before looking up at me. “It wasn’t that bad, right?”
    The hope in her voice made my voice go high as I lied, “No, of course not,”
    She dropped her head and thumped it a few more times. “It was.”
    “Yeah, hon,” I told her honestly, sliding my hand between her forehead and the wood to prevent any long-term damage. “It really was.”
    She heaved a sigh and took the order of a customer that just walked up. Over the next few minutes, the crowd seemed to really pick up so I decided to head out and let her get back to it.
    “So I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
    “Yeah. Are you sure you don’t want me to bring anything?”
    I slipped on my coat as I glanced back at one of the pastry cases. “Desserts. Lots and lots of desserts.”

“Fuck you, Bobby Flay! Fuck you straight to hell!” I shouted at the computer as that stupid bastard talked about how easy cooking a turkey was. The son of a bitch was a stupid liar.
    As Bobby prattled on about how the skin should be a golden brown and the bird was almost ready to come out of the oven, I had the immense desire to reach through my laptop screen and choke the life out of the dick for being so full of shit.
    I pulled the foil back, closing my eyes and shooting up a quick prayer that the turkey had somehow miraculously cooked completely in the five minutes that had passed since I last