Hot Nights 3 Make Me, Take Me Amanda Usen

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to the front side of the bar and pushed her onto a stool. We ve been worried about you for weeks,
and we re not leaving until you talk to us and tell us how we can help. Jenna snapped her fingers
with mock impatience. Spill it.
Betsy took another deep breath and started at the beginning, glossing over what had happened the
night she met Quin. And skipping the naked parts in the middle. Even so, by the time she reached the
part about the beautiful courtyard lobby next door and Quin paying off the mortgage, Jenna had both
hands pressed to her pink cheeks, Lila was grinning, and Betsy couldn t even look at her mother or
Kate.
Lila squeezed her hand. Feel better?
Surprisingly, she did, unburdened, like maybe she could get on with life without imploding, even
without Quin. Misery squeezed her again. How had he become the part of her day she enjoyed the
most? A choked sound from her sister pulled Betsy from the edge of tears.
Kate glared at their mother, hands on her hips. You mortgaged the bar to pay Betsy s tuition? Are
you kidding me? I still can t believe you let her open the caf� in the first place. It doesn t pull in half
of what the bar makes on a slow night, and all that time, we were drowning in debt? Are you going to
give her the whole damn business and let her open for dinner now that Quin has conveniently paid off
the mortgage? Or are we just going to declare bankruptcy and get it over with?
No. Betsy scrubbed a hand across her face and pushed away from the stool. She d figured this
much out, at least. I don t want to close the bar. You re a really good bartender, Kate. Better than I
ever was, and you re right about the money. It doesn t make sense. If we close the caf�, we can use
the money we save on purchasing supplies to pay Quin back. And I ll get a job somewhere else. The
bar is all yours. She turned to Lila and Jenna. Either of you two temporarily hiring? I ll work for
room and board until I can figure out my next step.
Absolutely, Jenna said quickly. But I ll pay you.
I ll pay you more, Lila countered.
You re leaving? That s just fucking perfect. Kate s voice was furious, but she bit her lip, the way
she always did when she was about to cry.
I thought that s what you wanted, Betsy said.
Yeah, you would think that. Kate took off her apron and stuffed it under the counter. She stalked
out from behind the bar and disappeared into the kitchen. A few seconds later, the back door
slammed.
Her mother took off her apron. I ll go talk to her. Will you close up?
Betsy nodded. Of course. Text me later.
Nice to meet you, girls, her mom said before she followed Kate out the door.
What was that all about? Lila asked.
Betsy shook her head, bewildered. I have no idea.
Kind of makes me glad I have a brother, Jenna said.
Lila snorted. I bet he wishes the same thing.
Oh, shut up. Jenna stood. What do we need to do to put this place to bed?
Betsy told them, and they worked in silence for a few minutes, stacking chairs on the tables,
sweeping, and mopping until Jenna started giggling.
What s so funny? Betsy grabbed the broom and the dustpan and hit a spot they d missed. Jenna
laughed harder, doubling over.
Cinder-Betsy, Jenna choked out, pointing. Footman, makeover, carriage& that dress. Oh my
God, poor Quin. He just can t catch a break. He picked the one Cinderella on earth who would smash
the glass slipper and cut off a few toes to keep Prince Charming from finding her. He never had a
chance.
You re supposed to be on my side. Betsy tucked the broom out of sight behind the bar.
I am, I totally am, but I still feel sorry for the guy. He lost his mother and sister at formative points
in his childhood, and his adoptive parents died a few years ago. Judging from the number of women
he s dated, he can t possibly have had many serious relationships, and now he s smitten with you.
Poor bastard. She giggled again.
How do you know all this? Wait what did you say about his adoptive parents? Her heart went
into free fall.
Car accident. And I may or may not have had a conversation with your mother earlier this week.
She told me all about Quin, and I Googled him.
You guys have been talking about me?
Duh the people who love you most in the world are probably going to talk about you when you
won t talk to them. My question is this: how can you not know all that about Quinton James? Google-
stalking is a twenty-first century necessity. Jenna pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. Here,
read this.
Betsy snatched the phone from her.
The Forbes Magazine article was objective, a story about how Quin had tripled the family fortune
after the death of his adoptive parents, but it was easy for her to read between the lines. The only time
I don t feel like you re leaving me is when I m inside you. She sank onto a stool, put her head down
on the bar, and groaned. I kept leaving him. And I pushed him away. He said I didn t trust anyone,
even myself. She thought of her mother sending Kate s father away to protect them. Did she need
protection from Quin? He was a good man; she was the one who was broken. She covered her face
with both hands.
Don t be too hard on yourself, Jenna said. Nobody s perfect. I m constantly fighting the urge to
leap before I look, and I know for a fact our little bolter she pointed at Lila had a fight with
Jack last night and almost took off to come down here without him. Falling in love doesn t cure us of
our flaws. If it did, you d have told us about Quin and the trouble with Last Call weeks ago.
Betsy lifted her head. You two had your hands full. I wasn t going to saddle you with my
problems. She frowned. How did you get away from the restaurants, anyway?
By trusting other people to cover our backs. You should try it, Jenna said gently. Don t you
remember Lila texting us after every fight with Jack? And you two propped me up for months when I
was working on Cooper s and trying to forget Roman. Why would you think we wouldn t be here for
you when you need us?
I wanted to solve my own problems. Jenna, of all people, should have understood. She d refused
to let Roman bankroll her family s restaurant renovation and secured a loan herself.
Of course you did, Jenna scoffed. You do everything alone. That s no challenge for you. Why
don t you try something difficult, like letting someone help? If not us, then what about that rich guy
next door who sent you a hand-delivered invitation to his kingdom? Don t even try to tell me you re [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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