Read Lone Star Burn: Taken by Surprise (Kindle Worlds Novella) for Free Online Page A

“folks” in my last place of employment, they would have sent me back to culinary school.
    “Jack?” Miss Strawberry Blonde curved her bright red lips into a smile that had little humor in it. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your little friend?”
    Little friend? Jessie wanted to pour coffee on her head.
    Jack looked as if he’d rather swallow nails. “Lynne, this is Jessie Coford. She and I are, um, were, um….”
    “Yes, Jack? What were we?” She looked at Lynne. “We were friends. Very good friends.”
    Okay, so she was being a bitch. But she just couldn’t believe he was into this woman who was the exact opposite of her. It hadn’t been that many weeks since she had broken off with him. Maybe she hadn’t meant as much to him as he told her.
    Jack stared at her as if he’d never seen her.
    “That’s right,” he said. “We were, uh, friends.”
    Jessie glanced from him to Lynne, who was seething beneath her phony smile.
    “I’m Lynne Robbins. I manage the real estate agency in town. We were all surprised to hear that Delfina had left this place to someone. I was hoping to put it on the market.”
    Jessie blinked. “Really?”
    “Yes.” She fished in her purse and pulled out a business card. “Give me a call. We should talk.”
    Jessie just glanced at the card. “Thanks, but I’m not interested in selling.”
    She wasn’t sure who looked more shocked, Jack or Lynne.
    “You’re staying in Fort Mavis?” he asked.
    “Looks like it. Seems like a very nice place.” The conflicted look on his face only fed her desire to play this up. “So. You folks ready to order?”
    Lynne stared at her for a long moment, trying to maintain her professional attitude. Then she picked up her purse and slid to the end of the bench.
    “I think I’ve lost my appetite. Let’s go, Jack.”
    He sat for a moment, his gaze raking over Jessie’s face as if trying to read her real intent. Then he picked up his hat, which he’d placed on the seat beside him, and stood up. He gave Jessie another penetrating stare then followed Lynne out the door. Jessie stared after them then walked as nonchalantly as possible to the kitchen. But, the moment the door swung shut behind her, she hurried to her tiny office and practically fell into the desk chair.
    “Jessie?” Alton stood in the doorway, a frown creasing his forehead. “You okay?”
    “Yes.” She swallowed and repeated more firmly, “Yes, I’m fine.”
    “You sure don’t look fine. You’re white as a bedsheet and shaking like a leaf in the wind. Did someone say something to you out there?” He scratched his neck. “People loved Delfina, but they got no call to be mean to you just because she’s gone.”
    “It’s that deputy.” Rona came up next to Alton. “I knew he was trouble the minute Dean hired him.”
    “I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Please. Go take care of the customers.”
    With obvious reluctance, they went back to work. Jessie sat in her chair with her hands clasped together, her heart still racing. Jack Ward in Fort Mavis. Oh. My. God. And who was that phony bitch with him?
    His taste in women sure has gone downhill. I should be glad to be rid of him.
    But the sad fact was, she wasn’t. Not at all. Seeing him again had brought back everything she felt for him and all her regrets in walking away from him. Maybe she should get a T-shirt with the word STUPID in large letters. She had no idea how long she sat there before Rona appeared in the doorway again holding a mug of coffee.
    “You look like you need this.” She set it down on Jessie’s desk. “We have a little lull before the lunch rush, so if you want to talk, we’ll listen.”
    Jessie studied the woman. “You don’t even know me and yesterday didn’t seem too happy to meet me, so why would you even care?”
    “Me and Alton talked a little when breakfast died down. You don’t seem to be what we expected at all. You’re even nice.”
    Jessie had an insane desire to