Read Online Bad Taste in Men (Clover Park, Book 3) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) by Kylie Gilmore - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kylie Gilmore
Tags: Humor, Chick lit, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Family Saga, Women's Fiction, friends to lovers
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before Ry came calling for their morning run.
He got back to work, at peace once again, just him and the dish he’d soon share with his family. That was almost as good as the cooking, the sharing. It was why he opened his own shop, to connect with everyone in town. It kept him from feeling alone like his mother had always said she felt. He knew he took after her—sensitive and introverted—it was why he was careful never to be alone for too long.
Food was life and connection. It was everything.
~ ~ ~
Shane had just taken a bite of muffin, the lemon zest worked perfectly with the blueberry, when he heard someone leaning on his doorbell upstairs. He went out the back door to tell his brother to knock it off.
“Oh, you’re up.” Ry rubbed his hands together and smiled. “Come on. Let’s get some endorphins going.”
Shane muttered some choice obscenities about morning people. Ever since Ry had gotten on a regular schedule with his job as a cop, he’d become unbearably cheerful in the morning. He liked it better when his brother slept until noon in his old job as a private investigator and never checked up on him until the afternoon.
They set off at a jog. The town was quiet except for the occasional delivery truck passing through. Mostly it was just the birds and the crazy joggers.
Ry picked up the pace, and Shane kept up. Five days of running and he got nothing but tired and sweaty from it. After what felt like twenty miles, but was probably only two, Shane stopped. “When do I get that runner’s high?”
“Just keep going, bud, you’ll get there,” Ry said, jogging in place. “You have to build up some endurance first.”
They kept going.
Shane finally broke the silence. “Rachel and I are business partners.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Doing what?”
“We’re opening a café next to Book It. I do the food and coffee; she runs the shop.”
“Shane…”
He sucked in some air as they went up that damn hill to the high school again. “What?”
“Do you really think she’s going to go out with you if you go into business together?”
He pushed himself hard up that hill. He’d conquer it today. “No,” he wheezed.
Obviously not or he wouldn’t be meeting Janelle tonight for drinks at Garner’s. He still couldn’t believe Rachel had set him up with a friend. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Janelle’s feelings when she called last night and invited him, so he’d agreed to meet her. He’d never given Janelle a second glance at Book It, always being focused on Rachel, but she was cute. A little young, but not too young, he’d checked. She was twenty-four.
Ry beat him up the hill. Shane joined him and took a moment to catch his breath, enjoying the view in the early morning sunshine over Clover Park. The trees in their full greenery, the tall white steeple of the Methodist church, the shops downtown, houses nestled in a grid.
“It’s just business,” Shane said.
Ry fixed him with a pitying look.
“Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything. Race ya.” And with that Ry took off downhill.
“You win!” Shane called and sat down to enjoy not running. He was happy to be starting a café. The idea invigorated him. He’d been wanting to try out some new recipes for scones and breads and danishes. A lot of stuff he hadn’t had time to work on with the ice-cream business booming. This would be good. Even without Rachel in his bed. He shifted uncomfortably remembering the night he had been in her bed. And that towel dropping.
He stood and raced downhill, trailing behind his brother.
Ry stopped and turned, jogging in place. “Winners never quit, bud. Good to see you remembered that.”
Shane didn’t have the breath to tell his big bro to shut it, so he merely nodded and ran, determined to catch up to Ry. He wouldn’t quit on Rachel. He couldn’t. He was in deep in too many ways.
~ ~ ~
Rachel closed Book It on Friday and headed downstairs to the back parking lot, where her
He got back to work, at peace once again, just him and the dish he’d soon share with his family. That was almost as good as the cooking, the sharing. It was why he opened his own shop, to connect with everyone in town. It kept him from feeling alone like his mother had always said she felt. He knew he took after her—sensitive and introverted—it was why he was careful never to be alone for too long.
Food was life and connection. It was everything.
~ ~ ~
Shane had just taken a bite of muffin, the lemon zest worked perfectly with the blueberry, when he heard someone leaning on his doorbell upstairs. He went out the back door to tell his brother to knock it off.
“Oh, you’re up.” Ry rubbed his hands together and smiled. “Come on. Let’s get some endorphins going.”
Shane muttered some choice obscenities about morning people. Ever since Ry had gotten on a regular schedule with his job as a cop, he’d become unbearably cheerful in the morning. He liked it better when his brother slept until noon in his old job as a private investigator and never checked up on him until the afternoon.
They set off at a jog. The town was quiet except for the occasional delivery truck passing through. Mostly it was just the birds and the crazy joggers.
Ry picked up the pace, and Shane kept up. Five days of running and he got nothing but tired and sweaty from it. After what felt like twenty miles, but was probably only two, Shane stopped. “When do I get that runner’s high?”
“Just keep going, bud, you’ll get there,” Ry said, jogging in place. “You have to build up some endurance first.”
They kept going.
Shane finally broke the silence. “Rachel and I are business partners.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Doing what?”
“We’re opening a café next to Book It. I do the food and coffee; she runs the shop.”
“Shane…”
He sucked in some air as they went up that damn hill to the high school again. “What?”
“Do you really think she’s going to go out with you if you go into business together?”
He pushed himself hard up that hill. He’d conquer it today. “No,” he wheezed.
Obviously not or he wouldn’t be meeting Janelle tonight for drinks at Garner’s. He still couldn’t believe Rachel had set him up with a friend. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Janelle’s feelings when she called last night and invited him, so he’d agreed to meet her. He’d never given Janelle a second glance at Book It, always being focused on Rachel, but she was cute. A little young, but not too young, he’d checked. She was twenty-four.
Ry beat him up the hill. Shane joined him and took a moment to catch his breath, enjoying the view in the early morning sunshine over Clover Park. The trees in their full greenery, the tall white steeple of the Methodist church, the shops downtown, houses nestled in a grid.
“It’s just business,” Shane said.
Ry fixed him with a pitying look.
“Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything. Race ya.” And with that Ry took off downhill.
“You win!” Shane called and sat down to enjoy not running. He was happy to be starting a café. The idea invigorated him. He’d been wanting to try out some new recipes for scones and breads and danishes. A lot of stuff he hadn’t had time to work on with the ice-cream business booming. This would be good. Even without Rachel in his bed. He shifted uncomfortably remembering the night he had been in her bed. And that towel dropping.
He stood and raced downhill, trailing behind his brother.
Ry stopped and turned, jogging in place. “Winners never quit, bud. Good to see you remembered that.”
Shane didn’t have the breath to tell his big bro to shut it, so he merely nodded and ran, determined to catch up to Ry. He wouldn’t quit on Rachel. He couldn’t. He was in deep in too many ways.
~ ~ ~
Rachel closed Book It on Friday and headed downstairs to the back parking lot, where her
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