Read Online DirtyBeautiful by Jodie Becker - Free Book Online Page B

knock
at her door. “Hellooo?”
    Erica straightened with a frown. She recognized the voice.
She grabbed a tea towel and cleaned her hands on the way out of the kitchen.
Beverly stood on the porch, her floral church dress flowed over her voluptuous
frame. Although they’d seen each other in town and spoke quite amicably
whenever the occasion arose, Beverly let others know of her anger over Greg’s
eviction from Erica’s house. Although the subject never came up, Erica
preferred not to draw them into an argument. After all, Erica was among many
other folk who were known to drift off into lala land while Beverly rambled on
about Greg’s perfections.
    Erica opened the screen door. “Beverly. What a surprise. You
haven’t come over since Greg and I broke up.”
    Her lips were compressed in irritation, but Beverly kept her
council. “I had to come over. It’s all about town that you are seeing that
young man next door.”
    Erica wanted to roll her eyes. “You know you shouldn’t be
listening to town gossip. We’re just friends.”
    “But Gayle said she saw you and that man kissing
outside Tammy’s hair salon.”
    Erica sighed. “We weren’t kissing. He was…whispering
something in my ear.”
    Beverly’s mouth opened like a gasping fish and her jowls
wobbled in indignation. “No man with good morals would do that in public! And
if you were wise, you would stay well away from him. Mark my words, that man is
trouble.”
    Erica fumed. She sure wished Dylan had fewer morals.
His determination to keep his body off hers was an aching point for her.
Literally. Erica leaned on the screen door and narrowed a shrewd look on the
overly righteous woman. “I don’t appreciate you making snap judgments about
someone you don’t know. Dylan bought that house next door to live here
of all places.”
    Beverly snorted with disdain. “Everyone knows people who
have something to hide move to towns just like ours.”
    “Are you saying Reverend Thomas has something to hide? Or
Maybe Fran and Will Stephensen are running from the law? What about Tammy
McCabe? All of them moved here and have been pillars in our community. If I
recall, you go to church to hear Reverend Thomas’ sermons, have Sunday brunch
with the Stephensens and get your hair cut at Tammy’s.”
    “But that’s different. He hasn’t involved himself in the
community. Just holes himself in that house. For all we know he could be
running from the mob!”
    “He is renovating that house and your claims of connections
to crime families is…ridiculous! Ask Bill if you have any questions about him.”
    On the losing end of a battle, she huffed and tempered her
tone. “I worry about you, after all.”
    Erica braced herself, ready for the long spiel of how other
men would never amount to the greatness of her son. “Thank you, but I—”
    “I never questioned why you chucked my son out on his ear,
but it’s never too late, you know. I know he must miss you. He left town
because he was too heartbroken to stay.”
    No, he left town because he’s a lying, cheating dog. Erica struggled to keep the polite smile on her face.
    “Every time I call him, he is interested to hear about you.”
    Erica doubted it. If anything, he and his oversized ego
probably basked at the thought of her pining after him. “Well that’s nice, Beverly,
but I really have to go. I’m baking for the school Octoberfest tonight and
really need to get on top of that.”
    Beverly paused, her mouth open to begin another argument
toward the fine qualities that Greg possessed, no doubt. “Oh, well I suppose we
can chat another time.”
    “All right, have a nice day, Beverly,” she lied through her
teeth.
    She returned to her brownies and began to start work on the
icing. Melted chocolate cooled off to the side and she popped a stray piece in
her mouth. An ecstatic moan left her as she savored the sparks of sweet, subtle
bitterness and thick cream.
    “Jesus, are you trying to kill me?”
    Erica