Read Online Red Sun by Raven St. Pierre - Free Book Online Page B

made sure I had Ruthann show me again how to give him his discount to avoid another problem because I’d already had about all I could take.
                  Like clockwork, he strutted in at a quarter after nine, impossibly arrogant and self-absorbed.  How dare he be so hot and so aggravating all at the same time.  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to push the thought out of my head.  Nothing, not even his looks could overshadow his personality – which sucked by the way.
                  This time, I skipped the formalities.  Instead of my usual short greeting, I just stared, waiting for him to tell me what he needed.
                  “Just a new shovel today,” he mumbled, already reaching for his wallet so that his time in my presence wouldn’t be prolonged.
                  I turned around and walked over toward the wall where they hung and rolled my eyes.  Unfortunately for me, there were a few to choose from. 
                  “Which one?”  I sighed.
                  “Uh, let me get the garden spade,” he replied.  “Do you know which one that is?”
                  I gritted my teeth.  “Probably the one right here that says garden spade,” I hissed. 
                  When I faced him again, he’d stopped digging in his wallet and stood there watching me.  Apparently, he didn’t appreciate me throwing a little of his attitude back at him, but I felt pretty good about it.
                  I scanned the spade and shoved it across the counter at him, turning the register screen his way so I wouldn’t have to speak his total aloud to him.  He chuckled a little to himself while he tossed the cash onto the counter and walked out, shoulders squared and head held high.  Jerk.
                  Ruthann walked back in.  “Did you have an ok time with the discount?”
                  I took a breath.  “Yeah, I got it.”  I looked up at the window as Jolon tossed the shovel into the bed of his truck and then climbed in the driver’s seat.  “What’s his problem?”  I blurted, brimming over with frustration.  “Every time he comes in here, he has this huge chip on his shoulder.”
                  Ruthann was thoughtful for a moment as we both watched Jolon pull off.  “He’s a sweet boy, really.  He’s just got a few more walls up than most.”  She turned to look at me.  “But I’m sure he’ll ease up on you after while.”  Her outlook was hopeful, but I wasn’t. 
                  While I continued to stare out at the trees beyond the shop on the other side of the road, I heard the roar of Lou’s old truck for a few seconds before he cut the engine off.  He and Kaya were at the shop at least two times a day and she was starting to grow on me. 
                  Lou winked at me as he passed and I smiled back.  He’s proven to be harmless. Besides, after dealing with Jolon I needed a little reassurance that all men weren’t completely devoid of chivalry.  I’m not sure why he gets under my skin the way he does.  It could be that I’m not used to men giving me the cold shoulder, but that would just be me being vain.  When I first saw him at the river that day, I’d made up this story in my mind about what he would be like and I was more than disappointed to find that the real him was far less charming.  I’d imagined that everything about him was almost as appealing as his physical appearance, but that’s what I get for judging a book by its cover. 
                  I hated thinking about him even if I was only thinking about how much I hated him.  He occupied more of my time than I liked and it had to stop.  My mother used to tell me that everybody isn’t going to like you and this was just one of those cases.  To get my mind off of him, I helped Kaya find the Morning Glories so she