Read Online Room for More by Beth Ehemann - Free Book Online Page B

the room I just came from.
    “Awful. I got hit on.”
    “Is he cute?”
    The corners of my mouth curled down and I frowned at her. “He’s plastered.”
    “That doesn’t scare me.” She winked. “The drunker, the feistier.”
    “Well, if you like obnoxious, overweight, drunk guys with mullets, he’s your man.”
    The rest of the night moved at lightning speed, and for that I was thankful. As soon as midnight rolled around, I was out of there for the whole weekend. Brody was coming to get us bright and early and we were heading up to his parents’ farm. I made the Parenting 101 mistake of telling Lucy and Piper days ago, and they’d been asking every five minutes since then if it was time to leave. I couldn’t wait to wake them in the morning and finally say yes!
     

     
    Midnight rolled around and I was gathering up my things from my cubby when Darla plopped down on the chair next to me dramatically.
    “Tired?” I asked.
    “Exhausted,” she said through a yawn.
    “What time are you out of here?”
    “Six o’clock.”
    “Just in time for breakfast. You’re almost there.” I smiled sympathetically at her. “What are you doing this weekend?”
    “Nothing. This will be my first weekend off in months. I’m going to order Chinese and lie in my underwear all weekend, watching trashy reality show reruns.” She clapped.
    “Did someone say underwear?” Zach slid up to the counter and flashed a cocky grin at us. Chitchat time came to an abrupt end as I grabbed my lunch bag and slipped my hoodie over my head.
    “What are you still doing here, handsome?” Darla cooed at him in such a way that it made my stomach roll.
    “Not still. I just got here.”
    “Where’s your uniform?”
    “I’m not working, just here catching up on some paperwork.”
    “Good night, Darla. I’ll see you next week,” I said quickly and turned toward the door.
    “Have fun this weekend, Kacie. Give those girls a kiss for me.”
    Knowing that Zach was standing right there listening to Darla mention the girls made me cringe. It was the colossal white herd of elephants in the room between us, and I was trying desperately not to be trampled by them. I just wanted to put in my hours and be on my merry way so life could be the way it was before.
    “Wait up!” Zach called out as the ER doors slid open and a rush of cool night air hit me in the face.
    “What do you want?” I asked, walking faster without making eye contact.
    He jogged to catch up to me. “What are you guys doing this weekend? Can I see them?”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “That’s right. No.”
    “Just like that?”
    “Pretty much.” I reached into my purse and grabbed my keys and my pepper spray. The parking lot was well lit and in a safe area, so it wasn’t random weirdos I was concerned about; it was the asshole next to me.
    “Can I ever see them?”
    “No.”
    “Kacie, stop.” He tugged gently on my elbow and I stopped and spun to face him.
    “I warned you once before not to touch me. This is the last time I’m going to say it. Do. Not. Touch. Me. Got it?” I said as sternly as I could.
    “Got it, got it. Please, talk to me.”
    “No. I have to go.”
    He didn’t attempt to touch me again. He just stopped and watched me climb into my Jeep. I locked the door, started the engine, and pulled out as quickly as I could, praying that my heart rate would return to normal by the time I got home.
     

     
    “Mom! Mom! It’s today, right?”
    My eyes bolted open and attempted to focus on Lucy’s tiny face, but she was too close to me. I closed my eyes again as I felt them crossing involuntarily. “Yes, baby. It’s today.”
    “Yay!” she cheered loudly as she ran out of my room.
    I rolled over and let my eyes drift shut, secretly wishing I had three more hours of sleep. When I got home from work the night before, I was so exhausted I went right to sleep instead of packing ahead of time—something completely out of character for me. Clearly Brody’s