Read Online The Bartender's Daughter by Isabelle Flynn - Free Book Online

Just wait. It’s only a matter of time until Lee owns the whole thing. Only he won’t need to pay you for it.” She loosened her grip around Sam’s arm and walked back to her car.
    Sam could still feel the imprint of her sister ’s fingers on her arm as she continued on her walk. It didn’t even register when she considered how her heart felt after a full day of hearing the truth about Lee.
    He wasn ’t just rich. He wasn’t just parading around a woman everyone expected him to marry. He had convinced her father to borrow money so that he could take over the damn bar. She closed her eyes, summoned her heart, her body to get her through this. She’d figure it out but first she needed to get her things into the cottage, make sure it was livable for tonight and then head back to the bar. She obviously hadn’t dived deep enough into the books yet. Once she did, she’d know how far in her father had gotten and how much she needed to come up with to get Lee out of her life for good.
    She crossed over to the little flagstone path to the front door of her new place. The key turned smoothly in the lock , but she hesitated before stepping over the threshold. She threw up one small prayer to her father. No mice or other creatures. Please, Daddy.
    She pushed the door open, waited for any signs of scurrying and then finally walked into the little cottage. From there she could see the clean kitchenette, the couch, a small television. Everything looked the same as it had the last time she was there.
    She flashed back to her and Lee wrapped around each other on the couch. His fingers entwined with hers while his sky blue eyes fastened to her face. Her heart ready to burst from the magic of it all. “I love you, Sam. You know this is forever. I’m never letting you get away.”
    She believed every word he ’d said back then and bought every dream he’d painted. Even the one where they grew old together in a little house on the beach, with their two black labs and eventual children. Her heart ached at the memory of a life no longer a possibility.
    Sam rubbed the small callous on her left ring finger and pushed the thoughts away. First up was a quick check of the kitchen faucet and a celebratory dance when the water flowed clear. She walked into the bedroom, tossed her bags on the bed and started opening up windows. The cottage could use some air, a few touches here and there and a whole lot of dusting and it would be livable, at least until winter. If she could survive the proximity to Lee for that long.

 
     
     
    Chapt er Six
     
     
    “ You’re what?”
    “ Married. I’m married.” Lee finished signing the last contract before looking back up at Jake. He was more friend than work acquaintance, and that was why he called a real estate lawyer to help him out of this situation with Sam.
    “ I got that, but for two years? Where have you been hiding her?”
    “ New York. It was a…” he searched for the right description of his biggest mistake, “youthful indiscretion.”
    “ So you knocked her up, married her and then sent her away?”
    Disgust rolled through him. “No. Do you really think that’s something I would do? It wasn’t a shotgun wedding. It was impulsive and amazing and then it wasn’t.” His voice dropped off. He shook his head and pushed the thoughts of those early days away.
    “ Well, I’m not a divorce lawyer, but as long as you have a tight prenup and no surprises, I think you should be able to get it taken care of in less than six months.”
    “ There’s no prenup.”
    This time Jake didn ’t even attempt to keep the incredulity out of his voice. “What were you thinking, Lee? That’s just stupid.”
    “ Whatever it was, it’s done and over with. Now tell me what I need to do to get out of it with as little damage as possible.”
    Jake rubbed a hand through his hair and then pulled off the glasses he ’d been wearing to read the contracts. “Get a great divorce lawyer. I’ll see if I