I liked seeing them happy. It gave me a boost of optimism that one day I might be able to find that for myself.
I packed everything up and headed back to the little house I’d picked out almost as soon as I arrived in Astoria. It wasn’t big or luxurious, but it was comfortable, and it was mine. And at that point, that meant more to me than I could put into words.
There was enough time for me to take a short nap and have lunch before I needed to get ready for work. I didn’t actually have to be at the bar until later, but I was still getting the hang of the place, and I wanted to make a good impression.
It wasn’t one of the theme nights, so it was already open for late lunch and early dinner by the time I got there. It wasn’t busy, with only a handful of people scattered around at the various tables positioned throughout the space. I was amazed to see that there were no visible signs of the event the night before still there. It was like it had all magically disappeared in between the time I had left and the time I showed back up.
Ava was behind the bar when I walked in, and she waved me over.
“Hey,” she said. “How are you doing today?”
“Doing great,” I said. “Should I go check on any of these tables?”
She shook her head and smiled. “Don’t worry about them. They’re regulars. They pretty much take care of themselves. When they need something, one of the guys will take care of them. I wanted you to meet my best friend, Stephanie.”
Ava gestured across the bar at a woman sitting on one of the stools with a beer between her hands. She smiled at me, and I smiled back.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m Hannah. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I gave a slightly questioning look to Ava. “You have?”
Ava laughed. “All good things, I promise. Stephanie has been listening to all my complaints about this place since I showed back up in town and went to work for the guys. She hears all the dirt about this place. Not that you’re dirt.”
I laughed. “I’ve been called worse. Trust me. You said you showed back up in town? You haven’t always lived here?”
I sat down on the stool beside Stephanie and listened to Ava tell me about how she had grown up in Astoria and been with Mason through most of her teenage years. When they broke up, she left and went to college, then settled in a different state. It wasn’t until her father was seriously injured and needed her help that she came back. That was when she started working at The Hollow, leading to her reuniting with Mason.
I enjoyed sitting there talking with the women. I like how laid-back they were, and it felt like they didn’t have any ulterior motives like most people did back home. Just before I got up to start my shift, another woman swept into the bar and went around to hug Ava.
“Hannah, this is Becca, Tyler’s wife,” she said.
“Nice to meet you,” I offered.
Becca smiled at me, and we chatted for a few moments while Ava went into the back to get the bundle of hand-me-down baby clothes she was sending to Becca’s son. When she left, I headed over to the table of customers that had just come in and sat down.
I had a feeling I was really going to like it here.
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A Note from the Author
Thank for you taking the time to read my latest release.
I hope you loved reading my story, as much as I enjoyed writing it.
It would mean the world to me if you could take some time to leave a quick review for this book. Reviews allow me to understand how my readers truly feel, and they keep me improving to be better.
I appreciate you supporting me, thank you so much.
- Natasha L. Black
Books by Natasha L. Black
Freeman Brother Series
Millionaire Boss
Millionaire Daddy
Millionaire Crush
Millionaire Hero
Millionaire Best Friend
Forbidden Lovers Series:
Billionaire Boss
Date Your Brother’s Best Friend
Falling for my Enemy
Forbidden Crush
Damaged
Complete box set below:
Forbidden Lovers: A Contemporary Romance Collection
Secret Daddies Series
His Secret Baby
CEO’s Secret Baby
Boss's Secret Baby for Christmas
Daddy’s Secret Baby
My Ex’s Secret Baby
Bad Boy’s Secret Baby
Complete box set below:
Secret Daddies: A Contemporary Romance Box Set
Alpha Male Collection:
Forbidden Daddy
Redemption
Protecting Her
Saving Sky
Protecting Sasha
Complete box set here: Men in Charge
Reverse Harem/Ménage Collection:
Double Dirty
The Cabin
Double Trouble
Training the Rookie
Cuffed to my Roomies
Complete box set here: One Lucky Girl
Fake Marriage Collection:
Pretend You’re Mine
Pretend I’m Yours
Let’s Pretend
Faking It
Complete box set here: Playing Pretend
Other stories you may enjoy:
Back To You
Brother’s Best Friend
Forbidden Protector
Sweet Tooth
Connect with Natasha L. Black
Natasha L. Black is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author. Dreaming and fantasizing ever since she was a young teenager, her love of writing flourished from a very early age. After working for 15 years as a veterinarian, she now follows her passion in writing for a living. She currently resides in a lovely country home in a rural area of Dallas, writing steamy novels to fulfill her readers' desires.
Want to contact me? Please e-mail me at: [email protected]
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