Dust of My Wings Read Online Free PDF Page A

cleanliness and germs, but she trusted Dante to keep the place clean.
    “Too true,” Nadie added. “I’m going to go up and help her. Should I add in our normal food orders? Appetizers?”
    Everyone agreed, and Nadie skipped off to help Becca.
    “So, I told you about my lovely boss,” Lily said. “Now, tell me about your days.”
    “Not too much,” Jamie answered. “We got a new shipment of western romance novels. I already have most of them on my Kindle, but I like having some of them in paperback anyway.” She shrugged. Though the rise of e-books hurt her business somewhat, she’d taken a chance on a venture and had added a small café in the inn that attracted many loyal customers. She also hosted in-house events that invited patrons to gather and share their book recommendations with others.
    Some bought them there or went home and bought it online. Either way, she made money, and Lily was proud of her.
    “I had a shoot today with an uppity bitch, but it was okay,” Faith added. “I’d rather have been down the block taking pictures of kids playing on the playground, but those don’t bring in any cash.” Faith could bring inner beauty and soul out of anyone she photographed; or she could capture the nitty-gritty and not-so-beautiful that lurked beneath the surface. She was truly a talented artist.
    “We had about four cancellations today that annoyed the hell out of me,” Amara complained. “The linens were late so we didn’t have table cloths for the first thirty minutes of the brunch. Of course, our owner decided at that moment to visit, but I think I took care of it. I’m just happy that I don’t have classes this week, and I got a head in my work, so I can actually try and enjoy myself tonight.”
    “What about you, Eliana?” Lily asked, afraid of the other woman’s answer because of the bandage on her arm.
    Eliana frowned and took the last drink of her beer. “Not much. This piece is just pissing me off, and the damn paper boy scared the hell out of me, so I burned myself.” She held up her hand as the others tried to soothe her. “I’m fine. Really. It’s not that bad. It just itches like a bitch.”
    “Okay, we have drinks,” Becca interrupted, a tray full of appetizers in one hand and Nadie behind her with chips and salsa. “Dante will bring out the rest of the food when it’s ready. He can get off his lazy ass and take care of it. I’m off.”
    “I heard that,” Dante called from the back.
    Becca rolled her eyes. She scooped a large dollop of salsa on a chip and shoved it in her mouth.
    “You should be nicer to him,” Nadie admonished. “He does a lot around here.”
    “You just think he’s cute,” Becca said with a snort and nearly choked. She waved her hands in the air indicating she’d be okay. She took a big gulp of her drink and smiled.
    Nadie blushed, and Lily reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Nadie’s crush on Dante was a well-known fact in their group. Not that the quiet woman would ever act on it. She gave shyness a whole new meaning.
    “You know, you should just ask him out,” Faith said. “I mean, what could go wrong?”
    “Shh! Oh, I don’t know.” Nadie bowed her head and didn’t look at anyone. “He could say ‘no’ and then kick us out for annoying him, and then we couldn’t be friends anymore.”
    “That’s ridiculous,” Lily countered. “You’re beautiful and sweet. Any man would be lucky to have you.” It was true, but that didn’t make her feel any better about her own loneliness. She shook her head, not wanting to think of that anymore. “Let’s talk about something else.”
    “Okay,” Jamie agreed. “Like what? We already talked about jobs, and apparently, the topic of men is off the table.”
    “You know, doing it on the table is quite nice,” Becca added.
    Lily choked on her beer. On a table?  “Really?” Wait. Why did she ask that?
    Becca raised a brow. “Come on, sweet Lily. Don’t tell me you’ve