Not Alone Read Online Free PDF Page B

know I did.
    What am I doing? Seriously.
    Now, I had to call my dearest best friend… Scrolling through my contacts list I landed upon Tessa, the traitor. After three rings Tessa answered, “Hey girlie, what’s up?”
    “You know darn good and well what’s up! How could you give Grady my number?” I screamed through the phone, not caring one bit if it woke up my dad. He deserved my wrath as well.
    “Well, I knew you wouldn’t give it to him if given the opportunity. So, I helped out a little, what’s the big deal?”
    “The big deal is he just texted me and now he is saying that he is coming into the store tomorrow!” My tone was escalating.
    “EEK!!” Tessa screeched. “He likes you! I knew it! Oh Emmy, this is great news.”
    “No, Tessa he doesn’t like me, he was just concerned because I had to pick up my dad drunk from the bar. Again. And he likes Gooey Butter Cake, which is what I’m making for the store tomorrow. And even if he did like me, which he does not, I’m not interested,” I lied while twirling my necklace. At least she couldn’t see me.
    “Girl, you may need to get your eyes checked ‘cause that boy is FINE! Even I’m interested, and I’m a happily married woman.” Ugh, she really needed to stop talking. I’m done, over it- this whole day!
    “Tessa Renee Monroe, mark my words, I will get you for this. You had better watch your back!” I threatened her, but in all honestly I was all talk.
    I heard her bust out laughing as I hung up on her. Why couldn’t my friends let me live my life in peace? I didn’t need a man, not even the serious piece of hunk that was Grady Finnegan. I was supremely agitated and I didn’t even think baking would soothe my nerves. Nope, baking could wait until the morning. This called for drastic measures. I needed my kindle and a new book boyfriend, PRONTO! Now I just had to dig through my purse to find it.
    UGH!
     
     

 
    Chapter Six
     
    Emmalynne
     
    “Rose will you please cover the front desk while I straighten some of these books?” I said to Rose, my full-time employee. She was a true sweetheart. She had been with me since the beginning, when I first opened   Turn the Page four years ago. Rose was a glamorous woman who was like a second grandmother to me. She was in her late seventies and was a dainty thing, not only in height but in build. Her eyes always had a magical twinkle in them. She had been married to her husband Gus for sixty years and they had the kind of love that you read about in fairytales. It was nice to know that there were still good men out there; Toby, Brock, and Gus- and I was glad Tucker was able to see that.
    “Sure, deary,” she replied. Rose wasn’t much for talking but when she did it was usually with wisdom to live by.
    Trying to appear busy I thought back to my morning. I knew I had to talk to my father again, about trying to get help with his drinking. This was becoming a nuisance. He reassured me, yet again, that he would go seek counseling or at least attend an AA meeting. My next step wouldn’t be something I was proud of, but I wouldn’t be left with much of a choice. An ultimatum: either getting help or stay away from Tucker. I knew in my heart that he would choose Tuck, but there was a niggling suspicion in the back of my mind that said he’d choose the alcohol.
    After dropping my father off at the bar, I came back home to bake for the store and to shower. I had to take extra precautions with my appearance today because Grady might be coming in. I didn’t know what it was about him that had me so tripped up, it was not like I knew him or anything. He had awakened something in me that I thought was buried deep, so deep you’d need a backhoe to excavate.
    So, after wrapping up the Gooey Butter Cake, I started getting ready for the day. After my shower I took extra care cleaning my face, brushing my teeth, twice, and then blow-drying and straightening my hair so it would look semi decent. Usually I was