Bent Not Broken (A Cedar Creek #1) by Julia Goda Read Free Book Online Page A

to get back to the store,” I explained.
    Tommy wasn’t deterred by my rejection and kept smiling big.
    “Your sandwiches and shakes are gonna take a few minutes. Come sit with us,” he started pulling me by my arm towards the booth his father was sitting in. I was so surprised by this that I let him drag me to their table.
    Great. Now I was trapped.
    I didn’t want to seem silly and bring attention to us by putting up a fight only because I turned into a horny idiot whenever Cal was near. That wasn’t Tommy’s fault and he was right. The sandwiches and shakes would take a few minutes and I might as well sit. And why not, if I got a free coffee and a cookie out of it?
    I made eye contact with the waitress while being dragged by Tommy and smiled at her. She understood and gave me the one finger up, indicating she would be there in a minute.
    Tommy and I had arrived at the table as he gallantly offered me the window seat by indicating his arm before he scooted in beside me.
    Trapped. Literally.
    Cal smiled proudly at his son and gave him a chin lift, which Tommy returned with a big grin.
    “Had to bribe her with coffee and a cookie, but mission accomplished,” he informed his father.
    Huh? That was a strange thing to say.
    Cal’s eyes came to me. They were warm and teasing. “You’re greedy,” he stated.
    I was determined not to be controlled by my body’s reaction toward Cal, so I straightened my shoulders and smiled smugly at him, “Well, what can I say? I don’t come cheap. And since the offer came from a nice charming young man, I just couldn’t resist. Cookies are my weakness.”
    Tommy started chuckling and I winked at him.
    Cal’s eyes were still on me, still teasing, but now also with a sexy glint in them. “Cookies your only weakness?” he asked.
    I didn’t expect that question, so it threw me for a loop. Luckily, I was saved from having to answer when the waitress appeared at our table.
    “Hey Ivey, dear, what can I get you?” she asked.
    “Hey Martha! Can I get a roast beef sandwich and a turkey melt to go, please? And also a caramel coffee shake and a cherry banana shake, please? Thanks, hon’!” I ordered my and Macy’s food. I had decided to just get both of my favourite flavours, so Mace and I could share, and we each would have the best of both worlds - chocolate and fruit.
    “Sure, sweetheart. Shouldn’t take longer than ten,” she informed me, then went to ring in my order.
    “How’s your weekend going’?” Cal asked me casually.
    “Well, you know, I got up, had a coffee, took a shower, had a quick breakfast, went to work, had another coffee, worked some more, went to get lunch, got accosted by two gentlemen who forced me to sit with them, but bribed me with coffee and a cookie…” I stopped reciting the events of my day, trying to be funny, and looked over to Tommy, because I had realized that he had not ordered my bribe.
    I narrowed my eyes at him and accused him, “You little player. You didn’t get me my bribe coffee and cookie!”
    Cal laughed out loud and shook his head at me, then got up and walked over to the counter, hopefully ordering my coffee and cookie. I watched him do so—trying to ignore his fabulous ass—wait for it, then grab both and saunter back to the table. He put the coffee in front of me, but kept the cookie. I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly.
    “Coffee now. You gotta earn the cookie,” he said in a low and sexy voice.
    “And how do I do that?” I stupidly asked. Why did I ask that? I could tell by the glint in his eye that I had walked straight into that one. I was such an idiot.
    “You promise to go bowling with us tonight,” Cal stated his demand.
    Go bowling with them tonight? I was confused.
    “Go bowling?” I asked.
    “Yeah. Bowling,” Cal repeated.
    Was he asking me out? I looked at Tommy to see he was smiling at me, waiting for me to say something. I was still confused as to where this was going and didn’t want to go