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

out with Cal, but luckily, I didn’t have to lie when I said, “Sorry, I already have plans tonight.”
    My answer caused Cal to narrow his eyes at me and ask rudely, “What plans?”
    Excuse me? That was none of his business. What did he care? I was getting annoyed.
    “That’s none of your business, but if you have to know, I’m going over to Macy’s for dinner,” I snapped at him.
    Cal’s eyebrows relaxed at my answer.
    “Breakfast then,” he was again giving me his warm look.
    That also annoyed me. I was more than confused about what was going on.
    “Macy and I are planning to get smashed tonight. Well, Macy is pregnant, so she can’t, which means I’ll have to drink her drinks for her in addition to mine, so she doesn’t feel left out, which means I will be way too drunk, which means I will be incredibly hung over tomorrow morning and won’t want any food. I’ll be in a crabby mood, ‘cause I get crabby when I’m hung over and hungry, so I won’t be good company. Then I have until eleven to get over my hangover and crabbiness, because I have to open the store, which will be tough and probably put me in a bad mood all day,” I finished my way too long explanation of why I wouldn’t be able to have breakfast with them either. I had the inclination to talk a lot and fast when I was annoyed or angry or embarrassed. This happened a lot lately.
    “Wow, you’ve got a lot going on,” Tommy murmured.
    “You have no idea,” I mumbled under my breath.
    Cal tipped his head to the side in question, but I had said enough. No more information from me today.
    Martha arrived with my food, I paid and tipped her, then motioned for Tommy to let me out.
    “Gotta go back to work or The Incredible Hulk will hunt me down,” I said.
    “The Incredible Hulk?” Tommy asked amused. He must think I’m a total whack job.
    “Have you ever seen a pregnant woman that’s kept from her food? It’s a whole new take on crabby,” I informed him.
    He just stared at me with wide eyes but I could hear Cal’s attractive chuckle from across the table. I didn’t make eye contact, though.
    Tommy let me out and I grabbed my food, shakes, and coffee—thank God for cardboard trays—and made my way to the door.
    “You can keep the cookie! Getting me to go out with you will cost you more than that!” I shouted over my shoulder, still trying to be funny while I was walking away from them.
    More chuckles, this time not just from Cal, but from all around me.
    Oh darn.
    Why was I trying to be funny?
    I increased my speed in order to reach the door faster in an effort to escape and pretend I didn’t say what I just said with most of the town being my witness. I was inviting trouble. I could tell by the glint in Cal’s eyes that he would take on the challenge I just provided him with.
    “That didn’t go so well,” I heard Tommy say to his dad before I reached the door.
    “You’re wrong, bud,” I heard Cal’s reply before the door shut behind me, and I was standing on the sidewalk.
    When I got back, I didn’t tell Mace anything about my diner run-in with Cal and Tommy. I would tell her tonight with everything else. She needed to hear my story first to understand why I couldn’t act on my physical attraction and go there with him. If I told her about him flirting with me and asking me out—at least that’s what I thought he was doing at the diner—and me turning into a complete idiot whenever he was around and gave me those intense looks, she would try to push me into giving him a chance and go out with him. I wasn’t ready for any of that and was not sure I ever would be. For now, I had to get through telling her about what had happened to me first.
    The rest of the afternoon was relatively quiet, so Macy left around three to go to the grocery store and then cook my favourite meal for dinner. I liked simple home-made meals, my favourite being beef roast with potatoes and green beans and either brownies or pie with ice cream