Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 by N.J. Walters Read Free Book Online Page A

shouldn’t have taken his money in the first place, but she’d still been drowsy from the nap she’d taken in the truck and hadn’t been thinking clearly.
    She grabbed her tray and carried it to a small, round table near the window. Not that she was watching for James or anything. It simply gave her a good view of the street.
    Shelley sat down, almost moaning in delight as a waft of warm air shot out from the radiator next to her table. She lifted her spoon and dipped it into the bowl. The liquid was steaming as she sipped it. Taste exploded in her mouth and she dipped her spoon again. The multigrain bun was fresh and delicious. But it was the apple turnover that she enjoyed the most. She hadn’t had anything this wonderful in her entire life. It was filled with chunks of apple and the pastry was light and flaky.
    When she was finished, she sipped her coffee. She couldn’t remember ever being this full and content before. Meals had been sparse in her world for so long. Even at the diner, Gus hadn’t been generous, making her pay for whatever she ate.
    “That’s done. Over,” she muttered. Now that her belly was full and her head was clear, it was time to make plans.
    Should she walk away and leave? She could get a bus ticket to anywhere. Shelley nibbled on her bottom lip, licking a sticky spot and tasting apple. A part of her didn’t want to leave James. He made her feel safe. And that was dangerous. She couldn’t afford to let down her guard or get sloppy. There were men out there who wanted to kill her.
    She fiddled with the handle of her spoon as she peered out the window, not really paying attention to the people or the world beyond the coffee shop.
    Obviously, she needed another job and a place to stay. But first she needed to get as far away from this state as possible. A shiver raced down her spine and she tugged her sweater tighter around her. No, she couldn’t stay here. Not where she’d lived for so many years. The cabin might be deep in the hills, but it was still the same state.
    “You okay, honey?” The woman’s voice was kind, but it still startled her. Shelley needed to start paying more attention to her surroundings. She usually did. She had no idea what was wrong with her today.
    “I’m fine,” she lied to the woman who’d served her. She was anything but fine.
    “More coffee?”
    “Please.” She wasn’t ready to leave the safe confines of the coffee shop yet and she didn’t want anything else to eat.
    She offered the woman a smile even though it felt unnatural. Picking up her mug, she sipped the hot beverage. She needed a plan.
    First up was clothing. Whether she liked it or not, she needed something warmer to wear. Something more practical than the two dresses she owned.
    Her gaze darted up and down the street. There were a few shops, but Shelley didn’t want to waste money on new clothing. Gathering her courage, she pushed back her chair and walked to the counter.
    The woman smiled, making the corners of her eyes crinkle. “Do you need anything?”
    “Yes.” Shelley nodded decisively. “Do you know of anywhere I can buy some clothes? Preferably a thrift shop.”
    The woman’s eyes darkened and her smile was tinged with sadness, making Shelley very aware of her threadbare dress and secondhand sweater. “Sure, honey. There’s a place just around the corner.” She gave Shelley directions.
    “It’s not far?” Shelley didn’t really want to be out of sight of the truck. Everything she owned was in there. She really didn’t want to admit she didn’t want to be too far from James either.
    “Nah,” the woman assured her. “It’s only two minutes from here. Take the right at the next corner and it’s only a few doors down.”
    “Thank you.” Shelley quickly headed to the door, barely hearing the woman’s “you’re welcome” as she left.
    The cold air was a harsh contrast to the warmth of the coffee shop. She almost turned around and went back inside. Instead, she