Pitch Perfect by LUANN MCLANE Read Free Book Online

wasn’t the monetary value. Mia really had no concept of money . . . well, she hadn’t until now. It was the fact that her father had given it to her for her twenty-first birthday. He had been away on a business trip for her actual birthday but had brought the bracelet back with him. Like always, Mia had associated his gifts with love and couldn’t bear the thought of parting with it. There had to be another solution.
    “Or you could always get a job. Hey, I’ll store the car for free until you can save up enough for the repairs.”
    “That’s very kind of you, Fred.” A job sounded like fun and Mia perked up at the suggestion. “Any idea where I could work?”
    “Well, what is it that you do?”
    “Do?”
    Fred frowned. “You know, for a livin’. What are your skills?”
    “Well . . .” Mia considered that for a long moment. “I’m . . . good with people.”
    “Okay.” Fred looked at her kind of funny but then nodded. “Well, that’s a start, I suppose. Good thing is that they’re hirin’ all over the place here in Cricket Creek. The baseball stadium has brought this here town back to life, and a new season is about to begin. Why don’t you grab a local newspaper, head on over to Wine and Diner, and look over the want ads? Maybe somethin’ will jump out at ya. You got enough on ya to rent a room, I guess.”
    “Uh . . .”
    “I recommend someplace in town where you can walk until I get your car fixed.”
    “Good point,” Mia said. He seemed so concerned that it touched her heart. “But, Fred, you might want to come up with a price of just buying my car too?” She wiggled her fingers in the air. “You know, just to keep that option open.”
    “Sure, as long as you have a clear title.”
    “Oh . . . of course.” Mia nodded and gave him a wave of her hand like she knew what he was talking about. In that moment she knew that having her father take care of everything while she flitted around the world was not in her best interests. Yes, she had seen and done things that most people only dreamed about, but she knew very little about, well . . . real life. And it was about time she learned to take care of herself.
    If only she had a clue . . .
    And yet she gave Fred a confident smile like she knew just what the hell she was doing. “Thank you, Fred. I’ll get back with you,” she said in a serious tone and then extended her hand for him to shake. She tried not to wince when she saw the grease on his hands and the crud beneath his fingernails. She had hand sanitizer in her purse, so she gave his hand a hard squeeze just like her father had taught her.
    Mia hefted her purse up onto her shoulder and lifted her head high while she walked down the street until she found a metal box with the local paper. She put four precious quarters in the slot and with the
Cricket Creek Courier
tucked beneath her arm, she entered Wine and Diner like she was on a mission . . . which of course she was. Mia smiled at Bella, the cute hostess, who looked at her in surprise.
    “Well, hello again,” Bella said. “Decide to come back for dessert? I recommend the pecan pie made fresh this morning.”
    “No, just coffee.” Luckily she had enough change for that small indulgence.
    “Would you like a booth?” Now that the lunch rush was over, the restaurant was much more quiet and without a wait.
    Mia thought for a second and then decided on a location where she could see what was going on since she had a lot to learn. “No, I’d prefer a seat at the counter again, if you don’t mind. I promise to be careful,” she added with a small smile.
    “Sure.” Bella raised her eyebrows as if in surprise but nodded. “Go right ahead. I’m sure there’s a fresh pot of coffee brewing. I might take a break and have a cup myself. Lunch was nuts and I’m starting to hit a wall.”
    “I understand,” Mia said in a soothing tone, even though she didn’t. Unless you counted shopping, Mia had never