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The Misfit Inn Chapter 13
XANDER DREW HER IN, stroking a hand back through her hair before laying his lips on hers. The tenderness in his touch felt like a benediction. He knew all, and he still loved her. The miracle of that had her clinging to him, as if he were a dream that would turn to smoke and disappear. Under the gentle coaxing of his mouth, she began to unwind, releasing the tension and anxiety of the past couple of days. With each, slow degree, her heart began to ache a little less.His hands slipped beneath her shirt, skimming up her spine. Her skin shivered, then heated as those calloused fingers spanned her shoulders, pulling her to him until she felt surrounded. Until she felt safe. It had been so long since she'd felt truly safe. His mouth moved across her cheek, along the shell of her ear and down the column of her throat. Her head fell back to give him better access. He took his time, trailing languorous kisses up the other side, inching up her shirt as he went. His big hands swept up her rib
The Misfit Inn Chapter 14
KENNEDY WAS A LOT less confident about her plan than she'd let Xander believe. She wasn't finished with the formalized proposal for the business. The necessary number crunching had taken a backseat to work and spending time with him. Given the time constraints, she didn't think she'd be able to pull all of it together by tomorrow morning, especially since she had to work tonight to help cover the Friday night rush. But if a picture was worth a thousand words, hopefully a fully set up room would be worth more. She sent a quick series of texts to Denver, to see if she could go in late. She had a busy day ahead of her.Figuring out how to buy paint and supplies and sneak them into the house without Pru knowing made Kennedy feel a little bit like a spy. She'd memorized Pru's whole client schedule for the day and deliberately picked one of the third floor rooms to avoid likelihood of discovery. With a hastily scrawled note left on the kitchen counter, she told Pru she was running a quick e
The Misfit Inn Chapter 15
XANDER CALLED HIS MOTHER back, somehow managing to keep his voice calm and even, despite the fact that every cell in his body was dialed to disbelief or panic. He tried to focus on what she was saying but could barely hear past the roaring in his ears. Was this what it had been like for Kennedy when Pru called about Joan? Instinctively, he reached for her, curling trembling fingers around hers. Realizing his mom had stopped talking, he forced himself to speak. "I'll meet you there." He'd gotten the location of the hospital, at least."Hurry."He hung up the phone, then just stared at the blank screen, the last words he'd spoken to his father echoing through his brain.From this day forward, you're dead to me.What had he done?"Xander?" Kennedy's soft voice was as much a reminder of support as a question.Feeling utterly lost, he lifted his head to look at her. "I... He's been rushed to the hospital in Johnson City.""Then let's go.""I..." Xander closed his eyes, at war with
The Misfit Inn Chapter 16
"ARE YOU SURE IT'S okay if I sleep here?"Kennedy was pretty sure if she didn't steer him toward a bed in the next five minutes, Xander would collapse on the nearest horizontal surface. "It's fine. Go on up to my room. I'll be up in a little bit after I give everybody the update."He stroked a thumb across her cheek. "Don't be long."She found a smile for him and nudged him toward the stairs. He trudged up, each step seeming to take twice as long as it should have. Kennedy hoped he managed to get his shoes off before he tumbled into bed.Hearing voices, she headed for the kitchen.Her sisters looked up from the table when she came into the room."Kennedy! You're back." Ari leapt up and came to hug her. Pru followed suit. "What can I get you? Coffee? Food?""Nothing. I'm loaded up on crappy hospital food and coffee. I'm about to go pass out. And just so you know, Xander is sleeping here. He's had a really rough couple of days. If anybody has a problem with that, I'll sleep in a
The Misfit Inn Chapter 17
VOLUME TWO: TIL THERE WAS YOUR"I can't believe I let you talk me into this insanity." Cayla Black bitched into her white wine spritzer. Denver knew it was the only drink the active, single mom ever ordered, and she was looking at it like she wished it were something stronger. "Are you backing out?" Kennedy Reynolds' voice held a rare note of panic. His best bartender wasn't prone to panic, and Denver paused in the noisy task of racking glassware before the dinner rush to listen in more closely. "Oh, I can do it. I didn't say I couldn't do it," Cayla insisted, as though the suggestion that she couldn't mocked her event planner pride. "You just need to be fully aware that your race to the altar is giving me wrinkles. You see this line right here?" She pointed to some nonexistent blemish on her forehead. "I got that convincing Jolene Lowrey to make her prize-winning red velvet cake for your wedding. You're just lucky she has as much fondness for Xander's extremely fine backside as y
The Misfit Inn Chapter 18
Some kind of bells chimed as Denver tugged open the door of Moonbeams and Sweet Dreams. He glanced up automatically, noting the assortment of wind chimes suspended from a grid attached to the high, tin ceiling - glass, copper, bamboo, wood, other metals. Something for everyone. He shut the door and listened to the quiet tones of drums and flutes that floated out from speakers hidden around the room. Something dreamy and Celtic that suited the tone of the shop. The space was long and narrow, with wide-plank floors he suspected were original to the building. Displays made something of a maze of wares from the front to the back. It reminded him of the lone trip he'd taken to Ikea - herding you through the entire store before you got to the back and the register. Except this was clever, cozy, and warm, rather than a coldly calculated retail corral of gleaming fixtures, filled with a herd of shoppers. Homey instead of Hell on Earth. It helped that there was nobody else here.Denver wandere
The Misfit Inn Chapter 19
"Pretend you have manners, okay? We're trying to impress these ladies."Oscar plopped his butt down on Misty's front stoop and, tongue lolling, tipped his head back to look at Denver, as if to say, See, I got this. One ear flopped over his eye, making him look a lot more like trouble than a canine gentleman. With a little prayer that the mutt remembered his training, Denver held out the gift bag. Oscar clamped the handle between his teeth and turned back to the door, his baseball bat of a tail wagging so hard, it swept the front stoop. Man, he hoped this wasn't a mistake. He'd wanted to make a good impression. His grandmama had hailed from Georgia, and, during the formative years she'd helped his father raise him, she'd impressed upon Denver proper company etiquette. It wasn't something he'd been called on much to use in his line of work, certainly wasn't something he or Dad had worried about after her passing. But Denver had heard her voice in his head, telling him he'd best not sh
The Misfit Inn Chapter 20
"Well, I guess the lunch rush is over." Norm Barber, the short-order cook at Elvira's, perched one bony hip on a stool in the corner of the tavern kitchen. Denver eyed the half-load of dishes stacked in the commercial dishwasher. "Wasn't much of a rush.""Ain't nobody wants to get out in this slop." The older man wiped down the stainless steel counters in reach of his seat. "This rain doesn't stop soon, we'll all be keepin' our eyes out for animals marching two-by-two."Indeed, the summer thunderstorm had apparently decided to camp out over this chunk of the mountains all day. Denver hoped it would blow out before time to prep for the dinner service. Oscar would go stir crazy without having a chance for a walk or a game of fetch. "Doubt it'll come to that. But why don't you go on and knock off early? Nobody's coming in this last half hour before the kitchen closes."Norm slid off the stool, already tugging at the tie of his apron. "Won't say no to that. I heard they're setting u
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The Misfit Inn Chapter 75
Nearly fourteen months after Maggie first laid eyes on the mill, it rose before her, all decked out for the holidays and looking like a Christmas postcard. She leaned forward in her seat, trying to see if there was space left in the parking lot, and feeling a punch of pride as she took in the finished Stone County Artisan's Guild and Education Center. "Looks like a good turnout for the open house.""I'm still not sure you two should be out among all those people. That's a lot of germs. And you know there's already been flu going around."Maggie laid a hand on her husband's arm. "Porter, honey, I gave birth. I don't have a compromised immune system. Besides, I had my flu shot.""But Faith―""The baby will be fine. Your wife will not be if she doesn't get to leave the house." Having been ordered to bed rest the last two months of her pregnancy, she'd accepted Porter's overprotective streak. But she'd fully expected him to dial it back once their healthy baby girl had arrived. Inste
The Misfit Inn Chapter 74
Maggie couldn't put off the call any longer. Of everything she'd dealt with since the assault, she'd dreaded this the most. Shutting herself into her room, she sank into a chair and dialed."Well, if it isn't my favorite Southern belle. I guess you finally took that edict to check out seriously. It's been ages!""Hey, Genevieve.""God, I've missed you. Tell me you're feeling like a functional human again.""I am. You may officially leverage the 'I told you so' I rightfully deserve.""Not even necessary. I'm just glad you're feeling better. How is everything?""Good. Crazy. My sister's getting married next week.""Wait, which one?""Athena. The chef.""Did I even know she was engaged?""That only happened three weeks ago." It felt like three months. Bradley hadn't been released on bail, and with the evidence of his involvement with Claudia, along with the additional assault charges, he hadn't been able to wiggle out of anything. His attorney had recommended he take the offer
The Misfit Inn Chapter 73
Porter didn't hear from Maggie by morning. He stared at the blank screen of his phone. No notifications. No voicemail. No texts. No email. Nothing to indicate she hadn't taken him exactly at his word last night. He'd said he was done, that he didn't care what she had to say. He didn't have a right to be disappointed that she hadn't made the next move, that she hadn't pushed him to hear her out. Maybe he should've gone over to the inn last night. But it had been late when he'd left Mia's, and part of him was still fucking terrified that she'd hate him as much as he hated himself for putting her in Brad's crosshairs.All the site visits he'd put off while prepping for last night's commissioner meeting now demanded his immediate attention and kept him from tracking her down first thing. But it was hard to focus on the progress of the jobs, the next steps, the foreman's reports, as he thought constantly about calling or texting―something to make first contact and gauge her level of pissed
The Misfit Inn Chapter 72
The porch light cast a welcoming glow over the inn's front door. Somehow it did nothing to thaw the cold knot that had set up in Maggie's gut. What exactly was she about to get into with Claudia Samson?"Do you want me to come in with you?" Kennedy asked."No. I don't know what this is about, but I doubt I'll get a chance to talk to Porter before tomorrow. He probably needs the time to cool down anyway." Maggie hoped by then she'd have figured out what to say. "I'm done with this."What if he meant it? Kennedy reached across the console to squeeze her hand. "You two are going to get through this. I have faith.""I've never been great with faith." "You can borrow some of mine. I love you, sis.""I love you, too. Thanks for coming for me." Maggie leaned over to wrap her in a hug."I'm really glad I could be here for you this time."Maggie's throat went thick. This was the sister she'd lost all those years ago. The sister she hadn't let all the way back in until tonight. She
The Misfit Inn Chapter 71
"I don't care. Not anymore. I'm done with this."The shock of his words had Maggie flinching back, as if he'd struck her. Because she heard what he wasn't saying. I'm done with you.She stumbled, grabbing for a chair. But he didn't turn back. Didn't even glance her way as he walked out the door and, quite possibly, out of her life.Porter Ingram, the man who'd been there for her through the worst stretch of her life―Her friend. Her confidant. Her lover―had finally had enough and left her.Maggie wanted to go after him, wanted to beg him to listen. But to what? She was still bound to silence, as she'd always been. And it was more than obvious he was too angry to listen to her reasons. Him knowing about Bradley was only part of the whole. Bradley Danforth. His half-brother. Maggie just sank into the chair as the reality of that crashed over her. Bradley's seduction was never about her. Never about attraction. Never even about wanting some form of entertainment while away from his
The Misfit Inn Chapter 70
"The Artisan Guild project would be good for not only the town, but for all of Stone County and the surrounding region. With the Memorandum of Understanding and preliminary contracts with our investor, we only need your blessing to get started. Thank you for your time."Maggie sat down to a small round of applause from the group of artisans who'd shown up for tonight's county commissioners meeting at the courthouse. She held up both hands with her fingers crossed in their direction, then settled back in her chair beside Porter. His fingers laced with hers as the board members huddled up to discuss in low voices. "You did great," he murmured."We'll see." On paper the whole thing should have been a slam dunk. But there had been a weird tension in the room all during her presentation, and she couldn't put her finger on what the problem was. Maybe it was simply the difference in presenting to high-powered players of the business world versus people who'd been around to witness her gre
The Misfit Inn Chapter 69
It was nearly two in the afternoon by the time Maggie got back to the inn.Porter glanced up at the house. "I'd offer to pull around by the old bodock tree, but I'm not sure you can shimmy up it in those shoes." She hadn't thought to pack others when she'd shoved clothes into a bag, so she was still wearing last night's heels. "Sneaking inside in broad daylight seems like a pointless endeavor anyway. Nobody's under any delusion about where I've been."He rolled to a stop in front of the house and parked. "Regrets?""Never." Hooking a hand behind his neck, she drew his mouth to hers for one last kiss and hummed with pleasure as his tongue snaked out to tease hers. When she found herself sinking into a fresh haze of lust, she pulled back. "Okay, this time it's really goodbye. We can't get derailed like we did before we left the house." There'd been two failed attempts that had ended with them both sweaty and naked. If she could even walk tomorrow, it would be a miracle.His face sc
The Misfit Inn Chapter 68
Maggie couldn't quite breathe on the drive to Porter's house. But it wasn't anxiety snapping in her blood―it was anticipation. Her body fairly sang with it, wanting to touch and be touched and get lost in the kind of heat she'd stopped imagining years ago.She kept waiting for her phone to blow up in response to the quickly fired off text to Athena.Home tomorrow. *rose emoji*Porter glanced at her from the driver's seat "You okay? We can turn around if you've changed your mind.""If you turn around, I might have to kill you." She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want to slow down. She didn't want the chance to get lost in her head and think about all the what ifs and whys and hows. She just wanted to be with him.His low laugh seemed to stroke over her skin like a touch. "Understood. And can I just say, 'Thank God.' But I meant what I said before. You're in control here. If you need me to back off, I will."Sweet, frustratingly patient man."Porter, I love this honorable
The Misfit Inn Chapter 67
The moment Maggie stepped through the door of Crystal's Diner, her stomach twisted into a queasy knot. Not from the scents of frying bacon, home fries, and coffee, but from the almost synchronized stares of the breakfast patrons. She'd thought it wouldn't be this bad at nine on a weekday, but evidently she'd underestimated the senior crowd's desire to linger over crossword puzzles and bottomless cups of joe.I should have asked Dahlia to meet me at the house. Except she'd wanted to get away from the inn for a bit. Athena had the guests covered this morning, and Kennedy was helping out at the spa. They'd all be on duty to clean and turn rooms once she got back, so this was the time she had.A quick scan of the tables showed that Dahlia hadn't made it yet. Maggie was a little early. She considered stepping back outside and waiting on one of the benches intermittently placed along Main Street, but that felt too much like retreat. She hadn't been a coward in high school, and she sure a
