In This Town Read Online Free Page A

this make me
wonder if you and Layne will ever outgrow your sibling rivalry.”
    “She started it.”
    Layne always started it with her judgmental attitude, bossiness
and overinflated sense of superiority. As if she had some sort of holy light
shining down on her just because she was the firstborn.
    Celeste shifted out of the way of a customer, smiled and
greeted him before edging closer to Tori and lowering her voice. “I’m officially
giving you the time off. Now go be with your sisters.”
    Tori didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to fall into line just
because Layne demanded it. “Thanks, but I’d rather finish my shift.”
    She gathered the crumpled napkins and empty containers of
creamer and tossed them into the bin. But she felt Celeste watching her,
studying her. It was annoying. Unnerving.
    Not that she’d ever let anyone see even the slightest hint of
nerves, of doubts. People saw only what she allowed. Her thoughts, her feelings
were her own until she decided to share them.
    “Patty,” Celeste said to the other waitress as she walked past,
“could you cover Tori’s tables? She has a family emergency.”
    “Sure thing. Here,” she said to Tori, “I’ll take that back for
you.”
    But when Patty took a hold of the bin, Tori’s fingers
tightened. A subtle tug-of-war ensued, causing the dishes to clank together.
Patty’s eyes flashed and she yanked hard. Tori’s grip slipped. She stumbled
back, bumping into the table with enough force to knock it against a chair.
    With a triumphant grin, Patty tossed her head and walked
away.
    Tori straightened and stepped toward Patty’s retreating back,
ready to…well…she wasn’t sure what exactly but she was afraid it included her
lunging at the older woman and taking her down in a headlock.
    Knowing Tori all too well, Celeste blocked her path. “Let’s go
to my office. We can discuss—”
    “There’s nothing to discuss.” Fighting her building temper,
Tori smoothed her skirt over her hips, tugged down the hem. “I’m not
leaving.”
    Celeste raised her eyebrows. “My office. Now.”
    Damn. Celeste rarely used that no-nonsense tone with anybody,
let alone Tori, which only made it that much more effective when she did resort
to it.
    Aware that they’d drawn several curious glances, Tori forced
her lips up into her patented coy smile and sauntered across the dining room.
Kept her movements graceful and unhurried even when she reached the empty
hallway.
    At the end of the hall, she entered the office. Weak sunlight
filtered in through the two narrow windows, casting shadows on the dark carpet.
Framed photographs of Tori and her sisters, along with one of their father, Tim,
and Celeste decorated the wall to her left. Several smaller ones, all of Tori’s
son, Brandon, ranging from newborn to last year’s school picture, were scattered
on the bookshelf to the right. A huge, ugly cherry desk that had belonged to
Celeste’s grandfather took up more than its fair share of space, along with a
three-drawer metal filing cabinet and two wooden chairs.
    Walking in, Celeste flipped on the overhead lights then shut
the door.
    Tori crossed her arms. “I cannot believe you played the boss
card on me.”
    Okay, so technically Celeste was her boss. But in addition to that, she was also her father’s girlfriend and
before that she’d been her mother’s best friend. Celeste had been one of the few
people who’d seen something valuable in Valerie Sullivan.
    And in Tori.
    Celeste loved her without expectation, without judgment. Some
days Tori thought she was the only person who did.
    “I do whatever it takes,” Celeste said as she sat behind the
desk. “You know that.”
    She did. Tori admired her for it and for what she’d made of her
life. Celeste had her own successful business, one she’d built by herself from
the ground up. The only thing Tori didn’t understand was why Celeste gave her
heart to men whose only real love, their obsession, was the