Sweetwater: The Kihn (The Sweet Series) Read Online Free

yummy,” she teases.
    “Well, I for sure want one of Murphy’s famous burgers.” I beam at him as he comes around the counter and envelops me in a bear hug.
    “Sofie girl, you’re a sight for these old eyes.”
    “It’s good to see you too, Murph,” I say with a catch in my voice. Murphy, one of my favorite people, always treated me as if I were one of his kids. He does that with anyone who works for him, but Emma Rae says I’m his favorite. I don’t know about that, but I’m a little misty eyed as Murphy releases me.
    “When are you coming back to work?” he asks in his rough, growly voice.
    I laugh. Just like Murphy to make it sound as if I haven’t been to work all week instead of two years. “That’s what I want to talk to you about, Murph, if you have a minute.”
    He glances at the clock hanging above the sink in the prep area. “For you, I have thirty.”
    We sit at one of the tables in the dining room. John Murphy is a large man in his fifties. Balding, a smidgeon overweight, his bark’s worse than his bite and he has an incredible attachment to Sweetwater and its people. He wants to hear about California and the online classes I’ve taken.
    Folks stopping by to welcome me back to town keep interrupting us, and of course, they need to find out what Murphy and I are discussing. That’s life in a small town. I suppose Sweetwater is no different from other small communities. Most everyone knows one another from birth to death, and they think that gives them the right to snoop into every aspect of your life. Through the years, I’ve been a prime subject of conversation in Sweetwater. No doubt about that. Everyone pretty much knows my parents never wanted me. If I ever ventured to forget, I could always count on some insensitive busybody reminding me.
    Coming toward our table is one of the people who downright relishes being one of those busybodies. She did her best all through school to keep my pathetic story-gossip stirred up and in the minds of my classmates.
    Bobbi Shay Lynn.
    The Lynn family has lived in the area about as long as the Walkers have. Bobbi’s parents and my mother went to school together. Heck, our grandparents went to school together.
    I’m not sure what I ever did to Bobbi, but it must have been truly dreadful because she sure as hell despises me. She never misses an opportunity to diss me. If she had to cross the street to spit on me, I think she would. Bobbi is taller than me—few aren’t—and boney thin. Emma Rae swears she is anorexic. Her hair’s reddish brown, but she insists she doesn’t have red hair. I guess she’s okay to look at... as long as I don’t have to. Sawyer enjoyed looking at her for a while. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m the reason he stopped seeing her. I’m not. I think he just found out how downright mean and nasty she was toward me. The Walker clan is tight, and if you piss on one of us, we all take offense.
    In front of Murphy, her employer, she’ll be her most phony. “Murphy, would you care for more coffee?” She smiles sweetly at him before turning her saccharine smile on me. “Sofie, are you sure I can’t get you somethin’ to drink, you poor thing?”
    Now, why am I a poor thing? Oh, I remember; I’m a poor little orphan whose parents didn’t want her.
    “No, thanks, Bobbi. I’m fine.” I figured out a long time ago if I was as polite as can be to her crap, it seriously got her goat.
    Emma Rae, on the other hand, is ready to punch Bobbi’s lights out at any given opportunity. I would never want to be on Emma Rae’s bad side. “Bobbi!” Emma Rae yells from the kitchen. “You’ve got another phone call.” Bobbi turns to leave, and Murphy quietly reminds her, “Bobbi, I’ve told you before to tell your friends not to call at mealtimes.”
    “Oh, Murphy, I’m so sorry! My grandma’s awful sick and Mom’s havin’ a hard time with her.”
    “Take your call and come back. We need to discuss a few changes.” Murphy