Free Bad Taste in Men (Clover Park, Book 3) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) by Kylie Gilmore

her dad said. “Forty-two and forty. Here, have a seat on my chair. We’ll recline it so you can elevate your ankle.”
    “It’s not necessary. I’m fine,” Rachel said.
    “I insist,” he said.
    “Just do it,” her mom said, “or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
    “I’m just looking out for our daughter,” her dad said with a tight smile.
    “She says she’s fine,” her mom sniped.
    “Clearly she’s not fine, honey ,” her dad said pleasantly . Though honey sounded more like you irritating shrew . “Rachel wouldn’t be hobbling around if she was fine.”
    “I’m not hobbling,” Rachel said, sitting in the stupid chair just to avoid hearing them get into it again. Their fights flared and then quickly moved to a sullen, tense silence. Rachel had enough of that growing up; she didn’t want to hear it on the one night they usually all got along.
    The kids got into a spirited game of Candy Land while Sarah took baby Jacob with her to keep their mom company in the kitchen. Then Mark stepped out to the backyard to take a call, so it was just Rachel and her dad.
    Her dad turned on the TV and flipped to the Yankees game. Rachel pulled the lever on the recliner to put her feet up and closed her eyes. She still couldn’t believe she was actually going to open a café. If it hadn’t been for Shane, her dream would’ve been dead in the water. He was such a good friend. She’d make sure he didn’t regret his investment.
    “How’s Book It?” her dad asked, startling her out of her thoughts. “In the black?”
    It was always about the bottom line for her dad. He’d tried to talk her out of opening Book It. He’d said bookstores were dying and she should stick with accounting. It was like he didn’t even know her. She glanced at the TV. A commercial was on. She spoke fast, knowing he’d go back to the TV as soon as the Yanks came on no matter what was going on in her life.
    “Book It’s good. I’m going to open a café soon next door. I’m hoping that’ll make Book It the place where people hang out and buy more books.”
    He cocked his head. “You really think it’s wise to expand? You’re barely breaking even.”
    Thanks for the support, Dad. Always could count on you to be in my corner.
    “I think of it more as a diversification,” she said tightly.
    Rachel stole that diversification idea from Shane, but thought it sounded pretty good.
    “How much did you have to borrow?” her dad asked.
    “Actually I got an investor. Shane. He’s more like a partner. He does food; I run the store.”
    He shook his head. “Bad idea. I’d never borrow money from family or friends. Or lend it. Here’s why—” he ticked off the reasons on his fingers “—the person investing the money always wants to know what you’re doing with it, they always want to know if you’re being smart about the way you run things, and they keep checking up to see if you’re spending too much.”
    “Shane’s not like that. Anyway, he said…” She stopped. He was already back to the game.
    She blew out a breath. Why did she keep expecting more from him? When would she learn? She never should have told him about her latest venture. It felt like he’d dropped an ice-cold bucket of harsh reality on her still-fragile dream.
    “It’s time to light the candles,” her mom called.
    Her dad set the game to record and headed to the dining room. She followed behind, joining everyone around the dining room table set with a white tablecloth and their best china and crystal. Even the kids would be drinking out of crystal goblets. Her dad turned off the lights, and everyone quieted as her mom lit two candles in her dad’s great-grandmother’s silver candlesticks. Her mom waved her hands over the candles to welcome the Sabbath, then covered her eyes with her hands while she recited the blessing. She uncovered her eyes and looked at the candles, signaling the beginning of their Sabbath celebration. Her dad recited the Kiddush