Free Second Chance (Cold Springs Series Book 1) by Nancy Henderson

just a piece of tail.  Like I told you, I was a stupid kid back then. I abandoned you for a girl I knew would put out.”  When she didn’t respond, he added, “I would have wanted to, um, do it with you, too, but you…you just weren’t that type of girl.”
     
    Christ, that sounded like a line. He wanted to say something to fix it but nothing came to mind.  Sam looked away, picked up her fork and toyed with the topping of her pizza. Color flushed her cheeks and he didn’t know if he’d embarrassed or insulted her.  The guy before prison had been a selfish ass. The ex-con wasn’t much better. Tonight was a mistake. He should have never come here.
    He quickly finished his pizza, stood and cleared his plate. “I got to get going. I have to get an early start tomorrow.”
    “Oh,” she quickly answered, her expression questioning. “Okay.”
    He quickly washed his own dishes then let himself out without another word.
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Sam was downstairs before sunrise the next morning.  She hurriedly showered, dressed, and unlocked the front door well before seven. 
     
    She hadn’t slept well.  Ian had been on her mind all night.  He hadn’t stayed after eating only one slice of pizza, claiming he had some estimates to do on a new deck for the Fitzpatricks.  Sam tried not to feel slighted.  Of course, the man had things to do.  He was trying to start up a business.  And last night certainly wasn’t a date!  He was thanking her for her business, just as he had stated.  That was all, and he had said she wasn’t the type of girl that he’d normally take advantage of, which was sweet and she should have felt flattered over.  His admission seemed genuine. 
     
    Loneliness hit her hard and fast.  Whenever she would feel alone in the city, she would call up Maddy, her co-worker.  Maddy could type over a hundred words per minute and party as hard as she worked.  Even though Sam wasn’t much of a partier, Maddy could always cheer her up.
    Sam wondered what Maddy’s hair color of the month was now.  If it wasn’t jet black with wide purple streaks, the whole thing was hot pink or whatever color could call the most attention her way.  Maddy was fun and flirty, everything Sam was not.  Maddy would frequently tease her about her lack of a social life, but Sam never minded.  She enjoyed her lackluster life.  It was peaceful and organized, but right now Sam missed Maddy.  Maddy would know what to do about Ian.  Not that Sam would ever act on any of Maddy’s suggestions, but she was an excellent shoulder to cry on.  Something Sam really needed right now. 
    Grabbing her cell phone from the counter, she started to text her then stopped.  Five a.m. on a Saturday was not the best time to bother Maddy.  The girl was likely hung over from the night before or not home entirely.  She’d wait until later.
     
    The bell over the door chimed as Burt walked in.  “Mornin’.”
     
    “Hi, Burt.”  Sam started the coffeemaker.  Burt had come by for coffee every morning since she’d arrived in Cold Springs.  “You’re here early.”
     
    “I wouldn’t miss interview day for the world.”
     
    Sam’s heart nearly tripped a beat.  She’d been so distracted with Ian that she’d almost forgotten about the two interviews she had set up today.  She hoped one of them would work out.  She wanted to hire only one waitress and one cook.  No one had answered her ad for a cook yet.  Hopefully someone would soon.
     
    “Ian wasn’t home last night around suppertime.”
     
    Sam didn’t pretend not to presume Burt hadn’t known exactly what had transpired last night.  She couldn’t hide her grin.  “What was said about me?”
     
    “Oh, nothing.  I just noticed that Ian’s truck was parked outside.”
     
    “He brought me pizza in appreciation for hiring him.”
     
    “Oh?”  Burt’s expression was ridiculous.
     
    Sam snapped a towel at him. “That’s right, ‘oh.’  One