her manager was surprised she’d shown up at all. They’d given her a small box so she could clear out her locker, and the security guard had watched her the entire time. Sure, she’d been rude to the old geezer on more than one occasion, but did he have to treat her like she’d committed some kind of crime? While she’d gathered her crappy possessions, she’d vowed not to cry. She wouldn’t give any of those people the satisfaction. He’d walked her all the way out to the parking lot. The whole way she’d been able to feel the stares of her former coworkers. A few of the bitches had even smiled and waved good-bye in the most sarcastic fashion possible.
Jealous hags.
When she’d gotten home she’d been met with an eviction notice. She had one week to vacate the premises. She’d gone to her landlady, who’d merely told her the entire place was under new management and she would have to take it up with the new owner. And no. She wouldn’t give her the new owner’s name, merely some dumb company she now had to call in the morning. Her landlady had wished her good luck in a way that had told Dakota she didn’t mean it.
She had no home. She had no job. And all because she’d told the truth.
So she rather expected a sign on the door of Murphy’s saying No Dakotas Allowed .
Screw that. She needed French fries. She definitely wasn’t walking into the Bluebonnet. No way. Murphy’s would be far friendlier. It was also a little darker in Murphy’s, so maybe she could go unnoticed.
Screw that, too, she decided. Dakota Alvarez wasn’t ashamed. She’d done nothing wrong and she wasn’t going to let the haters win by acting like a scared mouse. Ginny Moreno could do enough of that for both of them. She was likely hiding in her house and would stay there until she had to go to the hospital to birth that brat of hers. Dakota was going to be out living her life no matter what they threw at her.
She put her shoulders back and walked through the doors. The good news was no one was pointing a gun at her telling her to leave.
The bad news? Every single person in the bar turned and looked her way. Yeah, it was easier to be brave out in the parking lot. She heard the whispers start as more heads turned. Somehow she thought they weren’t talking about how hot she looked in her outfit. Which was a shame because she did.
“Hey, Dakota.” Patrick Murphy practically leapt over the bar to get to her. “What are you doing here?”
His voice was soft, his eyes somewhat sympathetic, and Dakota realized that she hadn’t come here for some damn French fries. She’d come here for him. She’d come because Patrick was the only person in this awful town who might see things her way. She needed someone, anyone to be on her side.
Mallory had been great to her this morning, but she couldn’t face her mother right now. Her mother would sigh and say I told you so. Dakota couldn’t face that right now.
“I wanted something to eat, of course. It’s dinner time.” She’d sat in her apartment all afternoon until she couldn’t stand the silence a minute longer. Every moment that had gone by felt like an hour. She needed a distraction and someone to tell her it wasn’t the end of the damn world, because it sure felt like it was.
“All right then, why don’t you come in the back with me and I’ll see what we can rustle up.” He gestured to the little hall that led behind the bar.
“I can’t even get a table?” This was what she was afraid of. No place would be open to her. Had Payton Rush spent her whole day calling businesses and making sure they wouldn’t serve the woman who’d outed her husband?
Patrick leaned in. “The only table that’s open right now is beside your brother and Brittany Rush. Do you really want me to seat you there?”
She glanced over and sure enough there was her brother and pretty, perfect Brittany Rush. They seemed to be the only ones who hadn’t looked over and seen her standing
Sidney Sheldon, Tilly Bagshawe