Free A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) by Karolyn James Page A

phone in his pocket because today was supposed to be the day he ’ d get the call about Sullivan Chasen.
With all the things he had running through his mind, the last thing he wanted
was to deal with Darryl Stant and his rebel motorcycle bullshit.
    “ Darryl,
I need you to calm down and keep quiet, ” Jess said. “ Okay? People
are eating. Everyone ’ s
relaxing. ”
    “ You
know what today is, Jess? ” Darryl asked.
    He leaned over the table and
pointed up at Jess.
    “ No,
I don ’ t, ” Jess said. “ It ’ s...
Wednesday, right? ”
    “ I
don ’ t care about the day of
the week. ”
    “ You
should. Jack was looking for you this morning. He went with Tyler to cut down
some trees. ”
    “ Goodie
boy cop? ” Darryl asked and
laughed. “ Is he coming to
see me now? Going to break my balls a little? ”
    “ Darryl,
stop this, ” Jess said. “ Stay there. ”
    “ No, ” Bobby said as he stood near
Jess now. “ No. He ’ s coming with me. Right to the
counter. Let ’ s go. ”
    “ But
I like the table, ” Darryl
said sarcastically.
    Bobby leaned down and looked into
Darryl ’ s eyes. They were
eyes of hate and pain. A very deadly mix that worried Bobby.
    “ Get
your ass up, ” Bobby said
through gritted teeth. “ Get
to the damn counter. Drink a cup of coffee and tell me what the hell you ’ re trying to prove. ”
    “ If
I don ’ t? ” Darryl asked.
    “ I ’ ll run your bike over with my
truck, ” Bobby said. “ And nobody will stop me or help
you. Get the hell up right now. ”
    “ Listen
to him, ” Jess said. “ Please, Darryl. ”
    Darryl leaned back and stretched
his neck. He put his hands to the edge of the table and pulled. He slid out of
the booth and stood, standing taller than both Jess and Bobby. The height and
size of Darryl was a little intimidating but Bobby couldn ’ t back down now. Darryl put an
arm around Jess and pulled her close.
    “ I ’ m doing this for her, ” he said. “ Not you, her. ”
    “ I
don ’ t care who you do it
for, ” Bobby said. “ Get to the counter. ”
    “ Sir,
yes, sir, ” Darryl said with
his lip curled.
    Darryl kissed the top of Jess ’ s head and walked. Bobby stood
sideways, keeping an eye on both of them.
    “ Are
you okay? ” he asked Jess.
    “ Bobby,
I ’ m so sorry, ” Jess said. “ He... I... something ’ s wrong. ”
    “ Take
a five minute break, ” Bobby
said. “ Tyler is on his way,
just in case. ”
    “ That
won ’ t help, ” Jess said. “ Darryl and Tyler have history. ”
    “ Everyone
in this damn town has history, ” Bobby said. “ But we ’ re not in the past, Jess, we ’ re in the present... ” Bobby stopped but thought about
adding, and we ’ re
waiting for the future...
    Jess ’ s
eyes filled with tears and she stormed away. Bobby considered going after her
and apologizing but he wanted to tend to Darryl first. He went to the counter
and filled a mug with coffee. He slid it to Darryl, splashing some of it up and
over the edge.
    “ Cream? ” Darryl asked.
    “ No, ” Bobby said. “ Drink it black. And here... ” Bobby threw a wet towel at
Darryl. “ ... clean your
mess. ”
    Darryl stared at the wet rag and
then slid it across the counter, seeping up the coffee that had spilled. Darryl
took a sip, then another. And a third.
    “ Now,
I don ’ t know what is going
on, ” Bobby said, “ but I ’ m not in the mood to deal with it. You ’ re not going to come in here,
Darryl, and cause problems for the diner. Are you drunk right now? ”
    “ No, ” Darryl said. “ Slept most of it off down near
the creek. ”
    “ You ’ re sleeping at the creek now? ”
    “ Had
a nice fire last night, ” Darryl said.
    “ You
want to live like this motorcycle riding bad ass rambler, why not just go then? ”
    Darryl held the mug with both hands
and stared into the mug. “ Just
can ’ t leave. ”
    “ You
can ’ t leave Ferry Creek? ”
    “ No.
I can ’ t. It ’ s... comfortable. ”
    “