Williamson - Audacious

Circle Eight Millennium

Beth Williamson

Circle Eight: Millennium

Veronica Ronnie Graham had always been called Audacious. She spent her teenage years out of control and at the age of twenty-six, is a single mother and struggles to find a better life for her son. She lives day to day and dreams of a future where she can stop being afraid of failing.

Jack Reilly shed his former life, and the responsibilities of his parents fortune, to hide out in small town Texas. Hes not expecting to tangle with a fiery redhead but once he does, he cant stay away.

Two lost souls find an unlikely connection and the promise of more than a life alone. Together they have to let go of who they were, and embrace who they could be.

B less her heart, that girl is audacious. Shes nothing but trouble.

Veronica Graham resisted the urge to turn around. The two older women were regular customers at Beans, the coffee shop Ronnie worked at, and she didnt want to cause trouble for her boss, Patty. The older woman was too nice to everyone, unlike the audacious Ronnie.

Instead, she gritted her teeth and carried the empty cups from the other table to the kitchen. Sometimes if the young boy who worked afternoons didnt show up for work, Ronnie washed the dishes after her shift for extra pay.

She glanced at the clock as she stepped behind the counter. It was eleven, still another forty-five minutes before the lunch crowd shuffled in. It was Tuesday, so theyd be full up with folks wanting the special. Ronnies coffee concoctions had sometimes succeeded and other times hadnt. The Tuesday Witchs Brew had been her biggest win.

She didnt take pride in much these days, but there were three things she could stand tall about. Her son, Ace, her pastries, and her coffee. There was something magical about finding the right concoction of coffee beans and mojo to make a spectacular cup of brew.

On the other hand, pastries were an addiction. Her sweet tooth was bigger than the state of Texas, and there was nothing she wouldnt do to bake the perfect treat. She baked and sold them to Patty, then made coffee for the customers to enjoy the sweets with.

From the outside looking in, it might sound like an ideal life, but it paid shit. Supporting a ten-year-old on eight bucks an hour plus tips was barely enough to subsist. Patty was sweet enough to pay her that much per hour since most waitresses made less. The pastries helped make ends meet, but every week Ronnie counted the change in her wallet.

She needed this job. Her reputation preceded her in and around town, and there was precious little she was good at.

Your Witchs Brew is your best yet, Patty proclaimed from the kitchen. A loud slurp echoed her words. If I wasnt an old woman, I might want to have sex with this coffee.

Ronnie let out a small bark of laughter. Thats the best compliment I ever got. She pushed her fists into her lower back and stretched as best she could. Whats the special for lunch today?

Patty came around the corner and frowned, her silver curls bouncing as she shook her head. In her late fifties, she was half a head shorter than Ronnie and twice as round, and she was a dear person with a heart of gold. Jesus Christmas. Ive told you four times already. Write it down, Veronica. She insisted on calling Ronnie by her full name and liked to be a mother hen as much as she could. Theres pads of paper in the desk drawer in the back.

Ronnie waved her hand. I dont want to waste your paper. Just tell me. Was it egg salad? There wasnt a person alive in Texas who was more frugal than Ronnie. She pinched every penny until it bled copper.

Egg salad on homemade sourdough with fresh dill pickles and onion with my homemade potato chips. Patty pointed at the front of the restaurant. Now, some flashy red car just pulled up. Thats a good paying customer right there. Get to work.

Her words were softened with affection and made Ronnie smile. Patty was a good boss who set the restaurant hours so she could nap in the afternoon. Ronnie had had too many jobs to count in the last ten years, and this one was her favorite.

The bell above the door chimed and Ronnie picked up a menu to greet the good paying customer in the flashy red car. He just about exuded money regardless of the jeans and western shirt he wore. There was no wear on them. A poser cowboy. She tried to hide her judgment, but sometimes it took over her tongue. Patty had warned her enough times to be nice to people with money because word of mouth was the best way to promote a restaurant.

He was tall with an athletic build and short black hair. His gaze scanned the restaurant and stopped on Ronnie. He raised one brow, and her gut tightened with annoyance at the gesture. She pasted on her best phony smile and gestured to a table by the window as she walked toward him.

As he sat down, she was disconcerted to notice the man had a nice ass. She didnt want to notice him, but her libido didnt care. He had a gym bodynothing about him said he worked with his hands. She didnt respect people who didnt work for a living. Real work, not paper cowboys.

Ronnie wore a chip on her shoulder like a trophy. She had struggled with it for years and knew it put people off. It had become her armor, and she wasnt about to let it vanish. Survival was too important.

She set the menu down with her face still stretched into a semblance of a smile. Good morning. What can I get you to drink?

Do you have any bottled water, like Voss? His voice was deeper than she expected. Almost like that country singer who sang about the long black train.

Im gonna say no because I dont know what that is. She waited while he pursed his lips and glanced down at the menu.

He almost looked embarrassed. Coffees fine.

Confused by her reaction to him, which might have actually been attraction, she nodded and walked away. The man was probably passing through and she neednt dig too deep into who he was. She didnt care. She didnt have time to care about anything except her son.

It was a half-day at school, so Ace would be there soon for lunch, and she felt better just thinking about hugging him. He was a bit of a wild thing, like his mother, but he knew he was loved and they made a good team fighting their way through life.

She brought a cup of Witchs Brew to the stranger. Might as well impress him with the best coffee in central Texas. She set the mug down and found her phony smile again.

Did you decide what youd like? Were serving breakfast and lunch. She waited while he glanced through the menu. It was one page and shouldnt take that long to read. Hell, he couldve memorized it by now.

Do you have any specials? He looked up at her and she almost fell into his blue eyes. They were the color of the twilight sky framed by thick dark lashes. Damn, he was prettier than she was.

Uh, yeah, we do. Its, um She wracked her brain for the sandwich again.

Jesus Christmas, Veronica! Egg salad! Patty shouted from the kitchen.

He laughed and the dark chuckle sent goose bumps across her skin. She willed her nipples not to get involved.

Egg salad on sourdough with fresh dill pickles and onion. Oh, and homemade potato chips. Ronnie let out a breath. What was it about this dude that set her off balance? He was nobody to her, and she couldnt let him have any power over her.

Ill have that. Do you have cream and sugar for the coffee?

Her brows came down. Dont you want to taste it before you pollute it with cream and sugar? came rolling out of her mouth.

Shit on a shingle.

His brows went up. Um, no? I like my coffee sweet and creamy.