“They finally putting something next door?” I asked.
He grunted in confirmation. “And whatever it is is already causing grief. All this racket.”
“It should be over soon. And then we’ll have a new business in town.”
He harrumphed once more. “I think the town is fine the way it is. Anyway, what are you here for?”
“Here you go.” I handed him the list I had drawn up earlier.
Rick’s eyes ran over it before he nodded and started grabbing everything I needed. I used to do it myself, but when I had asked where something was one too many times, he insisted on doing it for me.
He was efficient, grabbing everything and ringing me up quickly.
“Thanks. Will I see you at the Blossom Fest?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Might stop by if your sister is selling any of that wood finish.”
“She probably will. She has quite the stock up of beeswax.”
Just then the bell rang, and Turner entered. He was the town plumber and someone I ran into often here. He was a snake shifter, with a long green tail that sat beneath him and scales running up his arms and chest that eventually tapered out into skin. His hair had started graying with age, but he was still as spry as ever.
“Hoffman,” he greeted, tipping his head.
“Hey, Turner. New job?”
He grunted in affirmation. “Big leak over at the inn. One of the rooms is fully flooded.”
My stomach rose to my throat. I knew there were plenty of rooms in there, but I still felt the need to check.
I thanked Rick and quickly left, hopping into my truck and heading back to the inn. Judy was in the lobby, furiously scribbling something on the pad of paper in front of her.
“Hey, Brooks, what can I do for you?” she asked, her voice strained.
“Nothin’, I was just checking in. I saw Turner at the shop.”
“Oh yeah, a pipe burst in one of the rooms and flooded it. We’ll be able to repair it, but the guest staying there won’t be able to stay, and we don’t have any extra rooms, so I think she’ll have to go to the ski lodge.”
“Is it one of the women I brought?”
She nodded. “Yes, Sydney, the poor girl. I sent her to the café, but I’m going to have to tell her she can’t stay.”
“I can do it,” I said quickly.
“Thanks, Brooks, I would appreciate it. Here,” she passed me a light, slightly soggy suitcase and a backpack I knew were Sydney’s.
As I went to throw them in the back of my truck, I realized the backpack must have been left open in her rush. There was stuff that seemed to have been thrown in there, including something blue that was just sticking out. I knew I shouldn’t be snooping, so I set it on my seat and gave it a quick shake so I could close it.
As I did, the blue thing came into view. A bluevibrator. It had a long shaft and an extra protrusion I was sure was for clit stimulation.
Smiling, I quickly zipped the backpack up and tossed it on the floor of the passenger side. Then, I had to sit there for a moment, willing my cock to stop hardening and my mind to stop wandering toward all the things I could do to her with that.
All the things she could do tome.
Once I felt more in control, I drove over to the café, and as I was making my way inside, a glance through the window stopped me in my tracks.
Sydney was sitting with Preston fucking Fairfield. He was the biggest douche canoe in town, and unfortunately, my best friend’s stepbrother. I’d tolerated him for a while, until he started trying to buy my family’s farm, fuck knows why. I’d never asked because I’d never sell. But that did add more pressure to make sure numbers grew each year, and for the past few, they’d been stagnant.
It’s why the certification meant so much. We could charge more for everything with that single little stamp on our labels. And I knew that if we didn’t get it, it could tank us. Customers would know we’d failed, and that was worse than not having it.
