Bookstore Barbie (Magnolia Ridge #1) - Alexa Riley Page 0,46

have seen her ducking out the back of the jailhouse a little bit ago. Can’t say where she went afterwards, but if I were you, I’d check the gazebo by the park.”

“She still likes to sketch out there?”

“It’s almost like she’s got something on her mind she can’t seem to shake.” Amelia raises an eyebrow. “Funny, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” I nod my thanks as I get in my truck and go toward the park.

Small towns love good gossip, but I don’t give in to Amelia’s bait. The thing I do love about small towns is they’re only so big.

Kayla is running out of hiding places.

* * *

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Cozy

by Alexa Riley

Timber Grayson likes living alone in his castle far from people and crowds. So when a company wants to use his place for some corporate party, it’s a flat-out no. That’s until she comes knocking...and suddenly he’s changing his "no people" rule.

Pippa Michaels has been recruited by her sister Myra to get a castle secured for an event space. Pippa would do anything for her, but after meeting the hulking lumberjack, she’s having second thoughts. When Timber tells her she can have it if she stays for the duration of the planning, she’s making promises she’s not sure she can keep.

Warning: Cuddle your cute butt up with this billionaire recluse who chops wood with his bare hands. Once he meets Pippa there’s no going back...but you wouldn’t want him to anyway! Get ready because things are getting cozy. See what we did there?

Chapter 1

Pippa

“Sooo.” Myra drags out the word to get my full attention.

I gaze up at my sister who’s still dressed to kill. I don’t know how she does it. Every morning she gets up, does her hair and makeup and puts on a kickass suit or dress and rolls around in heels like they’re slippers. I look at her now with her blond waves up and not a hair out of place. Her makeup from this morning is still flawless and you’d have no idea the woman ran her butt off at work all day. Myra is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met in my life, but too bad she has a jerk of a boss that has no clue how much she does. He works her too hard.

I heard her come in a few minutes ago, but when she first gets home I always give her a moment to unwind. But this time she comes straight to the living room to find me and her “sooo” puts me a little on edge. Something is up.

“So?” I prompt her to continue because I know she wants something from me.

She’s acting as though whatever it is she wants me to do, I'm not going to say yes. When it comes to my older sister there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. She’s more than a sister to me; more often than not she slips into the mother role. We’re only seven years apart but for as long as I can remember she was the one who took care of me. She graduated top of her class in college while working all the way through. She made sure the bills were always paid so the power wouldn't get turned off on us because we all knew Mom wasn't going to do it. Our mom wasn't there most of the time anyway and it was always Myra and me. She’s the one person I can always count on and if there’s ever anything I can do for her, I will. Without question.

On my eighteenth birthday we were out of my mom's apartment the second I opened my eyes. That morning Myra pulled me from my bed and packed our bags. She already had us a place and we were leaving the past behind. That was over two years ago and it’s been just the two of us since.

“I need a favor.” She steps out of her heels as she says it and lets out a soft sigh.

“I’ll do it.” I put my knitting needles down to give her my full attention.

I’m almost done with the mittens, and unlike my sister, I'm not a busy body. She constantly needs to be moving and doing something while I could sit on the sofa all day and knit. At the moment it’s because I have four applications in for jobs and I’m waiting to hear back from one of them. There isn't anything else