back to six hundred a month.”
The look he gave me was murderous, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. He was silent for a long moment before muttering, “Fine.”
“Fine,” I said in my peppiest voice possible.
We broke away and I grabbed the greasy-ass chicken fingers I had just made, running it out to one of the two occupied tables in the place.
As I was turning to leave the bar, a large group of people walked in with balloons and a cake.
Ashton was pulling tables together, probably for this big party, so I greeted them.
“Hi, are you the big event?” I smiled. No need to be an asshole to other people just because I hated my job and my new boss.
An elderly woman who looked about seventy gave me a big smile.
“Do you work here?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. She had long gray hair that was pulled into a side braid over her right shoulder, and in her hands was a needlepoint frame.
She must be a regular. As if this place were capable of bringing in regulars.
“Yeah, it’s my first day.” I tried to be chipper as about five people filed in behind her and stared at me. They all held cards or balloons.
“We’re Ashton’s family, dear. He told you about the party, right?” a sweet woman in her forties asked.
Ashton’s family? This snake had a family? I guess everyone did.
“Kind of,” I hedged, and rubbed my neck nervously.
A young man with short-cropped brown hair stepped up and looked me over. “Of course he didn’t tell her. She looks as confused as a crocodile in a snowstorm.”
I grinned at the comparison. Why would he tell me? He hated me. This was the exact opposite of how it should go when you met your husband’s donor recipient.
“He said there was an event.” I started to motion them over to the tables he was setting up.
“An event!” the grandma yelled loudly so that Ashton could hear her, “We’re celebrating one year of him getting his donor heart. Saved his life, it did. We’re so blessed.”
I froze mid-step, nearly tripping over my feet. I could be knocked over with a small gust of wind.
Why hadn’t I thought of the fact that just as yesterday was the saddest day of my life, today might be the happiest in his? The heart surgery took several hours to do, so they must celebrate the day after I did, when he woke up with Colin’s new heart.
Ashton turned then and his entire face fell flat, like he didn’t want to hear one word about having a donor heart. Colin’s heart.
Although it didn’t look it from the scowl on his face, there was something more going on with this guy, something deeper. Something I needed to find out.
“I don’t want a party. I told you that, Gran,” he growled.
She reached up and squeezed his face. “Oh nonsense! We’re not leaving until you’ve had a piece of cake and taken a picture with your cousins.”
A smile pulled at my lips. It was nice seeing the red appear on his cheeks as his grandma talked to him like he was five.
“Millie,” he said through gritted teeth, focusing his piercing blue eyed gaze on me. “Can we get some chicken tenders, nachos, and pretzel bites for the table?”
“If you say please.” I placed a hand on my hip and gave him a sugary sweet smile.
His grandma reached out and smacked his arm. “Where are your manners, boy!”
Ashton’s eyes glowed and I was certain that he was regretting the decision to hire me right about now.
“Please,” he gritted out.
“Sure thing, boss.” I winked and sauntered back to the kitchen.
I was going to make a decent human being out of him yet!
Ashton
Wow. Just wow. Millie was turning out to be a world class mistake. Gran loved her of course. I never should have let them meet.
“She’s delightful,” Gran declared as Richie, my aunt, and my other cousins pulled up chairs to sit.
“She’s temporary,” I growled.
Gran frowned. “And why is that?”
“Because I want to talk to you about selling the bar. I got a decent offer and—”
“We’re not doing this now.” Gran waved me off. “You know I don’t want to give up on your father’s dream.”
Here we go again. “Why not? He did.”
A sadness crossed her face and I immediately regretted my words. It wasn’t Gran’s fault my old man was a piece of shit. His mom died when he was seventeen and his dad kicked him out of the house to raise himself.
I changed the