Monday Morsels: Just Jenny

JUST JENNY

by Sandra Owens

~ Jenny ~


“What was your car doing at Road Dogs this afternoon?”

I set the scotch neat in front of my boyfriend, although he wasn’t going to be for long if he kept up this jealous, where the hell were you thing he’d been dishing out lately. “I’m working here, Chad. Drink this and then go away.” Road Dogs was a biker bar. Not my kind of place, which he should know by now.

“Careful, Jenn.” He sucked half the drink down his throat, then swiped a hand across his mouth. “Ben said he saw your car there.”

“Then Ben’s wrong. Ever think of that?” I walked away before I decided to punch my soon-to-be ex in the nose. I poured two glasses of merlot for the couple at the end of the bar, making small talk with them while trying to ignore Chad. The jerk was going to get me fired if he didn’t leave. I’d known for a few weeks that our relationship was on its last legs, but I’d put off making a clean break.

Unless you wanted to make the forty-minute drive east to Asheville, North Carolina, Vincennes was the place to eat—and be seen—in my neck of the woods. You couldn’t beat Angelo’s Italian food, and if you wanted to hear the latest town gossip, you came to Vincennes. I loved working here, but Angelo hated drama. I’d told Chad that numerous times, but he didn’t seem to care.

Blue Ridge Valley was a small North Carolina town close to the Tennessee state line, and good paying jobs were scarce. Many of my classmates had moved to Asheville or other big cities in North or South Carolina offering better opportunities, but I’d landed a waitressing job at Vincennes, where the tips were good. As soon as I was of age, Angelo had put me behind the bar, a job I loved and didn’t want to lose. I was too close to reaching my goal to have it snatched away now.

“Another,” Chad said, pushing his glass to the end of the counter.

Not happening. “That was not me. Go home now. Or go find some other woman to annoy. I don’t really care which, but if you don’t leave, I’ll never speak to you again. And if you get me fired, I swear to God I’ll kill you.”

“Not something you should be saying in front of witnesses, Red.”

My gaze swung to the man who slid into the seat next to Chad, and I did a classic double take. He had to be a figment of my imagination. No man that drop-dead gorgeous would ever walk into a bar in my small mountain town without some kind of hot-guy alert lighting up the phones, announcing his arrival.

Stupid Chad took one look at the newcomer and apparently decided to lay his claim by grabbing my hand, bringing my fingers to his lips for a kiss. What a toad. I almost told him off, but the lounge was busy. If I said anything to make him mad, there’d be a scene, and that was the last thing I needed.

“I’ll be back when you get off, babe.”

“Don’t bother.” Deciding the best thing to do was make myself scarce until he left, I headed for the kitchen.

“Jenn,” Chad called after me, but I kept going.

After loading up bread and salads for the two couples eating at the bar, I peeked out the oval window of the swinging door. Chad was gone. I let out a relieved breath.

He was a good-looking guy, and he’d been nice when we’d first started dating. That was two months ago, and sometime during the last few weeks he’d started acting like he owned me. He knew my plans, ones I wouldn’t change for any man. On our first date I’d made it clear that I wasn’t looking for a serious relationship and why. We were only supposed to be having a little fun for a few months.

“I’m not looking for serious, either,” he’d said. “My focus right now is on my career, on building my client list.”

It had seemed the perfect setup. Someone fun to date until it was time to go. The fun had stopped, though, and since cavemen weren’t my thing, it was time to break things off with him. I didn’t doubt he’d be sitting outside my apartment when I got home, which would put him in a pissy mood. He’d been asking for a key to my place so he could wait for me in the comfort of my home, but I’d put him off each time he brought it up.

How did I get myself in these messes? It wasn’t the first time I’d made a poor choice when it came to men. Once I got rid of this one, I was going to swear off the creatures. For a while anyway. I mean, what girl who loves sex—which I did—could live without them forever?

I pushed the swinging door open with my butt while holding plates of salad and breadbaskets. Once my two couples had everything they needed, I turned to the stranger who hadn’t gotten any less hot in the few minutes I’d been away from the bar.

“What can I get you?”

Eyes the color of dark Tennessee whiskey met mine, rested there a few lingering seconds, then moved to the bottles lining the shelves. “I’ll have a Green Man.”

“Good choice.” Green Man was my favorite beer. Not that it meant anything. Liking the same beer was probably the only thing we had in common.

“No mug, Jenny,” he said when I pulled one from the small freezer under the bar.

I slid the opened bottle in front of him. “My friends call me Jenn.”

“He called you Jenn. I’ll call you Jenny.” One side of his mouth curved up. “Or Red.”

### 

Jenny Nance has a plan—save enough money to tour the world. The desire to traipse the globe is a dream she once shared with her twin sister. Jenny made a deathbed promise to her sister that she would go to all the places they had fantasized visiting together. Nothing will entice her to break her vow to Natalie, not even the sexy new Blue Ridge Valley police chief . . . No matter how attracted she is to him.

Dylan Conrad left the Chicago Police Department to accept the position as Chief of Police in Blue Ridge Valley. Burned out and haunted by a tragedy of his own, he needs to get away from the memories tormenting him. He’s hoping to find peace in the small mountain town, but the quirky residents, an infamous moonshiner, an errant prized bull, and a feisty redhead by the name of Jenny weren’t quite what he had in mind.

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