I will share Chapter 1 with you below along with the cover. Please let me know if you enjoyed it!
Ava Bertrand pushed
open the door to the Coyote Bar & Grill, a heavy doorbell chiming to
announce her entrance. It was barely noon, and already, some of the regulars
filled their favorite sets, surrounded by the dark and rustic décor.
Despite the recent sell, nothing had changed about the place
while she was gone.
She wove through the six tables pushed back to leave room for a
small stage and dance floor and toward the upper platform, set with four tables
and the bar, as well as some quiet leather covered booths toward the back. The
beams travelling the length of the open ceiling spoke to the cleanliness of the
place, and the French doors opening to the patio containing four more tables
allowed for a fresh breeze to flood the place, whipping through the long brown
locks that cascaded down Ava’s back.
She took a seat at the bar and smiled at the lady behind the
counter. “Is Lil here?”
“I’m Lil.” She didn’t even glance at Ava, busy with the cash.
“I’m Ava.” She held out her hand to Lil.
Lil passed the customer
his change and turned her head in Ava’s direction. Her rich brown eyes landed
on Ava, and she extended her hand. Li’s mouth twitched at the corners, but she
didn’t take Ava’s hand. Instead, she planted her hands firmly on her hips as if
to make a statement. Ava slowly retracted her hand and tried to hide her
annoyance.
Waiting for the blonde woman to respond, Ava got the impression
she was being sized up as the bartender surveyed her closely, and Ava didn’t
much appreciate it. Lil made a clicking sound with her tongue. “The new girl.”
Ava bristled at her attitude, and she felt the air shift, the
atmosphere changing.
“Tell me, are you one of those little cupcake girls that I’m
gonna have to babysit all night? If you are, then you can just go looking
elsewhere, honey.” The hint of a Cajun background lay somewhere beneath the
heavy southern accent, and Ava thought her tone was firm but not harsh. Lil was
definitely all business, which Ava respected. She sat a little straighter and
met the unmoving gaze of the blonde, silently assuring her that she was no such
flake and could be tough as nails when needed.
“I’m not exactly new,” she told Lil. “I worked here for the
Jessups for three years.” She had wondered how this would go, considering that
she didn’t know the new owners. The Jessups had been forced to sell when Mark
Jessup had passed away, apparently shortly after she’d left for Baton Rouge.
Lil squinted at her, looking annoyed. “Ava, you said?” She
shook her head and huffed a deep breath. “Well, you’re new to me. But come on
around back and I’ll show you what’s changed.” Lil threw a cloth on the
counter.
“Yes, ma’am.” Ava
hurried toward the familiar hallway.
Lil showed her where the schedule hung and explained the way
waitresses split the floor tables. The floor hadn’t been divided when the
Jessups ran the place. They’d shared the entire load, and Ava found the new
sectioning a little uptight, but she bit her tongue. Lil presented a
no-nonsense attitude in the way she relayed orders with clear and direct
speech. Every time Ava had responded, Lil had looked right through her, and she
hadn’t smiled yet. She had a powerful disposition, and Ava thought she could
possibly be a little dangerous under the surface.
Even with the handful of new rules, the Coyote was the place
she remembered, and the real question was what to make of Lil. She was
attractive, with blonde hair to her shoulders and toned body with a narrow
waist that showed she took the same pride in her body as she did in her work.
She was probably in her mid-thirties, and while she was strong, she presented a
feminine façade, with her large chest spilling over the top of her plaid
button-down, the top three buttons of which hung open.
But the real kicker had Ava’s eyes wide as saucers when Lil
turned sideways, showing a ragged scar running from the woman’s collarbone to
just below her earlobe. The raised scar sent a chill down Ava’s spine; it
looked like a claw mark, and Lil hadn’t been meant to survive.
“It’s from a fight,” Lil smirked.
Ava snapped her eyes away from the scar sheepishly and caught
Lil’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.”
Lil shrugged and shot her a wink. “It’s fine, I’m used to it.”
Ava appreciated the mischief dancing in Lil’s eyes and thought
finally that they might become genuine friends.
Ava’s new boss wasted no time putting her to work. While the
lunch crowd was mostly gone, there were tables to bus and a floor to clean. It
would only be a couple of hours before the dinner crowd started trickling in.
Willow Falls, Louisiana was a small town – one Ava had desperately attempted to
leave – and it had one restaurant, with the Coyote being the only bar in town.
If you were out to dinner in town, you were probably at the Coyote. Tonight
would be standing room only, great for tips but hard on the back for afterhours
cleanup.
“Hey, girl.” Ava looked up an hour into her shift and smiled as
Kelly Davies walked in. Her best friend was one of only a handful of people who
knew about Ava’s return from Baton Rouge. Kelly’s mother had grown up as her
own mother’s best friend, and they had easily continued the legacy.
“Hey, sista!” Kelly sassed back. “Welcome back. How’s your
shift going?”
Ava considered. “Good, I think. It’s good to be back.” Sort of.
Kelly moved up beside her and whispered, “You met the new
boss?”
Ava glanced around and made sure Lil was out of hearing range.
“Yeah, she’s a little rough around the edges, but she seems nice enough.”
Kelly waggled her eyebrows. “Oh, she’s nothing. I’m not on for
half an hour. Can you take a break?”
Ava blew hair back out of her face. “Sure, let me grab some
fries.” She claimed a quick order from the kitchen and joined Kelly at the far
end of the bar. “So, what’s the big deal?”
Kelly scoffed. “You obviously haven’t met any of the other
Minors.” Ava shook her head, and Kelly rolled her eyes as if she’d just bit
into a delectable chocolate cake. “Lil’s is the older sister out of the bunch.
The brothers, though, are fine. And Caleb…holy shit!” Kelly fanned herself as
she shot Ava a very serious look. “I’m
talking, tall, ripped, and gorgeous. Very fuckable. And the tattoos! Oh my god,
Ava.” Kelly’s smile spread from ear to ear.
Ava raised an eyebrow. “That hot?”
Kelly nodded. “Rip your clothes off and let him devour your
body hot.” She laughed out loud.
Ava shushed her friend, her eyes darting around to be sure Lil
wasn’t watching and listening. “So, have you made a move yet?” Kelly shook her
head and snatched a fry from her plate. Ava frowned. “Why not?”
As she leaned in for another fry, she whispered, “Caleb’s a
werewolf.”
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