Rigid by Hope Ford

Author:Hope Ford [Ford, Hope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-20T16:00:00+00:00

7

Emily

I should be working. Scheduling ads for the Whiskey Run paper. Doing some social media posts. Hell, there’s a whole list of things I should be doing, but instead I’m sitting here, still trying to figure out Dawson.

He obviously doesn’t like me, but that doesn’t make sense. He’s gone out of his way to help me. He literally saved me last night. He bought me brand new things for the apartment upstairs, got everything moved in and set up before I even got here, and he’s taken care of my car. If he was really an asshole, would he have done all that?

I thought since he had the night off, I would be able to get work done without worrying about him always scowling at me, but as the night goes on, I start to miss him, which is crazy. I obviously don’t have the best taste in men. Why would I want someone that is going to be an ass?

Ring. Ring. I pick up the phone, ready for a distraction. “Savage Ink. This is Emily.”

“This is Malcolm.”

I silently groan. There’s usually only one reason that Malcolm would be calling. He’s the manager of the Whiskey Whistler. He owns the bar a block down the street, and I’m already wondering if I can just hang up and unhook the phone. “How you doing, Malcolm?” I ask lightheartedly, as if I don’t know why he’s calling.

He growls into the phone. “I’ve been better. Send Aiden or Treyton down here to get Dawson before he destroys the place.”

“They’re both in the middle of tattoos.”

He sighs loudly into the phone. There’s all kinds of noise in the background, and I’m pretty sure one of the voices I hear is Dawson. “Fine. I’ll just call the sheriff.”

“No, don’t do that.” I don’t know why I stop him. This is becoming a regular occurrence where Aiden or Treyton is having to go and save him. I should just let him spend the night in jail and sober up—face the consequences, but after everything he’s done for me, I know I can’t. “One of us will be there in a minute.”

“Fine. Ten minutes, then I’m calling.”

I hang up the phone and walk back to Aiden’s booth first. “Sorry to interrupt. Malcolm just called... Dawson is...”

“I can’t go. I have to finish this. Can you ask Trey?”

I nod and walk down the hall to Treyton’s booth. I lose hope when I walk in and Trey is in the middle of a big back piece. There’s no way he’ll be able to go. “Hey, Malcolm called and said someone needs to come get Dawson before they call the cops.”

Trey stops the buzzing tattoo gun and looks up at me. “How is it up front? You busy?”

I shake my head. “No, but...”

“He’s harmless, Emily. He’d never hurt you. He’s just hard on himself and doesn’t know how to deal with his shit.”

I purse my lips together. I’m not sure what all that means or why he’s telling me that,

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