Page 29 of With Spite

I was honestly quite surprised that they’d even published it seeing as the model was practically nude.

I mean, you couldn’t see anything with the way the man’s leg was cocked forward, blocking out his package.

But you could see the side of his ass.

You could see his Adonis belt until it disappeared behind his strong, muscular thigh.

Thinking that I’d just try it out for a bit and maybe get some other things in the store done before my ride arrived, I took the table that overlooked the street.

Another hour passed as I became engrossed in a book about a motorcycle club member and the woman who tames him.

I shifted on my butt, trying to restore feeling to my left leg. Once again, I wondered why I had to stay until closing.

There wasn’t anyone crazy enough to be out in this anymore.

I looked to the door that led out into the warehouse that connected The Mercantile to the butcher—Hux’s place—and thought…why not?

Maybe I could see if he was almost done.

If he was, then we could go home early.

I’d already read a book, eaten my lunch, started another book, and contemplated cleaning up for the day.

There was nothing else holding me here besides Vera’s annoying voice telling me that I couldn’t leave until Hux was ready to take me home. That I was “needed” at the store.

Plus, if she got mad, what was she going to do? Fire me? I already quit.

This was my last day.

I walked to the front door and looked out through the glass doors.

There wasn’t an inch of road left.

Everything was a winter wonderland.

All I could see out was Hux’s vehicle parked under the awning to my right, and not another vehicle in sight.

There was, however, a large moose making its way down the street toward me.

I pulled out my phone and videoed it, then sent it to Creed.

Me:

Is this legal to shoot?

Creed:

If you had a moose tag. Do you have a moose tag?

Me:

I’m at a store where I could get one…

The Mercantile was a jack-of-all-trades.

They did hunting and fishing as well as bait and tackle. They had a pharmacy. A deli. A small-ish grocery store for when you forgot something at the big brand stores. It also had a small library where you could check out and return books when you were done with them.

Overall, it was a very fun store, despite the person who ran it.