Kate Young

“He gave me a crooked smile. God, he could charm me even when I wanted to throttle him. "Life is short. It's your decision how you deal with this. Let's forgive, forget, and move on."
That comment doused the charm. "Why is it that when a man screws up, they always pull out the forgive and forget card? And you're right, it is my decision how I deal with this. But it was your decision that got us here in the first place! Yes, life is short. Too short to deal with BS like this."
"Nothing is going on." He threw his hands in the air. "I don't even remember that woman's name. I was sitting at the bar and she sat next to me. We shot the breeze for a few minutes. She had foam on her lip and I wiped it off. That's it."
"Well, maybe I want to wipe some foam off of some hot tourist's lip and shoot the breeze."
"You better not!" His jaw clenched.
Typical double standard.”
― Kate Young, Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse

“Back in my room, I put Izzy down, pulled my dress over my head, and tossed it on the floor, lost in thought.
"Marygene Brown," Mama scolded the second I closed the door.
I screamed. Izzy was growling and running around Mama, barking.
Alex bolted through the door, gun in hand, scanning the room for an intruder. "What is it?"
I held my hand over my heart, a familiar response for me now, and scooped Izzy up. Mama was giving me a chastising glare, her arms folded across her chest. She didn't seem to like the idea of Alex sleeping in the house. She was such a hypocrite. That was when I recalled I was standing in nothing but my bra and panties. Alex devoured me with the intensity of his gape. I snatched the dress off the floor, using it to cover myself.
"Um... I thought I saw a mouse. Sorry I alarmed you," I stammered.
"Mouse, my derriere," Mama said. "That boy doesn't need to be in this house. You have a blind spot when it comes to him." She had never been fond of Alex.
He was subpar in her eyes. He didn't own his own business, like Zach did, nor did he come from an aristocratic family. He was a common boy who grew into a common man, who earned a deputy's salary. Like Eddie.
Alex had a lopsided grin. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were using that as an excuse to get me up here. A little jealous tonight, were we?"
"You watch yourself, young man!" Mama scolded, her finger in his face. Not that he saw her.
"Shh," I said to Mama.
"What are you shushing me for? Any man would think the same," Alex said.
"I thought I heard it," I held my hand to my ear, "the mouse, listen."
He put his gun back into his holster. "Right. If you want me to stay," he waggled his eyebrows at me, "all you have to do is ask."
"I mean it. You're about to get it, young man," Mama was waving her arms around like a lunatic, and I wasn't certain she could do no harm. She had slammed me to the floor the other night.
"No. I swear it was a mouse." I shoved him out the door. "I'll be fine. Good night, Alex."
"Good night, Marygene." He grinned again as I closed the door. "If you need me, just holler." He put extra emphasis on the word need.”
― Kate Young, Southern Sass and Killer Cravings