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    Jameson And Shorty: An Opposites Attract Small Town Romance: Carter's Bar, #5
    Jameson And Shorty: An Opposites Attract Small Town Romance: Carter's Bar, #5
    Jameson And Shorty: An Opposites Attract Small Town Romance: Carter's Bar, #5
    Ebook108 pages1 hourCarter's Bar

    Jameson And Shorty: An Opposites Attract Small Town Romance: Carter's Bar, #5

    By Lara Norman

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    About this ebook

    Come for the first steamy night, stay for the HEA!

     

    As the lone single man at Carter's Bar, Ryder Mitchell has no intention of changing his relationship status. After a difficult childhood, he's mapped out his future—a stable job, financial security, and a home he can transform with his own hands. Enter Morgan Henry, a mysterious woman with an overly flirtatious persona and peculiar behavior that repels Ryder. 

     

    Haunted by the scars of her past trauma, Morgan seeks solace in alcohol, men, and tattoos. Despite Ryder's initial resistance, Morgan's seductive tactics begin to captivate him like no other. As he gradually uncovers her genuine vulnerability and the pain she hides, Ryder finds himself torn between his growing attraction and the ghosts of his own past. 

     

    Secrets and betrayals threaten to tear them apart, but the unspoken chemistry between them is undeniable. Can they overcome their past mistakes and embrace the possibility of a future together?  


    *Set in the enchanting small town of Abbott, Texas, Jameson And Shorty is the fifth installment of the captivating Carter's Bar series. From heartwarming romances to scorching chemistry, each book in this series celebrates the power of love, laughter, and soulmates. The men in these stories are affectionately dubbed with nicknames inspired by their favorite spirits, while the women use aliases, concealing their true identities until they are ready to admit they have found love. Dive into the enchanting world of Carter's Bar, where love is always on the menu.*

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLPN Publishing
    Release dateJun 18, 2021
    ISBN9798201089443
    Jameson And Shorty: An Opposites Attract Small Town Romance: Carter's Bar, #5
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    Author

    Lara Norman

    Lara used to scribble her fictional characters down on legal pads in high school, and then not show them to anyone. In recent years, she started posting her work in public forums for feedback, which gave her the courage to publish professionally.  She needs copious amounts of coffee and chocolate to survive. She enjoys eavesdropping on the character conversations in her head, which she has been assured doesn’t make her crazy. She always gets the best ideas while in the shower, driving, or about to fall asleep. Though she’s a Florida girl at heart, Lara currently resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband of twenty years and their three children, where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age fifteen.

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      Book preview

      Jameson And Shorty - Lara Norman

      ​Chapter One

      All I wanted to do was go home, shower, and go to bed. It had been such a long day, starting at six a.m., and I was far from through. I still had my shift at the bar, but at least the following day was Saturday and I could sleep all day. I ran my paint-covered hands through my already messy hair as I reached my door, pausing only long enough to unlock it before forcing my feet to move through the doorway and all the way into the bathroom. I peeled my clothes off, dropping them on the way and not caring about the trail I left behind.

      Perks of being a bachelor.

      I flipped on the light switch, blinking in the fluorescents before jumping in the shower. I never got more than ten minutes of hot water before the tank ran out, so I simply turned the faucet on full and let the cold water shock my senses. After sweating all day in the house I was helping Ethan fix up, the cold didn't feel that bad. I soaped up quickly, groaning loudly in satisfaction as the water finally heated up. The hotter the water, the faster my muscles loosened.

      Stepping out and toweling off, I walked into the one-bedroom apartment naked, heading for my miniscule closet. Not for the first time, I wondered how Nora and Ethan had shared such a tiny space. Black was the preferred dress code for the men at Carter’s Bar, so I yanked out black jeans and a black t-shirt and threw them on. I'd already stopped for a burger on the way home, so I simply brushed my teeth before heading back out the door.

      For as long as I could remember now, this had been my routine. I worked construction by day and tended bar at night. My days off were for catching up on sleep, laundry, and bills. I was saving my money, paycheck by stingy paycheck, for a house of my own. I longed for a fixer upper that I could sink my hands into, something I could make mine from scratch. The real challenge was finding something for sale in Abbott. Anything would be better than the shitty apartment I currently slept in, with the tiny kitchen that was barely big enough to be called one, the living room so small it held nothing but a loveseat I rarely used, and a bedroom holding a single bed and a dresser. Technically, it didn't matter; I wasn't known for having company over.

      Pulling into the lot at Carter’s, I drove around to the back to park with the other employees. I had a love/hate relationship with this job. I had fun most nights; the music was good, and the atmosphere was fun. Even better were the nights I sang live, which I’d just recently started. But I was always drained by closing time and dreaded getting out of bed the next day.

      I pulled the employee door open and strode in, smiling and nodding as I passed coworkers.

      Hey, Ryder, what's up? Milo called, standing in his office doorway as I walked by. My manager was older than me by only a handful of years, with shaggy dark hair and brown eyes. He had a killer smile and was friendly and popular, which worked for the patrons.

      Not much. I slowed, turned around, and kept walking backward. You?

      Milo snorted. You work too damn much. Need to have some fun.

      Don't I know it, I mumbled as I turned back around and headed behind the bar. I checked the soda gun, checked the stock on clean glasses, and got to work cutting limes, lemons, and oranges. When I was done piling them into their dishes, I pulled out the cherries and olives, dumping them into bowls and putting them in their place. I retrieved stacks of napkins and tiny swords and umbrellas, stashing them under the bar within easy reach. Checking my watch, I saw I had five minutes before opening, so I stood and waited for the crowd to pile in.

      Tonight, I was expected to do the setup, but Milo closed down. That worked out fine for me, since I just wanted to go home and fall face first into my mattress by the end of shift. Milo unlocked the doors, allowing folks to come in. There were a few regulars, some who waved toward the bar as they took a seat. Soon, I had enough to do that I wasn't paying attention to the customers at the tables.

      I was aware when someone sat at a bar stool, but didn't register anything specific about the person. Finishing the round of drinks I was making, I set them on the tray at my elbow with their ticket, then turned and looked at the newcomer. I was slightly surprised to see such a beautiful woman sitting at the bar alone and took in the slim frame and black-painted fingernails. She had a lot of tattoos, a few piercings, and dark hair that changed color as the lights flashed with the music. I watched it go from pink to blue to green before she spoke.

      Hey, cutie. I'll have a vodka shot, top shelf, lemons and salt. Might as well line up a few. She was holding out a black card, so I took it. Normally, I wasn’t affected by the female customers the way my best friend Cooper used to be, but she had a sexy, throaty voice that went straight to my gut.

      Glancing at the American Express card, I frowned at the weight. It wasn't made of plastic. What exactly is this? We don't accept toy credit cards. I smirked at her, raising a brow as I waited for her to reply.

      She rolled her heavily made-up eyes. It's titanium. The initiation fee was higher than your annual salary, for fuck’s sake. Start a tab, smartass, and line up my shots.

      Refusing to let her snotty attitude and tone of voice rile me up, I turned away without a word and set up her tab. I had never seen a titanium-based black American Express, and couldn't imagine what that meant for her net worth. I grabbed the bottle of Ketel One and poured three shots, filling a plate with lemons and adding a salt shaker. I delivered all of these with some napkins and not a word spoken. She had irritated me, and I didn't like the feeling. Normally, I was paid to provide a flourish, to flip bottles and throw things in the air. Milo had trained me well, but this woman was clearly not interested in any of that.

      Moving on to other customers, I mixed drinks and filled glasses with free soda for the designated drivers. With each new order, I did the tricks I’d learned at the bartending school that got me the job in the first place. As the hours passed, Nora and Shea came in to help handle the volume of the night crowd. I wiped down the prep area, then looked up when I heard someone call for me.

      Hey, bartender! Another round. I couldn’t help but watch her slick red lips as she spoke.

      There were more customers at the bar now, looking around at the women like they were on display, which I supposed they were. I wasn't exactly resting on my laurels, which was what her tone of voice implied. Being a patient man, I merely poured her another three shots and delivered them. This time,

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