Page 35 of Sin With Me

I didn’t ask, but she was more than willing to tell me.

Though I don’t usually mind small talk while helping customers, her husband is well-known in the community since he’s the president of the town committee, so it feels wrong to know that he’s not the one who’s getting to see his wife in her new lingerie.

Mr. Waters has been visiting his family in Maine for the past week, and I know that because Mrs. Waters let it slip when she mentioned he wouldn’t be home for another few days.

So who the hell is getting an early preview of her lingerie? I did not ask.

I get paid to be discreet, not nosy.

“Thanks, Delilah. See ya again soon.” She winks, then sashays out the front door.

“Well…thatwas interestin’,” Mattie murmurs as we both stare out into the street where Mrs. Waters gets into her Escalade.

“Uh, yeah…you could say that.” I shake my head and visions of her cheating out of my mind. “Anyway…I’m gonna work on inventoryin’ the new pieces now. Holler if you need me.”

“Maybe you should buy one of those for yourself…” She gives me a taunting look. “I’m sure Wilder wouldn’t mind.”

I roll my eyes. “Very funny.”

But once I’m in the backroom, looking at the new lavender lace garter set, I can’t help wondering what his reaction would be. Even though he put a stop to things escalating between us, I felt his very large and thick reaction to me grinding on top of him.

Mondays aren’t usually busy in the store, so it gives me more time to work on admin and manager duties while Mattie handles the floor. She does great in sales and earns commission on top of her hourly pay. Since I’m on salary, I like giving her the floor and it allows me to catch up on paperwork.

Before I clocked in, I talked to Wilder about how things went in court and was relieved to hear he didn’t get jail time. He’s damn lucky considering what he did, but now I hope it doesn’t affect his mental health and all the progress he’s made this past year. I’m still not sure what he meant by seeing me today, but a part of me can’t deny I’m curious about his plans.

When I return from the bathroom, I hear Mattie tell someone up front in her customer service voice, “I’m afraid she’s busy at the moment.”

“It’d only take a few minutes. The article is scheduled to run in a couple hours and it’d be great gettin’ her witness statement on the event.”

Who the hell is she talking about?

“She’s not talkin’ to anyone without a lawyer, especially you.”

“If she changes her mind, which I’m sure she will, here’s my number.”

Her harsh tone has me even more curious about who she is and what she wants, but I’m equally grateful Mattie dealt with her for me. Her father’s an attorney and she’s worked part-time at his office since she graduated from high school thirteen years ago. Although he wanted her to go to law school and follow in his footsteps, she didn’t share the same passion. Mattie went to art school, but when her mom died a year after she graduated, Mattie returned to help her dad and hasn’t pursued it since then.

We have a lot in common when it comes to putting our lives on hold for our loved ones and grew closer because of it. I was only twenty-two when Dad had his accident and then Harlow’s incident happened a year later.

It was a big deal for both of us when we finally moved out of our childhood homes and rented an apartment together. We finally got to find independence and be on our own, although I felt guilty as hell about it. My parents nearly kicked me out and told me it was time I focus on myself.

I’m grateful they did, but I still wish I’d gone home more often to visit.

When I hear the bell on the door, I peek my head out toward the front.

“Uh…Mattie. Who was that?”

She turns toward me, grinning. “Some journalist after a story. She claims Wesley’s been falsely criminalized while Wilder gets unlimited ‘get out of jail free’ cards. She wants to use your statement to make Wilder look bad. I told her to shove it where the sun don’t shine.”

I snort. “Spoken like a true attorney’s daughter.”

With a lazy shrug, she smirks. “Her card’s up here if you want it, but I wouldn’t speak to her without a lawyer.”

“I’m not speakin’ to anyone, so it won’t be an issue on my end. Sheriff Wagner got my statement and that’s all that needs to be said.”

Once the new inventory is tracked and price tags have been added, I grab one in my size and hold it in the back.

It wouldn’t hurt to have something sexy in my closet. Even if I’m the only one who sees it.