Playing it Country

PLAYING IT COUNTRY A CLEMENTINE CREEK NOVEL ALEXANDRA HALE Copyright © 2023 by Alexandra Hale Cover Design: K. Powers Editing By: Happily Editing Anns All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum Being grounded in a person or place doesn’t mean your wings are clipped. It simply means that your soul has found its anchor and home. Also, if Miss Thelma can book a session you can too. CONTENTS Prologue 1. Hannah 2. Case 3. Hannah 4. Case 5. Case 6. Hannah 7. Case 8. Hannah 9. Case 10. Case 11. Hannah 12. Case 13. Hannah 14. Hannah 15. Case 16. Hannah 17. Case 18. Hannah 19. Case 20. Hannah 21. Case 22. Case 23. Hannah 24. Hannah 25. Hannah 26. Case 27. Case 28. Case 29. Case 30. Hannah 31. Hannah 32. Case 33. Hannah 34. Hannah 35. Case 36. Hannah 37. Case 38. Case Epilogue A Note From the Author Acknowledgments About the Author Also by Alexandra Hale PROLOGUE CASE “You’ve got to be fucking kiddin’ me.” I curse under my breath as I look up from my perch at the end of the bar at the Tap and Table, the Adirondack-themed restaurant run by two New York transplants. I’d been distracted by the smokin’ hot girl at the other end of the bar talkin’ to Holly, the owner, when I should have been watching the door. Mila walks over to a table and starts talking to a group of elementary school teachers, but she keeps lookin’ around the bar—undoubtedly for me. Shit. I make a mental note to smack my brother for makin’ me come grab lunch, but it will have to wait because I have a much bigger problem. Moving as slowly as I can, I pull my hat down low over my eyes and try my best to slide down the bar without drawing attention to myself. The hot girl glances over at me and arches an eyebrow before returning her gaze to Holly. Hot Girl looked amused that I’d moved closer, and if it were any other time, I’d take advantage of that but it’s definitely not the time. I turn to ask when my order will be ready when I catch movement 1 HANNAH Driving the back roads from Blackstone Falls to Clementine Creek never fails to amuse me. It’s so country. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but I’ve done my fair share of traveling in the last five years since graduating from college, and I never feel quite settled when I land in a small town. I like the hustle and bustle of the city and the crisp air of the mountains, but beggars can’t be choosers and when my parents up and sold my childhood home once I graduated college, I needed a new plan. They wanted to travel Europe, and while I’ve been happy for them out there living their dream, it’s been hard to want to put roots down when nowhere feels like home. I have my suspicions that Aunt Holly’s need for a bartender has less to do with an actual job and more to do with her just knowing I need to recharge. “Heads Carolina, Tails California” By Jo Dee Messina plays on the radio, and it feels like she’s singing to me. Deciding I need a pick-me-up, I pull into the parking lot of the Poppy Seed and turn off my car. The teal building with the bright yellow door