Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“Yeah, more so than I ever remember.”
“You came to the bar when you were a teenager?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I sure did. I had a fake ID and everything. I figured no one cool would know my dad. I had no idea that my parents actually came to the bar. In fact, that night, I had the shock of my life as my dad walked in and saw my fake ID.”
She gasped. “You’re kidding?”
“Hell, no. Mom was pissed, and Dad promised to punish me. The following day, out in the barn, when it was just the two of us, he told me that if I was going to use a fake ID, I needed to find someone who was better at it, and a good fake ID cost good money. Another thing he told me was that underage drinking was not all it was cracked up to be. That people made a lot of mistakes with alcohol. He also showed me a woman giving birth, and children. It was a horror talk. I never came back to this bar, and in fact, this is the first time I’ve been here. I wasn’t even here for Sarah’s wedding. By then, I had work and didn’t have time.”
“You didn’t stay for your sister’s wedding?”
“My priorities were all a mess,” he said. “Trust me, I’m learning from it.”
Chapter Four
After dancing for well over an hour, Hawk spun Katie toward the bar, where he ordered them a couple of extra sodas, as theirs had already disappeared. He didn’t know who had taken them, but he was not going to worry about it.
With a couple of sodas in hand, the inside of the bar was way too hot, and he took her hand, leading her out into the garden. There were a couple of empty tables, and he helped her sit down before sliding in opposite her.
“It’s a lovely night,” Katie said.
“Yeah, it is.” He wasn’t interested in looking up at the sky. His only focus was on the woman right in front of him.
The dress she wore was stunning and molded to the curves of her body, but it wasn’t too tight and not revealing. He’d been around a lot of women who wore a hell of a lot less. She looked amazing. Her hair was down, with a few strands pulled back from her head in a small clip. He also loved the touch of the boots. Everything about her was stunning. He couldn’t get enough of her.
“You’re a good dancer,” Katie said.
“You’re not too bad yourself.”
She laughed. “This is fun. Have you been on many dates?”
“No.”
“No? You expect me to believe that? A big hotshot like you.”
“Uh, that’s the thing, I don’t need to go on dates. Women just kind of throw themselves at me.”
“Ah, and you don’t like that?” she asked.
“It was fun in the beginning. A lot of fun, but the thing is, without any real connection, there is nothing.” He shrugged. That was the truth. He didn’t know exactly when he woke up. He looked out of his penthouse apartment window at the world and realized he had a large company, and no one. He didn’t have a wife or a family, nothing. The women were there for the easy life. It was a harsh reality, but one he accepted. He hadn’t been looking for deeper connections, unlike now.
There hadn’t been anyone that he wanted. Until now.
Well, he had wanted Katie, but he hadn’t given that a shot in high school. Besides, when he had been willing to give it a chance, he had realized Adam and Katie were more than just friends, they were a couple. He wasn’t going to do that to a friend. Leaving was the best way.
“That’s why I stopped dating. It was awful. I did the whole online dating, putting myself out there, thinking it was the right way to meet people, to meet the right guy, but so many people lie about who they are.” She sighed. “It’s hard out there.”
“Yeah, it makes me wonder how they did it in the past, you know? Did they just bump into someone, apologize, and go for coffee?”
She laughed. “You do realize that is what happened with us.”
“Yeah, but I bet now you’re wondering was that a genuine bump, or accidentally on purpose.”
“Oh,” she said. “Okay, now you have me thinking.”
“It was an accident.”
“Yeah, well, you used to bump into me all the time in high school. It was like you didn’t see me.”
“I saw you,” he said. He looked up and noticed the look of shock on her face. “Yeah, I saw you, Katie. It’s why I bumped into you. You didn’t see me, though, did you?”
“Hawk?”
“I liked you, you know, back in high school. I liked you a lot.”
“You had the cheerleaders wrapped around you.”