Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
My ‘type’ as she put it wasn’t necessarily boring as she was describing, but someone that wouldn’t get too excited and lose control.
I could also tell that she wasn’t going to back down. She wanted me to go on this date, and probably wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“I don’t know…”
“How about you come to dinner tonight. She’s in town for a few days because she’s doing some research or something for her thesis for her master’s degree. If you don’t like her, you won’t have to ever see her again.”
I looked over at Janie. “The last time you said that, I ended up dating she who shall not be named for years.”
Janie’s face soured. The ‘her’ in question was my ex who had done the ol’ cheateroo while I was in the military and had broken up with me on top of that.
“Whatever. Be there at seven.”
I gave her a semi-salute and went back to folding my clothes, but as I did, I wondered what I’d just gotten myself into.
Whatever it was, I probably wasn’t going to like it.
***
I offered my hand to Reagan and shook it. “Long time, no see.”
The moment I saw her walking across the parking lot toward us, I remembered exactly who she was.
Reagan’s smile was beautiful. “It has been a long time. The last time I saw you, I think you were about to go to boot camp.”
I grinned at the memory. “I was, and you were headed to school to become a marine biologist.”
Reagan laughed. “Botanist.”
I grunted and offered my hand to Rafe, who took it. Once he let go, I offered it to Parker. Rafe offered me a quick smile whereas Parker didn’t offer me anything. Despite meeting him more than a handful of times, I still couldn’t quite get a read on the guy.
Where Rafe was open and happy, Parker was closed and not mad, per se, but indifferent maybe. Like he could care less if he was there or not.
And my guess, he’d really rather be somewhere else, but since his woman, Kayla, was there, he would be, too.
Rafe led us to the bar, where we all got a drink. At least, all of us but Reagan, that was.
She ordered water.
I frowned, thinking that maybe I should have gotten water, too, since technically she was my date, but then something caught my eye.
A blonde something. A blonde someone who had been on my mind quite a bit lately.
My eyes watched her as she crossed the parking lot toward the front door, and without meaning to, I found myself walking to the door as well and opening it before she could.
She smiled up at me, but then frowned as soon as her eyes met mine.
“Officer Mackenzie,” she drawled. “How’s your hand from writing all those tickets? Any cramping from overuse?”
I found myself grinning. “Pretty good. It’s nice of you to ask about it.”
She rolled her eyes and moved past me, careful not to touch me, the door, or the people that had followed me across the lot.
I watched her go and felt something hard hit me in the gut.
“What the fuck, Johnny? You have a date,” Janie snarled.
I winked at her. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am.”
Janie rolled her eyes and walked in, Rafe followed close behind.
“Watch it, or she might geld you in your sleep,” Kayla said as she brushed past.
I sighed as Parker passed, but he didn’t say a word.
Reagan gave me a twinkling smile as she was the last to arrive.
“Don’t worry. I’m not looking for anything right now, either. I have so much else I want to do that settling down isn’t even close to being on my radar right now,” Reagan offered. “Janie asked me to eat with her, though, so I said yes. I’m not expecting a single thing from you tonight.”
Thank God.
I gestured for her to enter with my free hand, and she did.
Moments later, we were standing behind Rafe and Parker as we waited for our table to get cleaned.
My eyes traveled around the room, and one table, in particular, caught my attention.
It was the one that June was sitting at with an elderly man.
The elderly man was smiling so wide at June that my heart actually jumped with the love I could see there.
I liked that she had that.
My eyes trailed over to June, who was sitting in her chair and patting the old man’s hand. She didn’t have any jewelry on, and the only thing makeup-wise she was wearing looked to be mascara.
My belly clenched at just the sight of her.
She was beautiful, and her hair was up in this complicated up do that looked like it took her hours to do.
“Yo, let’s go.”
I looked to find my party winding its way through the tables, and Parker lagging behind looking at me like I was a nuisance.