The Matchmaker’s Match
Page 19
What on earth had caused her dramatic change? Sure, they’d been having a heated discussion but not enough for her to look as if she’d seen a ghost. In fact, before he took his hat off, it looked like she was about to blast him again.
Wood scraped on tile; Isabella was in the motion of standing. The good manners his mother had drummed into him and the military enhanced made him stand as well.
“Isabella, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just—sorry, Ethan.”
She brushed past him and he was, once again, assailed by her exotic scent that reminded him of incense burning in the night. He stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds, watching as she exited the café as though the hounds of hell were on her tail.
What the hell had just happened?
*
Isabella rushed through the glass door, bumping into someone walking in the coffee shop.
“Sorry,” she mumbled as she scrunched her red fedora between her fingers before putting it on her head. So what if she looked stupid, at least it provided some protection from the hot, Texas sun.
Military.
It all made sense. The autocratic tone he used at the mall. His comment about seeing what happened when no one followed instructions. Ethan Masters was in the military.
His hair had been slightly longer when he’d confronted her in the mall, but now she’d recognize the buzz cut he sported anywhere. In fact, she’d seen it on her dad his whole life. The style brought back so many painful memories. It had taken her years to be able to look at her dad without remembering the loss in her life that haircut represented.
What a dumb idea it was to agree to a blind date her dad set up for her. There was a reason she spaced out her visits with him. She should’ve worked out it had disaster written all over it when he handed her the red fedora. Never had she expected Ethan to be wearing the hat as well; she’d figured he’d hold it. If he had, she would’ve done a quick about-face and walked away from him before he even saw her. Not just because of the hair, but because of their earlier encounter. She didn’t need a bossy man in her life.
The worst thing about the whole situation was, she’d been attracted to Ethan the second she’d clapped eyes on his tall form as he waited out front of the café. For a few heartbeats she’d been looking forward to getting to know him better. It had been so long since she’d been on a date, and the fact her dad had set her up with a guy who was good-looking—well, she thought things in her life were beginning to shift. The last thing on her mind had been checking out what his hair looked like under the hat. In hindsight, it should’ve been the first thing.
Someone tapped on her shoulder; she screamed at the sudden contact. If Dad could see her, he’d berate her for not being aware of her surroundings.
“Hey, it’s me, Ethan. I’m not going to hurt you.”
He got that right. No way was she going to give him the opportunity to hurt her physically or emotionally.
“If this is how you act around women, it’s no wonder you have to be set up on blind dates.”
He flinched, but all she wanted was to get away. Away from the memories that threatened to overwhelm her being around him.
“Our date is the result of one too many tequila shots with a whiskey chaser and a bet I should’ve ignored. I can assure you I don’t need any help getting my own dates.” He took a step back, oblivious to the people walking past them, some trying hard not to stare.
She wanted to shout out, “It’s okay, go about your business and ignore us.”
“Why did you follow me?” she asked.
“You rushed out so quickly, I wanted to make sure you weren’t sick or something.”
Okay, so maybe she was being over the top, but the second he’d revealed his GI Joeness, she couldn’t be near him. “There’s no need. As you can see, I’m fine.”
“Something spooked you though. I mean, I know we weren’t having the most auspicious of discussions, but you didn’t have to run out.”
Ethan’s sincerity wrapped around her. He was a nice, albeit bossy, guy. He just wasn’t for her, even if her heart had started beating in a way it hadn’t done for a decade.
“I’m sorry, Ethan, you’re right, I shouldn’t have run out. You seem like a nice guy. But I made a promise to myself that I’d never get involved with someone who was in the military.” She stuck out her hand. “Thanks for not standing me up. Good luck with your future.”
Oh, my God, could she sound any more formal?
“How do you know I’m in the military?”
His question surprised her. “Um, well, you know, because of your haircut.”
He ran his hand through his short, spiky hair. Tall, dark, and handsome. The description was cliché, but it fit Ethan Masters to a T. His gray T-shirt hugged his muscles. The faded blue jeans he wore clung to his hips.
“Who’s to say I don’t like getting my hair cut this way? Maybe I happen to like really short hair.”
Had she jumped to conclusions? Sweat beaded her forehead behind the band of the silly hat she still wore, and she gripped her handbag a little tighter.
“Are you telling me that you’re not in the armed forces? That I’ve made a mistake?”
Ethan closed his eyes and his chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. Her hopes whooshed out of her at the same time. “No, you’re right. I’m in the air force.”
Disappointment slammed into her gut with the accuracy of a heat-seeking missile. Memories she’d buried roared to the surface. Memories of another time and another military person who had brought her happiness. Memories of when that happiness was ripped away from her and she was left adrift, lost in her pain. She couldn’t do that again, no matter how alive she’d felt for a few moments.
“I’m sorry, I can’t. Goodbye, Ethan.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned her back on him and continued down the sidewalk.
Don’t look back.
Don’t look back.
Isabella looked back. Ethan stood where she’d left him, his gorgeous mouth twisted in a look of confusion.
Damn, fate was wearing her bitchy pants today.
Find out what happens next…
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Flockton writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. Nicole likes nothing better than taking characters and creating unique situations where they fight to find their true love.
On her first school report her teacher noted “Nicole likes to tell her own stories”. It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book. Now with over 20 books published she hasn’t looked back.
Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and two fabulous kids. She also enjoys watching sports and, of course, reading.
You can visit Nicole at her website www.nicoleflockton.com or follow her on twitter at twitter.com/NicoleFlockton
Facebook facebook.com/NicoleFlockton
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