by Anthology
He straightened his arms and gripped the side of the bar top. His smile was one of assurance with a bit of spunk tossed into the mix. He clearly had no intentions of going down easily. “Next Friday then.”
I lengthened my spine, prepared to use my backbone. “I’m busy.”
“Next Saturday. Dinner or breakfast.”
“She’s busy then too, and every other night for that matter.” A man’s deep growl pierced the air. The sound came from directly behind me.
The air shifted, as did my heart, at the familiar tone. I sucked in a sharp breath before I stopped breathing altogether.
Noah.
Noah Preston.
He’s here. At FireSide Bar. Right behind me.
When Noah set his hand on my shoulder, an unwanted electrical spark touched and ricocheted throughout every nerve ending in my body.
“Katelyn,” he said my name slowly, the tone of his voice meaningful.
“Oh, fuck,” Raelyn exhaled as Iris gasped, “Oh, shit.”
Their words were similar to the thoughts bouncing around in my head.
When I made no attempt to move, Noah gently grasped the side of my chair and gradually spun me around to face him. Again, the connection pulsed erratically through me. My entire body was on fire, and there was no water to put out the flames.
I lost my breath for a second time as I risked an upward glance where I was bombarded with the most intense, gorgeous blue eyes. They were oh-so familiar yet different. He looked like the same man I’d given my heart to so many years ago but slightly older.
His handsome face was scruffy with day-old stubble. His dark brown hair was styled the same—shaved sides with longer strands on top. He was dressed in his usual boot-cut denim jeans and white collared dress shirt. The expansion of his shoulders, broad chest, sculpted biceps was mouthwatering. It looked as though Noah had gone to college to become a professional bodybuilder, not to earn a bachelor’s degree.
When I finally had the strength to tear my greedy eyes away from his body, I returned my eyes to his. Those handsome blues were silently gauging me, assessing my reaction to him. I prayed my expression was well masked and unreadable, but with Noah standing within inches of me, I doubted any chance of composure was in my favor.
I hated my body’s reaction to him after all this time. I hated the fact that he’d had to leave town, leave me, all those years ago. But life hadn’t dealt us easy cards as kids. He and I hadn’t been raised with bountiful opportunities. We’d watched our parents survive—barely scraping by, earning minimum wage, which was just enough money to put food on the table each night. Our prospects to continue our education had been scarce.
Noah had escaped all of that with a full basketball scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. While I had been unbelievably happy for him and equally proud of him that he could chase his dream of earning a bachelor’s in business administration, it had devastated me to let him go. But I had because I loved him enough to say good-bye. I’d wanted a better life for him even if that meant losing him forever.
Yet here he was, standing before me.
Confusion washed over me. So much time had passed.
Why is he here? What does he want?
“Katelyn, we need to talk.” His words were strained with too many emotions for me to place, mirroring the way I felt inside.
No one had called me by my full name in years. I’d buried it along with my dream of us growing old together the very day he’d said he didn’t want to tie me down to a long-distance relationship.
My head began to spin wildly out of control. It was on complete overload. I had so many questions. I longed for so many answers. Yet I craved distance from him in fear of the endless possibilities of the truth hurting me.
I swallowed before correcting him, “It’s Kate.”
His brows drew together. “It’s always been Katelyn.”
“Not anymore.” I offered a small smile; one that he could probably see right through.
He had no right to appear out of thin air and expect me to drop everything, so we could chat. Besides, I was here with my friends, and I wanted to spend some quality time with them.
With our gazes still locked on one another, I repositioned my foot closest to the bar and pushed against it in an effort to rotate away from him.
Noah matched my pressure with his own resistance, halting my movement. “I’m asking for only a few minutes of your night.”
His blues clouded with determination. He was clearly hell-bent on having a private moment with me or not letting me out of his sight—which of the two, I was unsure.
Either way, I refused to cave to his demands.
“It’s great to see you, Noah, but I really need to get back to my friends.”
With hard force, I pressed the ball of my foot against the bar, giving Noah no choice but to relinquish his hold or cause a scene. Relief flooded me when he chose to relent.
I felt Raelyn’s, Iris’s, and the bartender’s eyes all on me.
There was no second thought when I glanced up at the bartender and said, “Can you bring us three shots of tequila, please?”
“You got it.” The bartender nodded.
Raelyn raised a finger at him, stopping his retreat, as she added, “Make those doubles.”
Noah’s hands curled around the back of the stool, and he bent forward at the waist. My heart skipped an uneven beat when I felt his hot breath along my ear.
“Fine, we’ll do this your way, Katelyn. Take your time, and have a good night with your friends. I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done. We are going to talk.”
My pulse pumped wickedly in my veins at his declaration.
“Don’t count on it,” I breathed.
“Oh, I am.”
A shiver raced down my spine.
Without another word, Noah walked off. I tried to ignore the urge to follow his whereabouts, but I failed miserably. He found a vacant table a few yards away and seated himself. A waitress came up to him within seconds. His gaze darted to mine where he released a devious smile before redirecting his attention back to the young woman.
“Wow,” Iris exhaled on a rush. “He’s got some nerve, showing up out of the blue. It’s been four years since he left, right? What in the hell is he doing here?”
Sadness and regret from losing Noah all those years ago flooded me. Wave after wave of emotions hit me with the strength of ten thousand bricks. It was a hard truth to accept that I no longer knew the man across the room. In fact, he was practically a stranger to me now.
I tore my eyes away from Noah, who was looking at me once again, and focused on Iris. Her expression was soft and sympathetic.
“Yes, and I have no idea,” I answered at last. “And I’m not sure I want to know.” My words were no more than a mumble, but it was all I had.
“Here are your three double shots of tequila, ladies.” The bartender distributed the glasses in front of us. “Make them count.”
“Oh, we plan to.” Raelyn laughed nervously.
“Hell yes, we do.” Iris reached for her shot of tequila. Raelyn and I lifted our glasses as Iris outstretched her hand in between us. “To…” She trailed off. “Shit, what should we toast to?”
“Friendship!” Raelyn clinked her glass against Iris’s and mine.
“May it last forever.” I smiled, tapping my glass against Iris’s before tossing back the liquor. It seared its way down my throat.
Iris cringed. “Damn, it’s been a while since I’ve felt that burn.”
My face was a reflection of hers. “Yes, it has.”
“That just means we need another. Eventually, they’ll go down smoother, like fine wine.” Raelyn set down her empty glass and gestured to the bartender, who was already on his way with three more shots of tequila.
Iris rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Fine wine might be a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Probably, but don’t rain on our parade.” Raelyn laughed. “Kate is over her
e, trying to tune out that gorgeous hunk sitting over there, so I say we help her out.”
“Don’t gotta tell me twice. Cheers, ladies!” Iris reached for shot number two, as did I.
The three of us clinked glasses once again.
And so it began.
Chapter Three
It was already past midnight.
“Chase You Down” by Runaground poured out of the bar’s speakers as the last three shots of tequila pumped wickedly through my veins.
Or maybe it was four shots.
Shit, it could have been my fifth. I’d lost track.
The cocktails had been swapped out for beer. Throughout the night, I’d risked a few glances at Noah to find him watching me. It was too tempting not to look at him, so I’d made a deal with myself. I had to take a shot of tequila for every stolen glimpse of him.
At shot number three, I’d decided it would be best to reevaluate my plan when I quickly realized I’d be wasted in no time. So, I’d switched a shot for a sip of beer…and I was on my third beer.
The bartender brought another round of tequila. Iris and Raelyn both made a whooping noise as I briefly debated if I should end this little drinking escapade now before I was doomed to suffer from a morning hangover.
My phone beeped in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number. It wasn’t programmed in my phone, but I easily recognized it as Noah’s.
Noah: No more, or I’ll be carrying you out of here.
The alcohol heating my blood ignited my rebellious side.
Who is he to tell me when enough is enough?
I ignored the first part of his text and responded only to the second part.
Me: I don’t think so.
I hit Send and slipped my phone back into my pocket with no intentions of pulling it back out again. All the while, I felt his heated gaze on me, compelling me to look at him. It was difficult to resist the temptation.
Iris lifted her glass to make another toast. “If I stumble out of this bar, which is a good possibility at this rate, I pray this night is worth the scar!”
The three of us unleashed drunken giggles.
Then, Raelyn thrust her glass in the air. “One shot, two shots, three shots, four, let us hope there will be more!”
Raelyn and Iris both looked at me.
Iris tilted her head toward me and said, “Your turn, lady. Drop us a line.”
I racked my brain, fighting through the haze, before I positioned my glass near theirs and said, “Men may come, and men may go; at least liquor can soothe the blow!”
“Amen, sister!” Iris exclaimed.
We all clinked our glasses together and tossed back the tequila. The liquor no longer burned. That was definitely a bad sign.
“So, who are we calling to drive our drunk asses home?” Iris was the first to ask.
“Don’t worry.” Raelyn waved her hand in the air like it was no big deal. “I’ve already taken care of our designated driver. Jackie, my and Iris’s neighbor, is coming to get us all soon.”
My cell phone beeped in my pocket, distracting me from the conversation at hand. I bit my lower lip, resisting the urge to retrieve my cell, for it was bound to be Noah.
My phone beeped again for a second and then a third time. I fought against the magnetic pull to respond to Noah.
I did not want to see him, and I definitely didn’t want to have any heartfelt or deep conversations with him. And, somehow, at the same time, all I could think about was him—what it would be like to saunter over to him and walk straight into his arms, to feel his warm lips on mine, as if no time had been lost between us.
Losing him had hurt beyond measure, and I didn’t want any trips down memory lane tonight. Nope, I wanted to enjoy myself.
The bartender appeared in front of me. “So, ladies, can I get you anything else? Another round of tequila or beer?”
Iris lifted her hand. “Another Corona, please.”
Raelyn slid her empty bottle toward the bartender. “Me, too.”
The bartender turned to look at me, waiting for my answer.
My beer was still halfway full. “I’m good, thanks.”
A rather brilliant—or foolish—idea entered my mind at the sight of his light, carefree expression, so I inhaled a breath of courage and just went with it. “I’m free tomorrow night if you’d still like to take me out for a date. You can pick me up at eight.”
His brows shot up. “Really?”
To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in him. I was more intent on having an excuse to avoid risking my heart with Noah.
However, I wasn’t dead inside. The guy was good-looking, and he had this glass-half-full charm going on along with an upbeat sense of humor. It was refreshing, and more, it might just save me from Noah.
“Yes,” I answered at last.
Raelyn threw her hand over her face and muttered, “Oh, fuck.”
“You didn’t.” Iris threw her head back and laughed.
The bartender showed no acknowledgment to Raelyn’s or Iris’s reactions.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the counter, inching his way closer to me, and unveiled a boyish grin. “I was hoping you’d change your mind.” He outstretched his hand between us. “It’s Kate, right? I’m Zach.”
I didn’t get the opportunity to shake Zach’s hand before I found myself being lifted from the barstool.
Noah tossed me over his shoulder, as if I were weightless. “You always did test my patience, woman.”
“Hey, we were talking,” Zach called out before I had the chance to protest myself. “You can’t just take her out of here against her will.”
Noah whipped around, causing my world to spin on its axis—and not in a good way. “Watch me. She’s mine. So, back the fuck off,” he ground out each little phrase separately to emphasize his point.
Well, all righty then. I giggled to myself at the primal possessiveness radiating off of him.
At his confession, I should have been running in the opposite direction from him, but my better judgment was impaired due to the liquor sloshing around in my stomach.
Raelyn leaped from her stool. “Don’t forget your purse!”
Noah grabbed my bag from her as Iris said, “Have fun, girl!”
Noah carried me out of the bar, through the parking lot, and toward a black Ford Mustang. Then, he set me down on my feet.
Speckles of light entered my vision when I swayed a little. Noah steadied me, and I gripped his bicep until I was confident my balance had returned.
After a few seconds, I tilted my head up at him. “Where are you taking me?”
“Home.”
Chapter Four
I was rather surprised that I could manage to keep my eyes open during the car ride. Neither one of us spoke for the drive, but there was this inexplicable tension emanating between us. It made my heart race. The question of why he was here in Sarasota bounced around in my mind. I wondered if he was in town just to visit his family or if he was here to stay.
Noah made a left turn at the stoplight—in the opposite direction of my apartment.
It was then I realized that he had no idea where I lived, so I said, “Uh, you’re going the wrong way. I live two blocks west of here.”
“We’re not going to your place. I’m taking you to mine.”
My head whipped in his direction, and I gaped at him. “What? I don’t want to go to your place. And you live in Sarasota now? Since when?”
“Since last week.” His eyes briefly held mine, appearing sincere and thoughtful. “I was always going to come back home, Kate.” He stared straight ahead and made a right turn at the next stoplight.
Utterly speechless, I took in my surroundings. This street looked familiar. It traveled along the coast of Nokomis Beach. Most of the houses were high-dollar homes.
He continued down the road before slowing to a stop in front of an old metal gate. It opened, and he pulled into the driveway.
Overgrown
palm trees lined either side of the cracked cement path. The grass was thick and colossal.
I gravitated toward the passenger window to gaze out as a single-story house came into view. It looked to be a small cottage. The long, vertical panels of the siding appeared to be painted gray. Small outdoor lighting aimed up at the house gave it a soft glow. White shutters lined each of the windows.
We came to a stop in front of the garage, and I noted the unkempt flower beds that lined the walkway leading to the front door.
The little cottage was old and rustic. It was run-down, definitely a fix-me-up project. But, oh my, it had so much potential. It was perfect in every way.
Noah slipped his car into park and killed the engine. He made no effort to move.
“It needs a lot of work,” he admitted softly, “but it’s all ours. I signed the papers last Tuesday.”
I nearly choked on thin air. Surely, I must have heard him wrong. We hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in four years. He had no right to mess with my tequila-soaked brain.
“What?” I fumbled for a response. “Noah, you can’t say things like that.”
Time suspended between us, and then he gradually reached for my hand. His thumb brushed over my knuckle and down my index finger, back and forth, over and over again. The gesture was small yet far too intimate.
“I was always going to come back for you, Kate.” The gruffness of his voice made my heart slam into my rib cage.
Overwhelmed, I briefly closed my eyes and broke our connection before turning to glance out the window.
Growing up, all I’d wanted was to be with Noah, to marry him and have a family with him.
My second dream was to live on the beach.
I’d tossed out the latter long ago though, knowing it would never be in the cards for a girl like me. I was just a glorified secretary and on my own, barely scraping by to make ends meet every month.
Now, here I was, staring at his new home overlooking the ocean—without Noah, without a family, and without a beach house to call my own.
