Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Zach thought about his New York manager. Something might be off. She’d normally want to oversee a private party, especially one for his or Remy’s family, but she’d asked if she could sit this one out. Since Raven pretty much made her own hours, as she did the scheduling for the staff, and was rarely not at work, of course he’d said yes. She said she wasn’t feeling well and he’d believed her. But… Remy knew her best.
“Try turning on the charm and if that doesn’t work, sit her down and insist you want to know what’s going on.” Zach attempted to give his friend advice on his love life but other than his siblings’ recent relationships and marriages, Zach had little of his own adult experiences to draw from.
One night stands? Yeah, those he could do. Relationships meant exposing too much of himself and he wouldn’t go there again.
Remy ran a hand through his too-long hair. Once he’d left the force, he’d gone overboard in growing out his hair and beard. A fuck you to the rules he’d been subjected to as a cop. “I’ll think about it,” he muttered.
Zach decided a subject change was in order. “Okay so… since you’ve mentioned it twice, just what is my type?” He was curious what his friend thought considering Remy had never seen Zach with a woman more than once or twice.
Remy smirked at the question. “If I had to describe her, I would say she’s understated but beautiful, has ample curves but isn’t overly voluptuous.” He drummed his fingers on the counter as he continued to think.
Meanwhile, Zach couldn’t believe Remy had nailed Zach’s ideal woman, at least the way she looked. The one perfect female who’d had his heart back when he’d believed settling down was in his future. God, he’d been young. And stupid.
The sound of Remy slurping the end of his drink pulled Zach out of his musings.
“In other words,” Remy said, “She’s the opposite of anyone I’ve ever seen you with. Someone like… her.” He pointed towards the bar’s entrance before turning back to Zach–who spun to face the door.
He took one look at the woman standing with her hand on a teenager’s shoulder and felt the blood drain from his face. He blinked, certain he was mistaken. He must be imagining her because Remy had been spot-on in his description and Zach had been trying not to remember too much about her.
Remy stood up beside him. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He slammed a hand down and curled a spare napkin into a wrinkled ball. “That’s because I fucking have.”
Chapter Three
Zach never expected the girl he’d once loved to walk into his bar. The last time he’d seen Mia Stevens, he’d dropped her off after school and the next time he planned to see her was when he picked her up for prom the next night. Except when he’d shown up in a rented limousine, dressed in his tuxedo, and holding a wrist corsage, no one answered the door.
Odd, considering Mia had a baby sister and her stepmother was usually home. The neighbors had seen him knocking on the door and come out to tell him the house had been unusually quiet all day.
It turned out, Mia and her family were gone for good. She’d ghosted him not just for prom, which was humiliating enough, but for all the things they’d planned for the future. Zach had done his best to search for her online and when he came up empty, he honed his computer and hacking skills to dig even deeper. Nothing had ever turned up.
Zach drew a deep breath and pushed off the chair, preparing himself to confront her for the first time.
“Zach,” Remy said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know who she is or what’s going on but you look pissed. Maybe I should handle this—”
He shook his head. “I’ve got it.”
Remy released his grip but stayed close behind as Zach strode to the entrance.
Mia hadn’t taken a step into the bar, obviously waiting for his reaction. She looked good. Older, obviously, but just as gorgeous, despite being tired, as evidenced by the dark circles beneath her blue eyes. She was still his fresh-faced girl. Her freckles were more pronounced, her brown hair was longer, and though she wore little makeup, her pouty lips still begged to be kissed.
Fuck. She wasn’t his, hadn’t been in years, and wouldn’t be again.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s been a long time, Mia.”
She jerked and shook her head. “It’s Hadley, now.” Her voice had the same, husky quality he remembered.
He narrowed his gaze at the name change.
“And this is my little sister, Danika.”
It had been Danielle, he thought, remembering her baby sister. Danika. Another name change.
“It’s Dani.” The teenager with a pink streak in the front of her hair crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. From her lack of shyness to the bold hair choice, she was both more outgoing and more of a rebel than her sister had been.