I take a drink of wine, which isn’t my thing, but first impressions are everything, so I ordered for Tara and opted to share the bottle.
She studies me, her gaze on mine as she takes a sip from her glass, obviously waiting to hear more.
“A guy I knew from some gigs I’d done let me crash on his couch while we performed in small bars at night. I waited tables during the day to make money to cover rent and the basics.” I shrug. “Eventually it paid off, and the Caged Chaos guys heard us play.”
“That’s what you’d been waiting for,” she murmurs.
I nod. “The band I’d been playing with was rocky at best. The guys weren’t serious about a future in music, so when Caged Chaos offered me a spot, I jumped at it.”
“I wish I’d been there to celebrate with you,” she says with a smile that lights up her eyes. “I’m so happy you achieved yourdream, though I’m not surprised. Not with how talented you are.”
I grin. “I always was good with my hands.”
She rolls her eyes and laughs.
“Okay, your turn. How did you get to where you are today?” I see the moment her expression changes, her smile dims, and the sparkle in her eyes goes out.
I wish I hadn’t asked, but if I want to get to know her again, I need to hear everything, including learning what happened after her dad passed away.
CHAPTER FOUR
Tara
Ihate talkingabout that time in my life when everything fell apart. But I’m sitting across the table from the man who once knew me better than anyone, who heard all my hopes, my dreams, and my future plans. He deserves to know.
I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward. “I was planning to go to college. Mom and I were buying all the necessities when Dad died of a heart attack.” I swallow over the painful lump in my throat, one that never fails to go away, even over a decade later. His receptionist found him on the floor in the back room of his practice, already gone.
“I wanted to stay home with Mom, go to school in California or take a year off, but she refused to let me do either. She knew how much I wanted to become a vet and work with my dad.” I draw in a deep breath. “So I went to college in New York, and Mom handled his estate. When I came home at the end of my first year, she told me she didn’t want to stay in California. That she was too lonely.”
“So what happened?” His gentle voice washes over me, giving me strength.
“Mom moved to New York to be closer to me, and I continued on with veterinary school in the city. And my dad’s best friend from his time in school, my godfather, owned a practice that had offices in Manhattan and East Hampton. I worked with him during summers and on breaks, and he took me in when I graduated.” I smile at the memory of how generous Harry has been from the day I relocated to the city.
“I like seeing that smile,” Axel says.
I lift one shoulder. The pain will always be there, but I found things to smile about, too. “I guess good did come out of the bad. Mom met her new husband, I got stepsiblings out of the deal, and I’ll eventually buy Harry’s practice when he retires.” I pause. “Mom set up a trust fund for me after selling Dad’s practice.”
Axel nods in understanding.
“It’s just that Dad and I were so close, and I still miss him,” I admit.
He takes my hand again and cups it in his own. “I know. You were a daddy’s girl.”
I bet none of his groupies ever sees that soft smile, and warmth slides through my veins. “Yeah. I guess I was.”
“But despite the setbacks, you achieved your dream, too. Maybe it’s different than you imagined it would be, but you’re a vet, and that’s something to be proud of.” His thumb brushes back and forth over the top of my hand. “I’m proud of you.”
I hate to admit how good it feels for him to offer me comfort. To have him here. When I know better than to put any hopes in a transient man who travels the world with his band, who doesn’t own his own home, and who might want an apartment in Manhattan, a place I rarely venture anymore.
We definitely have lingering feelings for each other. And just watching him grin, his eyes crinkle with laughter. The simplest of touches arouses me in ways no man ever has. But our basic differences, the reasons we split up in the first place, haven’t changed.
I want a stable life, a home, and eventually a husband and a family with my pets. So far, nothing he’s said indicates he desires the same.
The waiter returns, and we glance at our menus, each ordering dinner. The meal passes quickly and comfortably—if I exclude the sexual tension simmering between us. The lingeringglances, his gaze focusing on the way I slide my tongue over my bottom lip to capture the last of my wine, and how I can’t stop staring at his handsome face and memorizing the differences between the teenager and the man.
After dinner is finished and he pays the bill, we walk out of the restaurant. Surprisingly, the temperature hasn’t dropped, and it’s still pleasant outside.
“Do you want to take a walk on the beach?” he asks, obviously not ready to take me home.
