Crista McHugh - Breakaway Hearts

He glanced at the card on the table. “No specials tonight?”

Her lips twitched as an evil thought entered her mind. “It’s Cindy’s meatloaf tonight.”

“Any good?”

Her grin widened. She couldn’t wait to see his face when he took the first bite. “She’s from Texas and came up with most of the recipes here.”

“Then I guess I can give it a try.”

Sucker .

She made a show of writing it down on her pad. “Anything to drink?” Because he sure was going to need something after tasting the special.

“What do you have on tap?”

She gritted her teeth. This conversation couldn’t end fast enough. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Something local.”

She rolled her eyes and rattled off the different microbrews they had on tap. Knowing her luck, he’d probably choose something generic like a Labatt or a Bud Light.

But when she finished, he said, “I’ll go with the Old Yale Pale Ale.”

Hailey jotted that down and returned to the bar to pour his glass. Her revenge on Ben Kelly started tonight, and hopefully, when the night was over, she’d never have to see him again. She dropped the beer off at his table without saying a word and went back to the kitchen to heat up a slice of Cindy’s meatloaf.

At first glance, the slab of meat looked quite good—thick and juicy and perfectly browned, nestled next to a mound of fluffy mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. But it was Cindy’s secret spices that turned plain ground beef into a raging inferno on the tongue. Lumberjacks had wept after tasting it. Ben shouldn’t be any different.

Her father’s eyes widened when she came out of the kitchen carrying the plate. A couple of the locals elbowed each other and snickered. They all knew what was about to happen.

“Here you go.” She set the plate down in front of him and tried to keep a straight face. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

She dashed back to the bar and stood next to her father. Everyone in the bar stared at Ben’s booth, waiting for the moment when he took that first bite.

Oblivious to the spectacle he was becoming, Ben cut off a chunk of the meatloaf, speared it with his fork, and brought it to his mouth. Five seconds later, a hoarse cough filled the room, followed by boisterous laughter. Another person had fallen victim to Cindy’s meatloaf.

Her father stopped long enough to toss her a few packets of saltines. “Give him some of these to ease his pain.”

She approached the table slowly while Ben guzzled dry the pint of beer she’d given him earlier. “Here, try these.”

He took the crackers from her and ripped open the cellophane like a starving man, stuffing the saltines in his mouth. His cheeks were flushed, and the sound of constant sniffling broke up the munching sounds. After he’d eaten the last one, he took a deep breath. “Is there a reason why you don’t seem to like me?”

“Several.”

“And that gives you reason to prank me like this?”

The grin fell from her face. “Everyone in town knows about Cindy’s meatloaf. You were just gullible enough to try it.”

“So this is more of a locals versus outsiders thing?”

“Nope.” She leaned on the table and spoke so only he could hear her. “Listen, even though you’re trying to lay low with this new look, I know who you are.”

He leveled his eyes with hers, refusing to look away. “And?”

Now was her chance to tell him everything, to publicly humiliate him in front of the whole bar. But when he covered her hand with his, a storm of emotions erupted inside her, and her tongue refused to work. She’d never revealed the name of Zach’s father to anyone, not even her dad. At first, it was because she didn’t know more than his first name. Then, when she’d finally realized the starting goalie for the Vancouver Whales was the same man she’d had a wild one-night stand with, she doubted anyone would believe her. And after she’d gotten the letter from the team’s public relations manager stating that Ben had denied ever knowing her, she’d decided it wasn’t worth it.

But now she had him. Now he was at her mercy, and she still couldn’t bring herself to tell him about Zach.

Worse, she couldn’t look away from him. Fire raced up her arm from where he held her hand, warming her blood and reviving the same rush of desire she’d felt nine years ago. And the longer she stared into those steely blue eyes, the stronger the memories of that one night grew.

God help her, she was still attracted to him, even after all the shit he’d put her through.

Hailey jerked her hand back and lowered her eyes. “Listen, just stay the hell away from me, got it?”

She didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, she retreated back to the bar and poured another pale ale. “Pop, can you take this to twelve? I need a minute.”

Her father gave her a questioning look, but took the glass to Ben’s table and dropped it off as she cut through the kitchen and went out the back door. The cool night air soothed her raw nerves and cleared her mind. She gulped it in and wrapped her arms around her midsection. For nine years, she’d imagined hundreds of things she would say if she ever ran into Ben again, and tonight, none of them had come out. But at least she’d made it very clear she didn’t want him around.

When she came back in, he was rising from his table. A stack of bills sat on the edge, no doubt a smaller tip than the one he’d given Cindy. She waited until he slipped out the door before collecting it.

A slip of paper sat on top of the money. It was worn and yellowed, the creases held together by tape in some places. The ink had faded, but she still recognized her own handwriting.

It was the same note she’d left in Ben’s hotel room that night.

She closed her hand around the note and dashed out the front door after him. Most of the local business had closed, and the streets were nearly deserted at this hour. The streetlights cast cones of light on the sidewalks below. She looked to the right, then the left, searching for the man she needed answers from.

Several heartbeats later, she spied a solitary figure climbing into a Land Rover. Hailey ran toward him and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. She didn’t care that he had a cane in his hand that could probably leave her battered and bruised if he chose to use it. She held up the note. “What’s the meaning of this?”

He searched her face for a moment as though he were worried he’d made a mistake. Then he pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his own.

At first, she was too shocked to move. She stood there in his arms, paralyzed as he kissed her. When her arms decided to move, they betrayed her. Instead of pushing him away, they wrapped around his neck. Her mouth opened and allowed him to deepen the kiss.

Dear God, he was even better than she remembered. The warmth she’d felt earlier from his touch was a mere candle to the raging inferno that blazed through her now. She pressed her body against the hard planes of his chest, his abs, his shoulders. She followed his tongue in a seductive entreaty that made her forget about the pain of the last nine years. It was as if time had reversed, and they were back in that elevator on their way to his hotel room.

And if she had to do it all over again, she doubted she would say no.

He pulled away, heat simmering in his eyes. “I thought that was you.”

She stumbled back, gasping for air. What the hell had just happened?

“See you around, Hailey.” He climbed into his SUV and drove off, leaving her stunned in the middle of the street.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but when she looked down, she still had the note in her hand and no more answers than what she’d started with.