Healing Hearts (The Challenge Series) by Liz Crowe

out that he’d wanted to elope because he kept hiding from a bunch of guys he owed money to on his construction crew. Then I saw the credit card bills start showing up with giant balances under his name. He was—is—a drifter. A guy who ghosted into TC and ran into me. I held onto him for a while, but I was honestly not sad to see him go even if it left me holding a huge bag of debt.”
    “You aren’t legally responsible for his debt, Abigail.” He sipped and watched her lips move some more, tried to listen to the actual words coming from them and not to his small brain that begged him to grab her and shove her up against the wall of the nearest supply closet and make her come all over him.
    “I know. He managed to open new accounts under my name while we were together. I remained oblivious, for various reasons. I didn’t care. Until…oh, never mind.”
    “No, no, come on spill it. What did the oily bad-credit-risk bohunk do?
    “He disappeared, I guess. A classic ‘honey-I’m-going-out-for-cigs-and-never-coming-back’ move. By that time I was onto him, but he had a way of convincing me it didn’t matter.” She sighed and looked out into the middle distance, and Jay had to sit on his hands to keep from launching himself across the table at her. She shot him a quizzical glance. “You okay?”
    “Yeah. So, you grew up here in Michigan tourist central. What did your dad do? Where did you go to college? Are your parents around?”
    “Yes, I did. I’m finishing community college courses and some online work now, but it’s sort of moot since I already applied to nursing school. My parents owned about ten rental units and we all worked them. I loved growing up here.” She sipped her wine and Jay would swear her lips, or perhaps the line of her throat, was hypnotizing him. “My dad died about three months before I met my ex husband. After my pseudo-wedding, my mom sold all the rentals and crawled into a bottle of vodka. She’s still emerging. A ‘recovering’ alcoholic now, I suppose. Next?” She leaned back, crossed one long, tempting leg over the other, and eyeballed him.
    “Huh?”
    “Next question?”
    “Oh, sorry, I don’t mean….”
    “No, no, Jay, it’s fine. I know pretty much everything about you without even asking. That’s hardly fair. So ask away.”
    He tried to remain calm, to slow down, remind himself about the friendly nature of this date. Not meant to go anywhere but in a…friendly direction. He gulped down some wine and held up a hand for the waiter. “What are you hungry for?”
    She smiled that amazing, wide, toothy thing that turned his knees to Jell-O. “I’m not, to be honest.”
    “Oh?” He looked down at the menu. “I sort of am for the first time in…a long time.” He glanced up at her, but she kept her gaze trained out the window. “So, we can share. They do a kick ass filet here. Oh crap, you aren’t a vegetarian, are you?”
    She chuckled at the familiar words. “No. Solid carnivore, thanks.”
    He ordered for them both with his eyes locked on the long, dark line of her neck, already sensing his lips there. Jesus. “Okay so, personal question. Ready?”
    “Sure.” She held out her empty glass.
    He filled it. “Are you first-generation or something? Your parents Greek or maybe Italian, because you surely do not appear to be a classic grown-up-in-Traverse-City-girl.”
    “I’m adopted.”
    “Oh.” He narrowed his eyes but her gaze remained wide and genuine.
    “My parents are the ones who raised me, who brought me home at two weeks old or something. Not sure. But we didn’t discuss it much.”
    He raised his full glass. She clinked hers to it. “Here is to…um….”
    “Dysfunction? I drink to that a lot.” She grinned and Jay’s heart sped up yet again.
    “New friends,” he said, his voice firm.
     
    Dinner was a blur of rich food, laughter, and more wine. Jay switched to water, knowing he had to drive. But also recalling this particular winery