Page 37 of Feels Like the First Time
BRIDE’S DREAM HONEYMOON?
Swimming with dolphins in Fiji. Check and check. It was where she’d spent three weeks with Hawk after their wedding. Planning their future, and convincing Hawk it was a forever kind of commitment.
Hell, she’d done such a good job, Ali had been convinced, too. For a time. But then her sister’s wanderlust, theI wonder what I’m missinggene she inherited from Gail, kicked in. Sadly, it was right around the time Hawk’s career ended.
So, no. Bridget wasn’t worried about Ali’s feelings. She was covering her own ass. And the only reason Ali didn’t say that to Gail was because the only person who would be more uncomfortable with these answers than her sister—would be her ex-husband. Especially when they reached theWHEN DID THE BRIDE KNOW HE WAS THE ONEquestion.
So when Gail complimented Ali on her shoes, and mentioned she had a clutch that matched, Ali made her way to the bar. She needed to talk to Bridget, but first she needed a drink.
Ali located Hawk’s stash beneath the bar and was pouring herself a sip when Colleen Hanover approached the bar. She was two years older than Ali, two marriages in, and based on the slinky dress and naked finger, she was looking for husband number three.
“Something fancy that says eligible but not easy,” Colleen said.
“I don’t work here,” Ali pointed out.
“And serve it in one of those.” She pointed to a champagne flute. “It will make me stand out. Oh, and no sugar. Empty calories.”
“A signature cocktail it is,” Ali said, grabbing a goblet and extra sugar.
“Where is the man of the hour?” Colleen asked.
Ali looked around the bar, found Bridget talking to her bridesmaids. An hour in, and still no Jamie. He was late to his own engagement party. “He was flying in from somewhere, I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”
Colleen’s face puckered in confusion, well, at least that’s what Ali thought was happening. Her eyes narrowed, and her brows twitched, but her forehead didn’t move. “I was talking about Hawk.”
Ali blinked. “Hawk?”
Colleen smiled, “Yes, there is a pool on Facebook—”
“Oh.” Ali rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you bet he’d use polishing his stick as his reason for not coming tonight. Sorry to disappoint, but he’s here.” With her. And he’d bought her shoes. “He just had to go grab something from the storage room.”
“Oh, I’m not disappointed. The second I heard he was dating you, I bet that he was going to stay all night. Even close the place down.”
“Really?” Ali asked, swapping out the goblet for a flute and skipping the sugared rim, surprised at how hopeful she sounded at the idea ofsomeonein town believing she and Hawk were the real deal. “Most people think he’s going to bail.”
And leave Ali standing there alone.
A fresh wave of humiliation rolled over her and settled in her stomach, adding to the complicated knot of emotions already coiling from the first time she’d seen the poll. Two minutes after Hawk disappeared in the storage room.
Ali had begun to sweat then, over the reality that he could have skipped out. Hell, she wouldn’t have blamed him if he had. But the only thing that kept her from bolting, too, was that he’d promised to come back.
For her.
And Hawk had never broken a promise. Not to her. He’d unintentionally broken her heart once upon a time. But never a promise.
“Don’t worry, Hawk won’t bail,” Colleen said with so much confidence, Ali allowed herself to breathe. “He has something to prove.”
Ali slid the full goblet across the bar top. “What does that mean?”
“That you need to be careful,” Colleen said softly, as if she were looking out for Ali. “Hawk has had three semi-serious relationships since the divorce. Each one started when she came home, and ended when she left town.”
“Are you saying Hawk purposefully leads women on to make his ex jealous?”
“God, no,” Colleen said, taking a sip of her drink. “He’d never do that on purpose. Hawk is too nice of a man to hurt someone purposefully. But I am saying that he convinces himself he’s ready to move on, that he’s over the breakup, and then Bridget leaves and he loses interest in relationships, and another poor girl loses her heart.”
Which wouldn’t be a problem for Ali, because they weren’t in a real relationship. They were friends doing each other a favor, so her heart might be fluttering, but it was firmly intact, thank you very much.
“That’s not what’s going on here.”
