Freeing Destiny (Fate #2) Read Free Page B

sipped his Stella—I giggled at the idea of how many jokes I could make about that—and shook his head as he placed the beer back on the bar top. “Other than that he loves your mother so much he’d walk to the ends of the earth for her and that he really digs you and Nina, he hasn’t said too much, actually.”
    “Hmm,” was my only comeback. Was he telling the truth or just trying to placate me?
    Either way, he was leaning close again and his musky scent infiltrated my senses. “As much as I love the sound of your humming as it vibrates from that tiny, delicate throat of yours . . .” He traced his index finger along the hollow of my throat, causing me to swallow my anxieties with a mouthful of wine. “ . . . You’re wrong, doll. He adores all of you. When you love someone the way Caleb loves your mother, everything else melts away. The past is in the past; he’s only concerned with making her future happy. Yours too, believe it or not.”
    This man was like a walking fortune cookie and I loved it. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it, setting my mind at ease while making the rest of my body flutter in anticipation. “I do believe it. I mean, I want to believe it.”
    “So, believe it! Simple as that.”
    I raised my glass and clinked it against Jack’s beer bottle. “I’ll drink to that.” Allowing the easy conversation with Jack to relieve all my earlier concerns, I relaxed and took a deep breath. It felt as if I was releasing a heavy weight from my shoulders. Feeling better already, I was finally up for some fun. This was a celebration after all. It was time to start celebrating . “Hey, how ’bout a shot?”
    “What’s your poison?” he asked, rubbing his palms together as he eyed the bartender.
    “You pick. You haven’t been wrong since the first word you said to me.”
    “I guess you should just call me Mr. Right, then.”

    Jack
    Oh, this girl. This soft, sentimental, beautiful, intelligent girl. I could sit here all night and just stare at her, but talking to her was pretty great too.
    When her mother and Caleb shared their first dance, I could sense a sadness in Stella’s eyes that went deeper than wedding day tears. That was my chance! My chance to make my move, talk to the blonde beauty, and get to know her a little better.
    An hour later and I wanted to know even more. I was sure I’d never get enough of her musical laugh, her melodic voice, and that smile that radiated joy when she spoke of something she was passionate about.
    At the current moment, she was talking about New York. She couldn’t wait to settle back in her hometown, start her career as a fashion designer, and make a name for herself. At the mere mention of her move, my heart slumped in my chest. I hardly knew her, but I didn’t want her to leave California. I was pretty sure that after only an hour of chatting with Stella, I wanted a lot more than entertaining banter. A friendship, for starters. She was good people. The kind that rubbed off on you and just made you happy by being around them.
    “When do you leave?” I asked hoping she’d say never.
    “In a few weeks, actually. We weren’t supposed to move back until the end of the semester, but Nina and I landed internships and we can finish up our credits next semester at NYU with Caleb.” She cleared her throat before continuing with a roll of her eyes. “Yes, I know. Sharing a campus with my stepdad who’s only a few years older than me . . . not cool, but it is what it is.”
    “I only see one problem with this scenario, and it’s not going to school with your stepdad.”
    “Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”
    “That you’re leaving in two weeks.”
    Her eyes glistened as she focused on my lips. I licked them, hoping it would send her the message that I wanted to taste hers.
    She squirmed in her seat and readjusted the hem of her dress—distinct indicators that I had gotten my message across, loud and clear. “Why would you care if I leave?