Kisses to Remember Read Free

Sprite.” Same thing I always order when I come in here. Holden shook his head and turned his attention to the rest of The Sweet Hut. He plunked down a few dollars and said, “I’ll go get us a table. Standing here is affecting my appetite.”
    Vaughn shot him a snarl, but Mara was already back, lovingly packaging the special banana-nut muffins minus the nut and gazing at Vaughn with dreamy eyes while she worked.
    Holden wandered off and settled at a booth by the front windows. Cars passed on the busy street outside, but he imagined the racetrack instead and his nearly finished Camaro tearing it up. Those streams of painted blood would catch the sunlight just right to look as if they were fresh and wet. The seat would cradle his body as he pushed the car to its limits. The tires would grip the track with an almost magnetic attraction, and Holden’s heart would get the adrenaline fix it so craved.
    “Sweet.”
    “Quit talking to yourself. You look like a moron.” Vaughn snapped his fingers in front of Holden’s face and slid the grilled cheese toward him.
    “I wasn’t talking to myself.” Holden pierced a straw into his soda and grabbed a couple napkins from the dispenser on the table. Mara’s grilled cheeses were messy, triple-decker concoctions with four kinds of cheese and tomatoes. Things tended to slide out whenever Holden picked it up, but good God, it was a killer sandwich.
    Vaughn let out a sigh of approval as he bit into his banana-nut muffin minus the nut. Holden paused and studied his friend.
    “Why not her?” He motioned with his chin to Mara who helped a new customer but locked her gaze on the back of Vaughn’s head.
    Vaughn swiveled his head around. “Why not who? Mara?
    “Yeah.”
    “She’s too…” Vaughn waved a hand as if trying to grab the right word.
    “Nice?”
    “Exactly.” Vaughn pointed a finger at Holden. “She’s not date worthy.”
    “The girl goes out of her way to make you a banana-nut muffin minus the nut in hopes you’ll come in, and she’s not date worthy?” Holden put his sandwich down to wipe a bead of cheese off his pinkie finger.
    “Look, Hold, a girl like that…” Vaughn threw a glance back to Mara who beamed at him. “She’s got a drawer full of sensible, cotton underwear. Most likely white.”
    “So?” What was wrong with sensible underwear? You could trust a gal who wore sensible underwear, right?
    “I’m more of a red lace thong kind of guy, you know?” Vaughn winked and took another bite of his muffin. For a moment, Holden wished there was a rogue nut in there.
    “And that’s your problem.” Holden shook his head and slurped up a mouthful of Sprite.
    “I don’t have a problem.” Vaughn wiggled his eyebrows at some women sitting at a nearby table. They sent him interested looks in return. Of course. Vaughn’s hazel eyes and sandy blond hair reeled women in like caught fish.
    “Sure you don’t.”
    “Sarcasm, be gone!” Vaughn shot a hand out toward Holden as if exorcising a demon. “What I have, good buddy, is a plan.” He tapped his temple.
    “Right. The plan to get Sabrina.” Holden was all too familiar with Vaughn’s complicated mission to woo Donovan Electronics CEO, Sabrina Donovan. Honestly, the woman scared the shit out of Holden, and he couldn’t possibly imagine wanting to be with her, but Vaughn insisted he had to “conquer her.” His words.
    “She barely acknowledges your existence.” Holden finished his sandwich and wiped the table where cheese had fallen in yellowy-white globs.
    “All part of the game, cowboy. All part of the game.”
    Holden hated games.
    Before Vaughn could say any more, both of their cell phones rang. “Time to fly,” they said in unison.
    Holden answered his phone, because Vaughn had just taken an oversized bite of muffin. On purpose.
    “Lancaster.” Holden drummed his fingers on the table. A little grease had managed to camp out under his thumbnail so, wedging the phone between his cheek