Heart-Shaped Hack(26)
My how things had changed, because now every time she turned around she was kissing him. And worse than that, she didn’t want to stop kissing him. She wanted to do more than kiss him.
Lots more.
All of this with a man she knew very little about.
For the first time ever, he’d called her Kate.
And that had not escaped her notice at all. Not one little bit.
Kate took a seat at the bar, which was conveniently located near her gate. She ordered a glass of wine and pulled out her phone. Ian had already sent a text.
Ian: Did you make it through security okay?
Kate: Not without a thorough pat-down, but what else is new?
Ian: They know a golden opportunity when they see one.
Kate: My lips are swollen and my cheeks have stubble burn.
Ian: Did the TSA take you into that little room alone? Jesus, tell them someone has to accompany you next time.
Kate: LOL. You did it to me.
Ian: Then I’ve done my job. And you gave me a slight hickey, so we’re even.
Kate: Oops. Pretty sure I haven’t done that since high school. Sorry!
Ian: I never said I didn’t like it.
Kate: Why does chardonnay taste so much better in an airport bar?
Ian: I can’t imagine there’s anyplace chardonnay doesn’t taste good to you.
Kate: That question was rhetorical. When I land in Chicago, I’m going to have another glass. And Cinnabon!
Ian: I do hope you’ll share more of these intimate details with me while you’re gone.
Kate: I plan to. And I’ll be expecting the same from you. Sharing is caring. : )
Ian: Don’t expect emoticons. And I will not be LOL’ing either.
Kate: You just did. : )
Ian: That was only for the purpose of explaining that I won’t be doing it.
Kate: Time to head to the gate. They just called my flight.
Ian: My fingers are crossed that your seatmate smells as good as you do.
Kate: LOL! : )
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kate and her mother Diane were in the kitchen with Chad’s fiancée, Kristin. They’d spent the better part of the day preparing for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving meal and were ready to take a break. Chad, who was two years older than Kate, had proposed to Kristin right around the time Kate and Stuart’s relationship had imploded, which had put a slight damper on their announcement. Kate had felt bad about that. She liked Kristin, and since she didn’t have a sister of her own, a sister-in-law was the next best thing.
“How is Stuart?” Diane asked. Next to Stuart, Kate’s mom had taken the news of their breakup the hardest.
Kate pulled a bottle of wine out of the refrigerator. “You do remember he’s not my boyfriend anymore, right? You didn’t forget the part where I turned down his proposal because I didn’t think I could spend the rest of my life with him and then rented my own apartment.”
“Of course I didn’t forget. And if that’s the way you felt, you made the right decision. I just feel bad for him. It’s his first major holiday without you.”
Kate thought of Ian, who didn’t have anyone to spend the holiday with, not that he seemed to mind. But Kate did. Ian might have claimed not to care about the holidays, but Kate had decided that if he was willing, she would include him in all her Christmas plans.
Kate poured a glass of wine for each of them, and they sat down at the kitchen table. “I met someone,” Kate said. “I’ll introduce you to him when you come for Christmas.”
“Who is he?” Diane asked.
“His name is Ian.”
“How did you meet him?” Kristin asked.
“He made several donations to the food pantry.”
“He sounds very generous,” Diane said.
“You have no idea.”
Chad wandered into the kitchen. He and their dad had been parked in front of the TV since noon.
“Are you coming in to help?” Kristin asked, teasing him. “Because all the work is done.”
“More than likely, he’s in search of another beer,” Kate said.
“My sister knows me too well,” Chad said, reaching into the refrigerator for a Heineken. He pulled out a chair and sat down beside Kristin.
“Please make sure that’s your last one because Kristin and I need you to drive us to the bar later,” Kate said. “It’s the least you can do to pay us back for the delicious meal we’ve been prepping all day, which you’ll inhale tomorrow in seven minutes flat.”
Chad looked adoringly at Kristin. “I’ll be happy to be your designated driver.”
“That reminds me. Guess what I drove, Chad? A Shelby.”
“No way,” he said as he uncapped the Heineken.
“Really I did.”
He took a long drink. “A Shelby? Are you sure?”
“Well, obviously it was a replica, but yes.”
Chad looked at her skeptically.
Kate pulled out her phone and texted Ian.
Kate: Chad doesn’t believe I drove your car. Clearly he’s jealous (and delusional).
Ian responded moments later with a picture of Kate behind the wheel, one hand on the gearshift and a smile on her face.
Kate: I had no idea you took my picture.
Ian: You were too busy driving. It’s hot. I made it my lock-screen picture.