Hooking Him (How to Catch an Alpha #3)(43)

“That works. Just send me a message and let me know when you’re on your way.”

“Sure.” She nods, and I kiss her once more before I pull her away from the wall.

Chrissie’s eyes come to us as we walk hand in hand through the doorway to the front of the shop. “Well, that was fast,” she says, smirking.

“I was going to say the same thing,” Herb agrees as he takes a bite from the cookie in his hand, and I notice a box on the counter I’m sure is his.

I squeeze Anna’s hand, and she looks up at me. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yeah,” she agrees.

I drop a quick kiss to her lips, then look at Herb. “All right, old man, time to go.”

“Fine.” He picks up the box and calls out a goodbye to both women. When we get to my truck, I beep the lock, but he doesn’t get in, instead stopping to look at me.

“What?”

“You really like her,” he says, eyeing me like he’s waiting for me to disagree.

“I told you we’re seeing each other. It’s not like I’d date someone I didn’t like.”

“You’ve got a point. Still, this is different. She’s different.” I know he’s thinking about my ex, whom he never really liked. Vickie always made it clear that she wasn’t happy with me being a cop, even saying that straight out around Herb and Rachel on more than one occasion. Herb’s wife understood why Vickie was distressed, having been married to Herb for years. She knew the job sometimes pulled him away from his family, but she also knew that Herb’s job was important to him and that she’d rather have him in her life than out of it. Looking back, I’m happy Vickie ended things before we got married or had a kid, which would have made the eventual end of our relationship even more complicated.

“I know,” I agree. I walk around the hood and get in behind the wheel as he opens the passenger door.

“I’m happy for you, man. It’s about damn time you found someone worth your time,” he says as I start the engine, and all I can think is, Don’t I fucking know it.





Suggestion 11

NEVER DRINK THE KOOL-AID

ANNA

“You cannot be serious,” I hiss to the windshield as I pull into my driveway, half-tempted to keep going and run over the man who’s standing next to a very annoyed-looking Edie. I shut down the engine and get out, taking my overnight bag with me, along with my purse.

“Anna.” Lance hurries toward me with a worried look on his face, his tailored suit and perfectly styled hair seeming out of place in the laid-back town I’ve fallen in love with.

“Lance, I told you not to come, so I don’t know why you’re here.”

“And I told him to leave, so I don’t know why he’s still here,” Edie says, and I fight back laughter.

“I told you.” He turns on Edie. “I need to talk to Anna. It’s important.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Edie huffs, and he glares at her the same way he used to glare at me whenever I said something that annoyed him.

“Edie’s right, Lance,” I say, and his gaze meets mine. “I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to talk to you, really. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“If this is about Lucy, you need to remember you’re the one who left me. I don’t know what you expected me to do.”

“Oh my God.” I lean toward him and remind myself I’ll be seeing Calvin later, and I don’t want it to be because he’s arresting me. “I don’t care that you and Lucy are together.”

“I’m not with her.” His brows pull together as his mouth turns down at the edges.

“Okay, sleeping together.” I roll my eyes.

“She doesn’t mean anything to me. I love you.”

“You don’t love me, Lance.”

“Yes, I do.” He frowns. “Why else would I have asked you to marry me?”

“Because . . .” I shake my head. “I don’t know, maybe money or my family or—”

“Money? Your family?” He laughs loudly, cutting me off. “Your family isn’t as powerful as it used to be, Anna. My father told me before you and I started seeing each other that your dad’s company is on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“Your dad told you that?” I start to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Why would he tell you that?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, I guess it doesn’t,” I say, giving in, because this entire conversation is pointless. “It doesn’t matter, because you and I are not together anymore.”

“Anna—”

“Lance, I want you to hear me when I say what I’m going to say. I love it here. I’m happy here. I’ve made great friends, I have a job I love, and I’m seeing someone who’s come to mean a lot to me. Please, just go home.”

“You’re seeing someone?” he whines, and my right cheek twitches as I drag in a breath in an attempt to get my temper under control. “I can’t believe you’re dating.”

“Is that all you heard? Is that really the only thing you heard?”

“We were living together and planning our wedding.”