Lost and Found (Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #2)(63)

“I know but men take divorce harder than women do,” Cathy was saying.

“Really?”

“Okay, I’m coming up with excuses, but it’s because he’s a successful guy. He’s on your level. It’s hard to find someone who can keep up with you professionally,” Cathy admitted.

“What does that mean?” She glanced out and it looked like Larry had found a waitress. He was talking to the blonde woman and shaking his head, gesturing back toward the entrance as though complaining about his date.

Yeah, she was cool with that.

Something crashed on Cathy’s side of the phone and there was a muffled call for order and not playing with hockey sticks in the house. “It means I can’t pull out my virtual rolodex and set you up with the first blue-collar guy I see. You need a serious man.”

She looked out over the patio. She’d made the argument to herself when she’d agreed to this date. She’d made it again when she’d decided she couldn’t throw herself into a relationship with Owen. “I was married to a serious man.”

What about Owen wasn’t serious?

She moved back to the door that led out to the patio. There was a beautiful wrought iron fence that surrounded the patio, a gate that would allow diners access to the street. In the distance, the CN Tower rose above the skyscrapers. She’d lived here for two years and never been. How much of life was she missing because she took herself so seriously?

“You were married to another doctor,” Cathy pointed out. “I think you need a white-collar guy who won’t talk about the medical profession every single minute of the day.”

She continued on about all the things Becca needed, but Becca’s attention was suddenly on the street. An old-school motorcycle pulled up and stopped in front of the iron gate. The man on the bike wore a proper helmet, and she couldn’t help but notice there was a second helmet secured to the bike, a smaller more feminine-looking helmet.

Cathy would probably tell her any dude on an old motorcycle wasn’t a proper date for her, but she thought the bike looked cool. Not that she would ever ride one since she knew quite well the ramifications of a motorcycle accident.

The man on the bike put his feet down, balancing it. Was he picking up his girlfriend after her shift? He was wearing jeans, and a leather jacket covered his broad shoulders.

She was in a skirt and button-down and a cardigan. Perfectly normal clothes for her, but as she’d dressed she’d thought about whether or not Owen would like her navy blue cardigan with white piping and gold buttons. Would he think she looked like a sexy librarian? She pushed her glasses up and sighed as the man on the bike started to unhook his helmet.

“I’m going to cut this off at the pass,” she said, forcing her eyes away from the guy on the bike. He probably wasn’t as hot as he seemed. He would take that helmet off and just be a normal, average dude. “I’m sorry if this gets you in trouble, but I can’t spend the afternoon with this guy. It’s not fair to either one of us.”

If she hurried, she might be able to find Owen.

Or she could go to the office because it wasn’t like Owen had wanted to spend the day with her. He’d left her with the cops. He might be annoyed with her. He might have decided she was too much trouble for a booty call.

Another sigh came over the line. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time. I’ve got an accountant I think you’ll love. Now, he’s divorced and still a little bitter, but I think you can turn him around.”

The helmet came off and she caught her breath as she recognized that gold and red hair, the sexy line of his jaw, those godawful gorgeous lips of his. And his scruff. It was the hottest thing she’d ever seen. Owen. Owen was on that bike.

She shrank back because Owen was here and he was obviously looking for someone.

His blue eyes took in the patio.

Did he have a woman he was picking up here? That was a coincidence. A big one.

Or he was a sexy bastard who’d seen the note she’d left on her bar. Well, he’d told her he didn’t play fair. Had he come out here to offer her an alternative?

She could hide and maybe save herself some embarrassment or she could walk out there and find out if Owen Shaw had come to save her. Her knight on a shiny bike.

“Hey, Cathy, don’t ever set me up again. I think I have this handled.” If he wasn’t here for her, then at least she’d get a look at her competition. Because she wanted him. Only Owen, not some random setup that might or might not lead to a super-professional happily ever after.

She hung up the phone because Cathy would keep her on it forever and she needed to get out there before Owen thought he’d missed her.

He was here for her. She was sure of it now. It was there in the way he was studying the patio, his eyes catching on Larry and staring.

She stepped out into the sunlight and waited.

“I sent the waitress away because you weren’t here,” Larry said, irritation flavoring his words. “You know it’s rude to pay more attention to your phone than your date.”

Owen’s gaze caught her and the slowest, sexiest smile crossed his face. The man actually made her catch her breath. A single brow cocked over his eye as if to ask if she was staying with the lawyer or fleeing with the bad boy on the bike.

She wasn’t the kind of woman who walked out when she’d made a commitment, but she was the kind who knew a good thing when she saw it, and that man was a good thing.