Fighting Fate Read Online Free Page B

Maybe a couple of them,” Gretchen said dreamily as she swung back around in the booth. She raised an eyebrow at Sarah. “What do you think?”
    “I think I don’t care,” Sarah replied.
    Gretchen smirked at her and Sarah knew that Gretchen knew she was lying.
    It was well past the lunch rush. Yet it wasn’t quite the end of the normal work day yet—making Sarah’s assumption that Cole had turned into a bum seem even more likely. The bar had some patrons but it wasn’t overly crowded. Gretchen swung back around again to get a better look.
    Sarah couldn’t blame her. She was noticing how Cole’s dark windblown hair really did look like it needed someone’s fingers to be run through it. She was telling herself that person would never be her. Not again.
    That’s when he turned around, his gaze landing directly on her. His startled look of surprise and disbelief must’ve matched the look she wore yesterday. She let out a little whimper and looked away, trying to pretend that she hadn’t seen him.
    And that she hadn’t seen him seeing her.
    “He spotted you,” Gretchen said. Her eyes were sparkling mischievously and Sarah didn’t like it one bit.
    nt n="just“Oh, do you really think so,” Sarah muttered as she rolled her eyes. Maybe he would ignore her. It would be the polite thing to do. She would ignore him. He would ignore her. It would be just like old times.
    After everything had all gone to hell.
    She felt herself relax just slightly as she took a sip of her drink. She kept her eyes averted, taking a great interest in what was left of their nachos. Any moment now, he’d have gone back to the other side of the bar. Or wherever it was that he’d come from. She would hurriedly finish her drink, discourage Gretchen from ordering another and they could leave.
    It would be like nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.
    “Sarah?”
    Dammit.
    She glanced up. His eyes were narrowed at her. He had a questioning look on his face. As if he thought it couldn’t really be her.
    She could completely relate to that feeling.
    “Cole.” Did her voice just squeak? Oh, please no. Though she was sure it had.
    His voice was deeper and, heaven help her, sexier than it had been all those years ago. He looked even better close up. Any trace of a boy was gone. The man that stood before her was taller. Broader. His once floppy, dark hair was trimmed shorter than she’d ever seen it. It was just long enough to be slightly messy. Probably from riding his motorcycle, she decided. His dark blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at her.
    Why was he smiling she wondered? He had nothing to smile about.
    Feeling off balance, she said the first thing that came to mind.
    “Drinking in the middle of the day? Some things never change.”
    He held a glass of amber colored liquid in each hand and didn’t look the least bit bothered by her comment. His gaze slowly, deliberately slid to the margarita in front of her.
    “Oh, it is so not the same thing,” Sarah said before Cole had a chance to say anything. A margarita was a girly drink. Kind of. Never mind that it had a fair amount of tequila in it. She wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if his large drink was straight up whisky with only a splash of Coke.
    He quirked an eyebrow at her and his lips twitched, fighting off a smile. “Whatever you say.”
    Ironically, after that, she wasn’t able to manage to say anything.
    He grinned at her. His eyes traveled down her body and back up again. Sarah was grateful that the booth obstructed his view somewhat.
    “Really?” she asked with raised eyebrows. The nerve of him. Never mind that she’d taken a long, ext/p> a longensive look when he’d had his backside to her.
    “Hey, it’s been a long time,” he said defensively. “I can’t believe you’re here. You look real good by the way. I mean, you look the same. But different too. It’s not like I didn’t see you checking me out when I was headed this