Now and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart Read Online Free Page B

bar.
    “Writer’s block?”
    She looked to her left, directly into a pair
of warm brown eyes looking at her with an amused air. A man sat in
the previously empty seat. She didn’t even notice him sit down. Kit
looked at him but couldn’t find her voice. He was gorgeous with
dark brown hair to match his dark eyes, shoulders as wide as a city
block. His face wore a wry grin turning up one corner of his
sensuous mouth. His white long sleeve shirt open at the neck
emphasized the darkness of his hair and eyes. A blue striped tie,
loosened to indicate the end of his work day, hung below the opened
shirt button.
    “Is he annoying you?” Don asked, his eyes
twinkling, “Because if he is, I can have him thrown out of here in
two seconds. He comes in here every day hitting on pretty, single
women. I have to shoo him out all the time.”
    She gave Don a quizzical look, as if she
didn’t understand he was kidding.
    The thought of a man hitting on her filled
her with dread. She felt terrified, vulnerable. It had been so long
since she had been single, she didn’t know how to handle herself.
The last thing she needed was some predatory male looking to take
her to bed then dump her.
    “I’m married,” she lied.
    “Don’s kidding. I don’t do that,” the man
said, embarrassment staining his cheeks.
    “This is Tunney Nichols, miss…”
    “Missus. Kit Alexander. Mrs. Kit Alexander,”
she said, stiffly.
    Tunney put out his big, strong, warm,
calloused one hand. She took it. She tried to smile at him but
could only manage a small lifting of the corners of her mouth. His
eyes looked her over from head to toe, making her more
uncomfortable, then retreated behind a polite mask. He dialed down
his thousand-watt grin.
    “You from Willow Falls?”
    “New York City,” she replied. Am I? Am I
still from New York City? I’m not from anywhere anymore. Kit
took a deep, steadying breath to force down tears forming at the
back of her eyes.
    Tunney raised his eyebrows as he stared at
her. She turned her head away, blinking rapidly and took another
deep breath. When she turned back, his questioning look had
disappeared.
    “I don’t usually try to pick up married
woman…let me rephrase that. I never try to pick up married women,”
he chuckled. “But having a companion to talk to during dinner is
far preferable to eating alone…especially such an attractive
one.”
    Kit blushed as a small smile curved her lips
up.
    “I agree. I hate to eat alone.”
    Tunney grinned at her as the lines in his
face and the muscles in his jaw relaxed.
    “Kit is an unusual name.”
    “My full name is Katherine, but my maiden
name is Carson, so in school, the kids nicknamed me Kit,” she
replied, “Tunney isn’t exactly a run-of-the-mill name either.”
    “It isn’t,” he said, taking a sip of his
beer. “My dad was a big fan of prize fighting. He named me after
Jack Tunney, the fighter.”
    “Were you a fighter as a child?” She drained
the rest of her Cosmo.
    “I liked to build things. But my dad taught
me to fight so I could defend myself against schoolyard
bullies.”
    “Did you?”
    “When necessary.”
    She finished her Cosmo and not yet feeling
any effect, ordered another. Tunney went back to his beer.
    “Did having that nickname spark any interest
in the Wild West?”
    “When I was younger, I resented the
nickname. But when I got older I appreciated its uniqueness, plus,
I never had to spell it for anyone. But I did not become a Wild
West buff. ”
    “Tell me about it! No one can spell Tunney
right. I went by ‘Nick’ when I was in school. Much easier.”
    “What made you change to Tunney?”
    “My college fraternity had three ‘Nicks’, so
I became Tunney. Then I got used to it.”
    “I think Tunney’s distinctive.” She took a
sip of the fresh Cosmo.
    “So is Kit.”
    “What’s good here?” Kit asked, opening the
menu.
    “I like their chicken cordon bleu, which I
ordered yesterday.”
    “Come here often?”
    “I