AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Caden took a deep breath and shifted in his seat.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said quickly, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.
“It’s not that. It’s just a long story.”
She relaxed back into her seat. “I have a little more time.”. The truth was she had no idea how much time she had, and at the moment, she honestly didn’t care.
He nodded, a glint in his eye. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Their drinks were almost done and she probably had to get to her store soon, but she didn’t want to leave. It was the weirdest thing. A few days ago, she couldn’t get away from this man fast enough. Now she found herself relaxed and enjoying his company.
“I used to play cops and robbers as a kid with my older brother,” Caden said. “I was the cop; he was the robber.”
“Don’t tell me he grew up to be a robber,” she joked.
Caden stiffened and Hallie instantly regretted her careless words, but the warmth in his eyes never left as his gaze remained softly on her. “He was killed in an armed robbery when I was nineteen. I hated him for what he did, but more than that, I hated him for leaving me. A year later, I stopped hating him and wanted to find a way to honor him. The life he lived before he’d turned to crime. I had to think pretty far back, but then I remembered how we played as kids. I applied to the Dallas Police Academy and served there as an officer for four years before passing the detective’s exam. Three years after that I caught and solved a case that got national attention. The bureau offered me a job.” Caden shrugged. “I said yes.”
“Wow,” Hallie said. “That’s amazing.” She didn’t know what else to say. She spent her days working in a store that honored a year of her life, while this man risked his life to help and save others in memory of his dead brother.
“It’s not all that glamorous,” Caden said. “After a while, it’s just a job. One that I usually look forward to leaving at the end of the day.”
Hallie nodded. “I get that. I love my store, but some days, I wish I could just stay in bed in my pajamas and read a good book or watch reruns.”
“I think we all have those days,” he said. “Do you work on Sundays?”
“Usually, I do, but I’m supposed to go to a conference on Saturday, so I asked my employee, Katelyn, to fill in for me on both days this weekend to give myself a little break.”
“How about lunch time on Sunday?” Caden asked.
Hallie cocked her head. Was he asking her out on another date?
“I told you about my friends getting married, and the party we’re having for them. It was moved to Sunday since Blake should be getting out of the hospital any day now, and I was hoping you’d join me, as my date.”
There was that word. Date. Hallie sighed, not sure what to say. Did she want to go? Of course, she did. But was it too soon? All his friends would be there. She didn’t know the bride and groom, and she wasn’t invited.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Caden said, interrupting her thoughts. “It’s too soon, you don’t know my friends, and you weren’t officially invited.”
Hallie smiled. “Basically.”
Caden placed his hands on the table, his fingers resting on the cool, hard surface as if reaching for her. “Well, to address your concerns, it’s only too soon if we say it is, my friends are going to love you, and I just invited you.”
Hallie couldn’t stop smiling. From the moment they sat down, he had kept her relaxed, happy, and talking as if they’d known each other for years instead of mere days. She had no idea how he did that but she craved more of it. More of him. “Can I think about it?”
“Of course,” he said. “I do have one more question.”
Hallie felt her muscles begin to tense in anticipation of whatever he was going to say. Because of course he wasn’t just going to let her off the hook.
“When can I come by your store to look at the photo albums?” He asked.
Hallie’s shoulders dropped. She hadn’t expected him to keep his word. Mostly because she’d come to expect the worst of men after her last relationship. But Caden kept surprising her in all the best possible ways and it was the best feeling in the world. “Anytime,” she said, her cheeks starting to ache from smiling so much. Who was this guy and how had he managed to slip into her life? “If I’m not there, I’ll let Katelyn know to expect you. I put one of each of them in the back so you’d have a choice of whichever one you wanted.”
Caden blinked and adjusted his tie. “You saved them for me, even after the other day?”
“I wasn’t sure if you were coming back, but I thought I’d hold on to them in case you did. Not forever,” she added quickly. “Just until last weekend since you mentioned that was when you needed the gift. I just haven’t had a chance to put them out yet.”
She couldn’t quite read Caden’s expression, only that his eyes softened and he pushed a hand through his short hair. “I’ll come by tonight after work. Will you be there?”
“Yes.” Hallie didn’t even bother to ask what time he got off work or what time he’d be coming to the shop. She would wait for him.
