Chapter 10 #2
But less than twenty-four hours since her return, that sense of peace and well-being was threatened by the arrival of the man who’d destroyed her belief in love and happily-ever-after. He’d almost destroyed her, too, but that was not happening again; she wouldn’t let it.
Katie should have left O’Reilly’s with Ava, but no, she’d been so spun up about seeing Ian Finnegan again that she walked to her car and waited an hour for him to finish his shift.
What sort of crazy fool does that? What if the man didn’t finish until after midnight?
Would she have really sat in her car for two and a half hours?
She should have driven home, gotten a decent night’s sleep, and come up with a game plan to confront him tomorrow.
But when had she ever been rational when this man was concerned?
She wanted him gone, and the sooner she found out why he was here, the quicker she could convince him to leave.
And that’s why she waited until she spotted him leaving the bar in a leather biker jacket, his tall frame heading her way. He might have passed her if she hadn’t opened her door and confronted him. “Why are you here?”
He turned to her, frowned. “Hello, to you, too.”
Katie scanned the ponytail, the worn jacket, the faded jeans. “Did you lose your job?”
“No.”
Did the guy even have a job? “I don’t mean the bartending gig. Did you lose whatever job you had before you came here?” Before he could reply, she slammed him with another question. “And what was that job?”
He stared at her. “You don’t think much of me, do you?”
“Can you just answer the question and tell me how long you’ll be staying so I can avoid you? And then–”
“I’m an engineer.”
Doubtful. “Really? Still working on cars? Is that what you do?”
“You could say that. Still working with cars. Love those engines.”
There’s nothing like figuring out how to make an engine run, especially when it’s in a car, he’d once told her. Don’t ever give up your passion, no matter what. Maybe he really was an engineer. “So, no executive position for you at your father’s company?”
A shrug and then “This look doesn’t exactly fit my father’s idea of an executive.”
“I see.” A crazy thought flitted through her brain. “Is that why you grew the ponytail and got the tattoos? So your father would leave you alone?” If she thought about it long enough, she could see him doing exactly that.
“Maybe this is who I am.”
“It doesn’t seem to fit.” She’d have bet a month’s worth of sales that Ian Finnegan would never sport a ponytail or ink his body.
“Why? Because the old me wouldn’t have a hair out of place, or wear a ragged T-shirt? Maybe this is who I really am.”
Was he toying with her, or was he serious? There’d been a time all those years ago when she’d been able to tell, had even teased him about his comments. But now? The man was a stranger buried beneath this new persona. “I’ve never considered that.”
The tiniest smile flitted across his lips, reached his eyes. “Look at you. So professional, so put together…” The smile faded. “Not quite as I remember you.”
You’ve got an untamed quality about you, he’d once told her.
It’s mesmerizing. Don’t ever lose it. Don’t ever succumb to ordinary or change to fit in.
Please don’t do that. Be your own unique self.
But she had succumbed. In fact, she’d embraced ordinary because she wanted to be taken seriously in the business world.
Gone were the faded jeans and tank tops, the wraparound skirts and fringe tops, replaced with a closet of upscale items. And the hair?
Cut to the shoulders, straightened every morning.
Katie cleared her throat. “I can’t very well own a company and run around like I work in the warehouse.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, avoided his gaze until she’d taken a few extra breaths. “So, will you be leaving soon?” Please, say you’ll be leaving soon.
He crossed his arms over his chest, studied her. “That depends.”
Katie waited for him to expand, and when he didn’t, she asked, “Depends on what?”
“I’m working on a project, and if I can find the answers and fix it, then we’ll see.”
It was impossible to hide her displeasure. “What does that even mean?”
“It means, it’s going to take as long as it takes and you’re going to have to get used to it.”
That was not the answer she wanted, and after a few more attempts, she realized he wasn’t going to share.
It reminded her of their very first meeting, soon after he arrived in Magdalena; angry, arrogant, untouchable.
But that had all changed once they really began to talk.
She’d told him things she’d never told anyone before, and so had he…
Had he been willing to say anything to get her into bed? A diversion and a “for now” until he left? Ten years was a long time to avoid the questions and the feelings tied to them.
And now Ian Finnegan was back in town. Unwanted. Unwelcome. Unavoidable.
Of course, no one knew he and Katie had history or that it had ended badly.
They embraced the newcomer in their town, intrigued with his level of “coolness”.
Well, she wasn’t interested or intrigued, and he could tell her any story he wanted about what work he did that may or may not be true.
He could be an engineer…or not. He could have a job that made him enough money to support himself…
or not. He could be the same person she thought she once knew…
but probably not. None of that mattered because what did matter was that he’d left and he’d stayed away.
Even when she grew desperate and tried to contact him, he’d responded with a block on her cell number.
Fine, she’d understood that message. And now he was back in her town and didn’t know how long he’d be here? No, not happening.
Katie clutched her handbag, shot out the words she wished she’d spoken all those years ago. “Stay away from me, and I’ll do the same.” Before he could respond, she turned and headed for her car, away from the man who’d once told her she owned his heart.