Alpha Hero - Hope Ford Page 0,78

her hand away, which surprises me. “That’s pretty deep for a first coffee date.”

I don’t even blink. “It’s the truth.”

She tilts her head to the side, looking at me intensely, almost like she’s expecting me to holler out psych or something. When it seems that she may see it, may see how sincere I am, she nods her head. “Okay, Baker, so tell me all your truths.”

3

Heather

He starts to fidget, but he grips my hand even tighter, almost like he doesn’t want to let me go. “Okay, well, you’re right. I have been a player…”he begins. I start to pull my hand away, but he stops me.

“Please, let me finish.” His blue eyes plead with me.

I nod my head and he continues. “For as long as I can remember, really, I was a player. I never was dishonest about it or anything. I was always up front, making sure that the woman knew nothing would come of it. I just never wanted anything serious, never thought I would really.”

I shake my head at him. “Okay, well, that’s all well and good, Baker, but I’m not like that. I don’t do one-night –”

He stops me, pulling my hand across the table and cradling it in both of his. “I know that. You don’t think I know that? That’s why I’m telling you this. I want you to know up front. I’ve never felt this way before. From the first moment I saw you, it about brought me to my knees.”

I can’t help it. I laugh. I pull my hand from his and I laugh until I’m holding my sides. “Really?” I wipe the tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard. He’s staring back at me, and he looks so sincere, maybe even a little hurt that I’m laughing. I get myself together and shake my head at him. “C’mon, you expect me to believe that you saw me”–I run my hands down, pointing at my body—“and you want to settle down now. Want a relationship? I don’t even know you.”

He shakes his head and then runs his fingers through his hair. “Okay, obviously I didn’t go about this the right way. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so honest and upfront on a first coffee date. How about this? You give me a chance. Nothing serious, we have our coffee – well, tea and cider – and get to know each other. At the end, you decide if you want to go out again.”

He’s holding his breath. Being a cop, I notice all the things people do, weird ticks, body language, everything. And looking at him now, he seems almost like he’s holding his breath waiting for me to answer. Like this is important to him or something.

Finally, I nod my head, agreeing with him.

He lets out a fast breath. “Okay, so now that you know a little about me, tell me about you. Why’d you become a cop?”

“I come from a big family of police officers. My dad, my grandpa, my uncle and aunt. I just knew when I was little that I would want to grow up and be like them.”

He nods his head, urging me on. “So what about your partner?”

“Luke? We’ve been partners for a few years now,” I answer him, wondering where this questioning is going.

“So that’s it, just partners?”

Confused by his question, I don’t know how to answer. Partners aren’t just partners. I’m probably closer to him than anyone really. “Well, I wouldn’t say just, but yeah, partners. And friends.”

Before he asks me something else, I want to get to know him. “So what about you? Why a fireman? Why a player?” I smile at my last question. I know I should move on, but there has to be some reason that makes this guy who he is. And I mean, heck, what have I got to lose? I’m not going to go out with him again.

He smiles, stroking his hand across the stubble on his jaw. “That’s cute, the way you put that in there. Well, uh, I come from a family of firemen. My mom passed when I was younger–”

I open my mouth to tell him I’m sorry, but he stops me by holding up his hand. “It’s okay – I was young, I’m over it now. Uh, why have I been a player? Well, honestly, I’ve never thought about it, but I’d have to say it had a lot to do with how I was raised. After my mom passed, my