the background, flames licked up the side of his restaurant, engulfing and devouring
his favorite location. But he couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment. Contessa
was going to be okay. The restaurant was just wood and metal and could be replaced.
“Sir, do you know this woman?” the EMT asked. “Or if she has any medical conditions
or allergies I should be aware of before we take her in?”
Contessa tried to speak but she started coughing again and they put an oxygen mask
over her face. She pointed to her purse. Kade grabbed for it and pulled out her wallet
to dig for information. He found a medical card. “She’s allergic to penicillin and
codeine.”
“And what’s her name?” the EMT asked, not even looking at Kade.
“It’s Con—” But he stopped himself when his eyes landed on the name listed on the
card, his throat trying to close. “It’s Tessa McAllen.”
“Thank you.”
But Kade didn’t even hear him. Or notice another medic who came over to check and
see if he needed any help. All Kade could hear were his own words repeating in his
head.
It’s Tessa McAllen
.
Tessa McAllen
.
Tess . . .
Everything inside him knotted—longing mixed up with a paradoxical dose of pure bitterness.
For a moment, he was transported back years to a version of himself he’d tried to
forget existed, to a night he’d tried to obliterate from his psyche.
“Sir, you can ride with us to the hospital or follow us there if you feel okay to
drive.”
“I c-c-can drive.”
What the hell?
He nearly slapped his hand over his mouth, the stuttered word like the sound of breaking
glass to his ears. He hadn’t flubbed a word in over a decade. He rolled his shoulders,
shaking off the reappearance of the old tic.
The medic adjusted the oxygen mask on Tessa’s face. “Looks like she’s going to be
fine since you both got out so quickly. But we want to get her checked out and run
a few tests to be sure.”
Kade nodded absently as he stared down at Tessa. Her hair was blonde now and she was
curvier, softer in the best possible way. But, of course, all those years would’ve
changed things. Nothing about him resembled the boy she’d known back then either,
not even his name.
She was still as beautiful as he remembered, though. And based on some of the things
she’d said tonight, probably just as unattainable.
The only difference was maybe this time he could actually do something about it if
he wanted to. The question was—did he want to? Last time he’d taken a risk on Tessa
McAllen, his life had blown up and disintegrated around him. He didn’t need that kind
of drama in his life again or a regular reminder of what he most hoped to forget.
But as he watched Tessa get loaded into the back of the ambulance, he knew there was
no way he could step back and let her walk out of his life a second time. She’d said
that she only wanted tonight. She’d said this was a one-time thing.
Kaden Fowler would’ve turned and gone home. That boy had been used to hearing
no
.
But Kade Vandergriff didn’t even know what the word sounded like.
FIVE
1996
Kaden Fowler sat in a shaded spot with his back against the grimy brick wall of Henley
High’s recreation building, hoping to blend into it. The rest of the junior and senior
class were either still inside the cafeteria eating or were gathered in small groups
around the main yard, claiming their piece of concrete or grass and trying to impress
each other.
Kaden never did either here—try to impress
or
eat. After one too many
fatass
and
oink-oink
comments in junior high, he’d learned to fill up at breakfast and then wait until
dinner to eat again. Even after he’d shot up six inches over the last year and was
more bulk than chub now, the jerkoffs who’d teased him then wouldn’t fail to remind
him of his former fat-kid status. Once branded as such, it never went away. And if
they didn’t
his favorite location. But he couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment. Contessa
was going to be okay. The restaurant was just wood and metal and could be replaced.
“Sir, do you know this woman?” the EMT asked. “Or if she has any medical conditions
or allergies I should be aware of before we take her in?”
Contessa tried to speak but she started coughing again and they put an oxygen mask
over her face. She pointed to her purse. Kade grabbed for it and pulled out her wallet
to dig for information. He found a medical card. “She’s allergic to penicillin and
codeine.”
“And what’s her name?” the EMT asked, not even looking at Kade.
“It’s Con—” But he stopped himself when his eyes landed on the name listed on the
card, his throat trying to close. “It’s Tessa McAllen.”
“Thank you.”
But Kade didn’t even hear him. Or notice another medic who came over to check and
see if he needed any help. All Kade could hear were his own words repeating in his
head.
It’s Tessa McAllen
.
Tessa McAllen
.
Tess . . .
Everything inside him knotted—longing mixed up with a paradoxical dose of pure bitterness.
For a moment, he was transported back years to a version of himself he’d tried to
forget existed, to a night he’d tried to obliterate from his psyche.
“Sir, you can ride with us to the hospital or follow us there if you feel okay to
drive.”
“I c-c-can drive.”
What the hell?
He nearly slapped his hand over his mouth, the stuttered word like the sound of breaking
glass to his ears. He hadn’t flubbed a word in over a decade. He rolled his shoulders,
shaking off the reappearance of the old tic.
The medic adjusted the oxygen mask on Tessa’s face. “Looks like she’s going to be
fine since you both got out so quickly. But we want to get her checked out and run
a few tests to be sure.”
Kade nodded absently as he stared down at Tessa. Her hair was blonde now and she was
curvier, softer in the best possible way. But, of course, all those years would’ve
changed things. Nothing about him resembled the boy she’d known back then either,
not even his name.
She was still as beautiful as he remembered, though. And based on some of the things
she’d said tonight, probably just as unattainable.
The only difference was maybe this time he could actually do something about it if
he wanted to. The question was—did he want to? Last time he’d taken a risk on Tessa
McAllen, his life had blown up and disintegrated around him. He didn’t need that kind
of drama in his life again or a regular reminder of what he most hoped to forget.
But as he watched Tessa get loaded into the back of the ambulance, he knew there was
no way he could step back and let her walk out of his life a second time. She’d said
that she only wanted tonight. She’d said this was a one-time thing.
Kaden Fowler would’ve turned and gone home. That boy had been used to hearing
no
.
But Kade Vandergriff didn’t even know what the word sounded like.
FIVE
1996
Kaden Fowler sat in a shaded spot with his back against the grimy brick wall of Henley
High’s recreation building, hoping to blend into it. The rest of the junior and senior
class were either still inside the cafeteria eating or were gathered in small groups
around the main yard, claiming their piece of concrete or grass and trying to impress
each other.
Kaden never did either here—try to impress
or
eat. After one too many
fatass
and
oink-oink
comments in junior high, he’d learned to fill up at breakfast and then wait until
dinner to eat again. Even after he’d shot up six inches over the last year and was
more bulk than chub now, the jerkoffs who’d teased him then wouldn’t fail to remind
him of his former fat-kid status. Once branded as such, it never went away. And if
they didn’t
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