Read Online Wish 01 - A Secret Wish by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
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her fake ID had worked on the part-time bartender, the owner, Donald Murphy, had thrown her out about five minutes later.
She hadn’t really been surprised. Donald Murphy knew all the kids in town. He had six children of his own, and he was a familiar figure on the soccer and baseball fields where he coached or umpired games. He’d been a mentor and father figure for her and a lot of her friends.
As she walked inside the bar, she found herself hoping he’d be there. She could use a dose of his Irish charm, his practical, down-to-earth, no-nonsense wisdom. But as she entered Murphy’s, the man behind the bar had jet-black hair and a very familiar set of shoulders. As her gaze met his amazing light blue eyes, her entire world spun around.
Recognition flashed in his gaze, a mix of surprise, anger, welcome and wariness. “Carly?”
His deep voice took her back in time. He’d said her name many, many times in her childhood, adolescence, and young-adult years – sometimes with anger, sometimes with love, sometimes with passion…
She struggled to breathe, to find her voice, to say something. But what?
Alex had been so many things to her – the annoying boy across the hall who had ruined her birthday cake, the attractive teen with whom she’d shared her first real kiss, the guy who’d helped her move her meager belongings into her dorm room, and finally, the man who’d asked her to marry him.
Her legs felt weak, and she slid onto the nearby bar stool with relief. She hadn’t seen Alex since she’d turned down his proposal eighteen years ago. She’d been twenty-two and had her sights set on an up-and-coming young lawyer in the law firm where she worked in downtown San Francisco. She hadn’t known what would happen then with Blake, but she’d been fairly sure that if she said yes to Alex, she would never get off the hill.
Alex moved down the bar. He’d grown up, filled out, his hair graying at the temples, his shoulders broader than she remembered, his jaw stubborn, his lips still sexy. She blew out a breath. It was amazing that she could have such a strong reaction to a man she hadn’t seen in almost two decades, but Alex had always had a way with the women. It was those Black Irish looks. They were a killer. Her gaze moved to his hand. He didn’t wear a ring, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he wasn’t married.
“What can I get you?” he asked, his tone even, his gaze guarded.
He was talking to her like any other customer, which was just – wrong.
Carly?” he asked again, an edge to his voice now. “I don’t have all day.”
She drew in a breath. “Sorry. I’ll have a glass of beer. Whatever you have on tap.”
“Beer – really?” he asked cynically. “Haven’t you moved on to more sophisticated drinks?”
“Beer is fine,” she said, meeting the challenge in his gaze. “Apparently, the years between had not improved his opinion of her.
He poured a beer and set it down in front of her. Then he moved down the counter to help another customer.
She was grateful for the momentary reprieve. She sipped her beer and glanced around the room. There was a decent crowd. Most of the tables were full, and there was a crowd gathered around the pool table in the back. It was a mix of young and old, all casually dressed. She looked very out of place in her evening gown, but then, she probably would have felt out of place in her designer jeans, too. She’d outgrown this bar a long time ago.
A young woman moved behind the bar, wearing black pants and a white top. “Sorry that took so long,” she told Alex.
“No problem,” he said.
As the woman started to attend to the customers at the bar, Alex walked back to her.
“Nice dress, Carly.”
“I’d say thank you if your tone wasn’t so sarcastic,” she replied.
He met her gaze. “What did you expect?”
“Nothing. I didn’t even know you would be here.”
Disbelief shadowed his eyes. “Then what are you doing here?”
“Just
She hadn’t really been surprised. Donald Murphy knew all the kids in town. He had six children of his own, and he was a familiar figure on the soccer and baseball fields where he coached or umpired games. He’d been a mentor and father figure for her and a lot of her friends.
As she walked inside the bar, she found herself hoping he’d be there. She could use a dose of his Irish charm, his practical, down-to-earth, no-nonsense wisdom. But as she entered Murphy’s, the man behind the bar had jet-black hair and a very familiar set of shoulders. As her gaze met his amazing light blue eyes, her entire world spun around.
Recognition flashed in his gaze, a mix of surprise, anger, welcome and wariness. “Carly?”
His deep voice took her back in time. He’d said her name many, many times in her childhood, adolescence, and young-adult years – sometimes with anger, sometimes with love, sometimes with passion…
She struggled to breathe, to find her voice, to say something. But what?
Alex had been so many things to her – the annoying boy across the hall who had ruined her birthday cake, the attractive teen with whom she’d shared her first real kiss, the guy who’d helped her move her meager belongings into her dorm room, and finally, the man who’d asked her to marry him.
Her legs felt weak, and she slid onto the nearby bar stool with relief. She hadn’t seen Alex since she’d turned down his proposal eighteen years ago. She’d been twenty-two and had her sights set on an up-and-coming young lawyer in the law firm where she worked in downtown San Francisco. She hadn’t known what would happen then with Blake, but she’d been fairly sure that if she said yes to Alex, she would never get off the hill.
Alex moved down the bar. He’d grown up, filled out, his hair graying at the temples, his shoulders broader than she remembered, his jaw stubborn, his lips still sexy. She blew out a breath. It was amazing that she could have such a strong reaction to a man she hadn’t seen in almost two decades, but Alex had always had a way with the women. It was those Black Irish looks. They were a killer. Her gaze moved to his hand. He didn’t wear a ring, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he wasn’t married.
“What can I get you?” he asked, his tone even, his gaze guarded.
He was talking to her like any other customer, which was just – wrong.
Carly?” he asked again, an edge to his voice now. “I don’t have all day.”
She drew in a breath. “Sorry. I’ll have a glass of beer. Whatever you have on tap.”
“Beer – really?” he asked cynically. “Haven’t you moved on to more sophisticated drinks?”
“Beer is fine,” she said, meeting the challenge in his gaze. “Apparently, the years between had not improved his opinion of her.
He poured a beer and set it down in front of her. Then he moved down the counter to help another customer.
She was grateful for the momentary reprieve. She sipped her beer and glanced around the room. There was a decent crowd. Most of the tables were full, and there was a crowd gathered around the pool table in the back. It was a mix of young and old, all casually dressed. She looked very out of place in her evening gown, but then, she probably would have felt out of place in her designer jeans, too. She’d outgrown this bar a long time ago.
A young woman moved behind the bar, wearing black pants and a white top. “Sorry that took so long,” she told Alex.
“No problem,” he said.
As the woman started to attend to the customers at the bar, Alex walked back to her.
“Nice dress, Carly.”
“I’d say thank you if your tone wasn’t so sarcastic,” she replied.
He met her gaze. “What did you expect?”
“Nothing. I didn’t even know you would be here.”
Disbelief shadowed his eyes. “Then what are you doing here?”
“Just
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