Rendezvous (Renegades 5)

He was done with superficial and temporary. Over being judged based on an expression or the way he carried himself. He wanted someone who really knew him. Someone who really got him. Someone who wanted more than a good or kinky or rough fuck. As much as he loved all that, just that wasn’t enough anymore. And he certainly needed it with a whole different type of woman.

More laughter erupted inside the café among both workers and customers. The woman at the table was laughing so hard, she dropped her spoon in the dessert. A woman in the next booth reached out and clasped the hand of the older waitress, who was grinning when she said something in response.

The joy inside the restaurant was palpable and made Keaton smile even though his heart felt heavy. “Shit. Maybe I just need to start eating in cafés instead of bars.”

The waitresses moved off to help other customers, and the woman at the table lifted her head, pulling her hand through her hair at the crown, exposing her face in a slow sweep.

As Keaton took in her face, Brooke filled his mind again. This woman was pretty, like Brooke. Her face open, happy, and glowing like Brooke’s. Her skin smooth, her cheeks rosy, her lips full like Brooke’s…

Keaton’s smile faded. A lot of

emotions conflicted at once—confusion, hope, denial. He tipped his head and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her face harder. He wasn’t sure if his brain was distorting the woman to fit his memory of Brooke or if the woman was truly Brooke’s doppelgänger, but it didn’t matter. The sight sent Keaton’s mind back to that night on the beach in Malibu, the night before Brooke had gotten that job offer in Florida. Strolling with her on the shore, under the stars. He remembered the full moon. The sound of the ocean.

Damn, he could almost feel the warmth of her mouth beneath his…

The ache tugging in his gut pulled him from the memory, and Keaton rubbed a hand down his face. He took a deep breath and reset his thoughts. Then laughed at himself. He couldn’t remember much of anything about the women he’d slept with between the time he’d last seen Brooke and now. But he remembered every fucking detail of that one kiss on the beach with her?

Yeah, he was definitely ready for a life change. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t help him where Brooke was concerned. His one revelation didn’t change the distance between Florida and Los Angeles. But then he thought about Austin and how often he came here. About Austin and its development into nothing short of a mini Nashville, steeped in the music industry. Maybe that job she’d taken brought her to Austin occasionally. It wasn’t a huge leap.

The city was also quickly becoming a mini Hollywood, with more television series and more movies being filmed there every year. Hell, maybe he and Brooke had already been in the city at the same time and didn’t even know it.

He should just reconnect with her. See how she was. Check into her schedule. He had a good startup conversation. “Hey, just saw your doppelgänger in Austin and thought about you. Was wondering if you ever get out this way.” Casual. Noncommittal. Good way to get back in touch.

He pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his contacts.

He found her name in the D’s, and just the sight made him smile. “Brooke Dempsey.”

So many fun memories flooded in from their few short weeks of knowing each other—dancing all night with friends, talking until sunrise, laughing, playing practical jokes, hanging out, barbeques, so many stories.

He might have gotten nothing more than one starlit kiss on the beach before she’d taken that job and disappeared to Florida, but looking back, Keaton was pretty damn sure they were some of the best weeks of his life.

He wasn’t smiling anymore. “Fucking Florida.”

Florida was the reason he hadn’t stayed in contact with her. It was the reason he shouldn’t call her again now. But after seeing this woman who brought Brooke’s memory back so vividly at a time he needed it so badly, the urge to hear her voice overshadowed reason. And he hit Dial.

He exhaled and cleared his throat as he lifted the phone to his ear and looked up. The woman in the café was looking up now too, listening to the older waitress as the woman spoke. Keaton lost track of his phone call. A zing of excitement burned down his sternum. Even from where he stood, he could see the sparkle of the woman’s bright blue eyes. Then she smiled, and dimples carved into her cheeks.

“Holy shit…” An ache pulled deep in his gut. “That couldn’t be…”

She looked down and searched through her purse. The waitress wandered off. And Brooke’s doppelgänger pulled out her phone, lifted it to her ear…

“Hello?”

Brooke’s sweet voice vibrated against Keaton’s ear at the same time the woman inside the café spoke.

Shock ricocheted through Keaton’s system. His mouth dropped open, but no words came out.

She pulled her phone from her ear and frowned at the screen, then brought it back with a worried “Keaton? Keaton, is that you? Are you okay? Is everything okay? Can you hear me? Keaton?”

“Yes,” he finally spat out. “It’s me.” Excitement, joy, relief, emotions he couldn’t begin to identify, rushed through him with an intensity he didn’t understand. “What the hell…? You’re in Austin? How often do you come to Austin? How long have you been here? How long are you staying?”

Then he realized it was his last night, and all his excitement bottomed out. Fuck.

Brooke glanced around the restaurant, which was when Keaton’s brain kicked in and he realized he was still standing outside.

“How do you know I’m in Austin?” she asked.

He started around the building toward the entrance. “Because I’m here too. I’m coming in.”