Sweet Satisfaction

“You’re here by yourself ?”

I gulped down the first half of the margarita before answering. “Yep. Stupid idea I guess .”

“I

don’t usually do this, but here.” He jotted something down on a napkin and slid it across the bar .

I read the numbers. Oh my God. Did he just give me his phone number? Maybe he wasn’t the paternal type after all .

“I’m Hank. If you need anything while you’re here, you give me a call. That’s my cell. Anything. I’m serious. It makes me a little nervous knowing a young girl like you is here alone .”

I sighed. He was doing something my father would do. “Thanks, Hank. That’s really sweet. I’m Kaitlyn .”

“Where are you staying? One of the big resorts?” He dried a beer pilsner before placing it on the shelf .

“No. My boyfriend, I mean my ex-boyfriend, stole my room. The only place I could get a room was the Dune Scape.” I hoped it didn’t take me long to stop making that mistake about Branch .

Hank chuckled. “The ole Dune Scape, you say. That place has seen better days .”

“Yeah, it is in serious need of a makeover.” I tasted the salt on the rim of the glass. Someone should call HGTV and have them do a motel crashers episode on the place .

“Cole’s working on it. It’s going to take some time. There’s a lot of work over there for one man to handle .”

“Cole? You know him ?”

“Orders up!” a high-pitched voice called from the other end of the bar .

Hank turned to retrieve my cheeseburger from the cook. He placed the plate in front of me .

“Taste it. Go on. Try it.” He waited for my first bite .

I didn’t need much prodding. My stomach growled at first sight of the plate of food. A pile of fries spilled over the side and onto the counter .

“Mmm-hmm,” I managed to mumble through my first bite of the cheeseburger .

“Told ya. Best burger on the island.” Hank threw a towel over his shoulder and moved down the bar to help a new customer .

The last ounce of my drink tasted especially limey. I could feel waves of the tequila starting to warm my limbs. Hank delivered a second drink to me with an extra lime. Maybe it was the country crooner or the margarita, but for the first time all day, I felt relaxed .

Then, he walked in .

It was impossible to ignore the broad shoulders on his athletic frame as he passed between the pool players. He was almost a head taller than the other guys in the bar. He no longer wore the paint-splattered T-shirt. His hair looked damp, like he had just taken a shower. The blue plaid button-up shirt he wore was rolled up to his elbows. He was sexy in that silent, mysterious way, but Cole shouldn’t be mysterious to me .

He used to come home with Ryan at Christmas break. He used to wake up on our couch. I had seen him brush his teeth. I’d seen him play basketball in our driveway. I’d watch him fight with Rayn over Halo. I knew this guy .

But something about being in South Padre made me wonder if I knew this Cole. I didn’t know Cole the committed man. Cole the father. Cole who worked at Dune Scape .

I was way too curious about him and trying too hard to catch a glimpse of his eyes again. I focused on the limes floating in my drink .

“Hey, Cole. How’s it goin’?” Hank asked over the guitar player who had amped up his performance .

Cole sat on a stool a few spots from me. “Hey, Kaitlyn .”

“Hi.” I smiled. Was he not going to sit next to me ?

“Same ole, same ole, Hank.” He rested his forearms on the counter while Hank poured him a beer .

“I hear ya, man.” Hank deposited the beer in front of him. “You ready for the grads over there ?”