What We've Become (My Kind Of Country Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

bustling going on around him, she still had the allure to push everything else from his mind. He focused on his mental image of her so intently he could almost feel her next to him. Chad looked down at the bottle of beer within his grasp, silently wishing it would reveal life’s answers to him. Instead, he gave up the ruse and set the beer down on the appetizer table—he’d never found solace in alcohol, anyway.
    Enjoying the lull in social interaction, he relished in having a moment to take in everything that was going on around him. He had to admit, his team had worked hard to make him look good in front of all these people. The album cover art he had just chosen last week was hung around the room on signs of various sizes, boasting the new song’s title and that the album would be available soon—which Chad found humorous since he knew no one had confirmed the album’s release date yet—every beer, wine, or spirit anyone could ever want seemed to be available at the bar, and judging by the staggering gait, and loud obnoxious laughter from some of the party attendees, he would say that most of them were utilizing the bar’s well stocked status to its full potential. The food and appetizers were just as plentiful as the booze supply, and tables of handmade, catered finger foods and hors d’oeuvres lined two of the walls. He was scanning the table beside him so thoroughly for cornbread that he didn’t see her until she spoke.
    “This is quite the party.”
    Chad whirled around, so struck by how close Katie was to him that he attempted to take an unsteady step backward. He tried to catch his balance, which, in fact, did result in him remaining standing, but the beer he had intended to discard toddled to the floor, its odorous contents splashing their feet.
    “Christ! I’m sorry!” Chad flung his hands out for a pile of napkins and dove to the floor, trying to clean up the mess before it spread any further. He was frantically sopping up the puddle when the sound of her laughter drifted through the noise surrounding him. He glanced upward, slowing his efforts to clean up, and saw that she was holding out her hand to him.
    “Get up, Chad.” She laughed softly again. “I guarantee your beer is not the only one that’ll be spilled tonight.”
    Chad rose to his feet, a small smile dancing on his lips. He did not dare to touch her hand. His mind might be over-thinking things, but he was sure the heat of her skin would be too much to bear. Seeing her had already reopened the wounds he was sure he’d roughly mended and hidden away.
    “This, right here, is my biggest fear and my greatest hope.” The words rolled from his tongue without thinking them through.
    “What is?” Katie pulled her hand away, confusion outlining her features.
    “Seeing you again.”
    She looked unsure of how to respond, but Chad decided not to elaborate. She had shown up at his party, so it wasn’t up to him to explain himself.
    “I didn’t plan on being here, trust me.”
    Her words cut through him, slicing through his resolve. He flinched. She must have realized how crass her statement sounded, and she held up her hands.
    “Wait, that’s not at all what I meant. I just meant—” Katie lowered her hands, obviously trying to calm down her nerves. “I had no idea the party Jay was taking me to was for...well, you.”
    “And you wouldn’t have come if you had known I would be here?” Again, words were formulating before Chad had thought them through. He sighed, shaking his head mournfully. “I’m sorry, Katie. Forget I said that. It’s just—I feel like two worlds are colliding right now and I am not sure if I am ready for it.”
    “That makes two of us.” She offered him a sad smile. “I can’t even bring myself to look at Jay right now. I am not sure what he thought he was going to accomplish by bringing me here.”
    Chad did. He had brought her here on purpose, gloating that he had won the war. That said, Jay was not a