Free Heaven With You by Rebecca Julia Lauren Page A

the top things I look for when selecting a date.”
    “How old should she be?”
    “No one younger than twenty-five. I wouldn’t want to date someone the same age as my daughter.”
    “What do you like to do when you’re not working?”
    “I like to run, play golf, fish. I like to cook.”
    “You can’t be as perfect as you seem. Do you smoke? Chew with your mouth open? Ever cheated on a girlfriend? Have you lost your temper and hit her?”
    He waited until I locked eyes with him to answer. “The answer to all four questions is no.”
    “You are perfect.”
    “No, I’m not perfect Isabelle.”
    I shook my head, thinking differently.
    “I started drinking when I was ten.”
    The startling admission ripped through me. My gaze flew to his.
    “I stole my mom’s liquor and it helped take the edge off at first. Soon I started getting in trouble in school, my grades dropped, I got picked up by the cops a few times for criminal mischief.”
    What he was saying went against everything I believed about him.
    “I was drunk the night that Anna got pregnant.”
    I froze. “Did she want to…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. It hurt too much.
    “Isabelle, I’ve never laid my hands on a woman that didn’t want them there. I’d never hurt a woman.”
    Swallowing a knot of emotion, I forced myself to look at him.
    “I know you’ve got it in your head that I’m some hero because of how we met all those years ago, but I’m not anyone’s hero.”
    He was just a man with flaws like everyone else. I tried to imagine Hunter stumbling drunk like Darryl, lying in a pool of his own vomit, raising his hand to strike a woman, but my mind refused to form the visual.
    Hunter was nothing like Darryl, no matter what he’d done in the past. He’d said that he wasn’t anyone’s hero, but he was Ellie’s hero. He was still mine.
    “I think you may be wrong about that.” I took a deep breath. “Hunter, I promise I’ll never repeat what you just said.”
    “I know. I trust you, Izzy.”
    His quiet admission filled a void deep inside of me.
     “You going to tell me what you want in a man?”
    The question caught me off guard even though I should have been expecting it. This was the reason we were here after all.
    “Someone nice with a good sense of humor, employed and they’d have to like animals and kids.” I paused, nervous. “I guess you probably want someone nice and employed as well.”
    “Hold on. We’re talking about you now. What else do you want?”
    “What else is there?”
    “A lot. Tell me what your interests you.”
    “Friends, sunsets, running, fishing, movies, coffee…magic.”
    I saw that my answer intrigued him.  Hopping up, I went and fished a paper napkin from my bag. I sat down, smiling at Hunter. “What do you see?”
    His brow furrowed. “It’s a napkin.”
    My hands moved quickly, wadding up the paper and folding it tightly in my left fist. “I didn’t bring my clown dust so you’ll have to tap on my fist.”
    He reached out and lightly tapped the back of my hand. Lifting my chin, I locked eyes with Hunter and then I opened my fist. It was empty.
    I caught his surprised expression before he glanced around, searching for the paper. This was the best part. I was going to get to touch him. Lifting my hand, I touched the side of his face and a current shot through me.
    He didn’t move a muscle. His eyes never veered from mine. I knew that I couldn’t continue stroking his face indefinitely, but I loved touching him. Reluctantly, I reached behind his ear and withdrew a tiny paper fish.
    Hunter stared at it and then at me. “How the hell did you do that?”
    I smiled, pleased that he was impressed. “Magic.”
    He picked up the tiny fish. “You’re talented Izzy.”
    “I make a living as a clown. Any man I’d date would have to not be embarrassed by that.”
    “Hmm. You want a nice guy that has a job and doesn’t look down on yours. You don’t ask for much, do you?”
    I