Free Accidental Heartbreak (The Accidental Series, Book 2) by Tina Martin

Victoria’s Secret
helping her choose body sprays. And he wouldn’t let her pay for a
thing – not the eighty dollar’s worth of lotion and perfume from
Victoria’s Secret, the pair of Nike’s she picked out from
Footlocker or the silver charm bracelet from Zales Jewelers –
everything was on him.
    They left the mall a little after four which
left plenty of time for the drive to Virginia Beach for dinner. And
while they rode there, Donovan talked about his family. Said his
parents were still married and had been for over thirty years. He
told her more about his son, how he was a good student and was a
soccer player for a junior league.
    Turning on Atlantic Avenue, he said, “Now we
need to find somewhere to park near Fifteenth Street.” He drove a
few blocks, then after passing Fourteenth Street, he made a right
on Fifteenth, finding the perfect parallel parking space between
two SUVs. His black Audi fit perfectly.
    They emerged from his car at the same time,
though he would have liked to open the door for her. Walking
side-by-side, he held her by the hand as they took the pedestrian
crosswalk across Atlantic Avenue, then walked through a parking lot
near a Carnival area to get to the boardwalk.
    “That’s the restaurant?” Shayla asked,
looking straight ahead.
    “Yep. That’s it. Used to come here quite a
bit,” he said shy of saying he and his wife frequented the place.
This was his first time back since she had passed.
    Donovan requested a deck table so they could
enjoy the panoramic views of the Atlantic. Plus, it was still warm
outside, although it was early September. The breeze was
enticing.
    After sitting, Shayla studied the menu.
    Donovan studied her. Since he’d known her –
since her first interview with him – her hair had been long and
straight. Now she had a head full of big, bouncy curls that blew
around her face and danced over her shoulders. Made him want to
touch it, to feel its texture.
    “So what’s good here?” Shayla asked, taking
a break from the menu and looking up at him.
    Donovan was in a daze then blinked out of
his trance when she asked the question. “Um…just about everything.
However, I recommend you try the fried seafood combo. That’s what
I’m having.”
    “Well, it’s settled then.” Shayla placed the
menu on the table, took in the view, listening to the waves
crashing, pushing ashore then receding, the pattern repeating over
and over again.
    “How about the hot crab dip for an
appetizer?” Donovan suggested.
    “Wow,” Shayla chuckled. “The sound of that
made my mouth water.”
    His mouth was watering too, but it had
nothing to do with the crab dip. “Yeah. It’s delicious.” Donovan
set the menu on the table. He wanted to ask Shayla about last night
but he wouldn’t bring it up unless she did. So they sat there,
quietly, enjoying the sound of the waves and while they waited, a
waitress took their orders. Then she left with a spring in her
step.
    “I wanted to apologize for last night,”
Shayla said to him, fiddling with her new bracelet. “I was a
complete mess.”
    “No worries…just glad I was there.”
    Shayla nodded. Why was he there? She had
specifically told him that she didn’t need to be seen to her hotel
but he had followed her anyway. She would’ve found it odd, if she
hadn’t known him to be so generous. That was his personality.
During her first week at work, he’d been supportive and
accommodating, seeing to it that she had everything she needed to
succeed; even offering her a room in his place and he tried to get
her a company car when he found out hers was a rental, but she
declined it. Still, he made sure she was reimbursed for her car
rental fees.
    “Here you folks are,” the waitress said,
placing the crap dip in the center of the table. “Your meals will
be out shortly.”
    Donovan thanked her.
    “It’s really nice and relaxing out here,”
Shayla said looking around.
    “Yeah. It’s nice.” Donovan tasted the dip
and