Free A Love Least Expected by C. W. Nightly

Chapter 1

    The bar her friends had chosen for tonight's celebration brought back memories. A haunt of theirs from the days when they were starving students, rather than struggling adults. I examined each face of the people gathered around me. The faces of the people who had always been there, no matter what.
    I, Payton Carmichaels, raised my glass in time with those of my nearest and dearest. “Good Riddance,” they chimed.
    I echoed the statement, but the sentiment was lacking. The reason for tonight’s gathering was the fact I had disposed of yet another boyfriend. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Danny had to go. No ambition, no job, no future and completely self-absorbed in bed. I don’t even really remember why we were together in the first place. It was, in fact, an alarming pattern.
    That wasn’t quite honest. After many years of being alone for Valentine’s Day, this year I didn’t want to be. No blind dates, no girl’s only nights because I was the odd one out, but I couldn’t do it. Danny had been a mistake that started as a date for the office Christmas party and just stuck around like a bad cold. I didn’t get the big deal, so what if I didn’t meet Mr. Right yet. Wasn’t it better to not have met him yet and be alone than to rush into something and make the mistake of a lifetime?
    I licked my wrist, tossed back the bitter tasting tequila shooter in time with my friends . Stuck the lemon wedge between my lips and sucked to complete the ceremonial toast, banging the glass back on the bar. We had been doing this since college, whenever one of us broke up, the others circled the wagons, not allowing for any morose behavior or injudicious rebounds.
    I loved the people gathered around this oak bar like family with the one glaring exception, I could tell them anything. I let my eyes linger on each one of the members of my extended family. Kylie and her spiky blond hair coupled with a personality to match. Dawn our resident flirt and Avery with her quiet fortitude. Then there was Cade the lone man to brave our little group of estrogen and our body guard. Other men before him had tried and failed.
    Cade joined our group the second semester of University and had remained unwavering ever since. When we all went out with dates, 1 he would bring whatever girl he was seeing at the time, but like me, they never seemed to last. When the girls were getting together he always came alone. In fact, there had been a couple of evenings like this in his honor over the years, in spite of his protests that it was nothing serious.
    Another shot arrived in front of me, pulling me from my musings. Why can’t I find someone like him? The question nagged me as I followed in yet another round of shots. That was my third and my last for tonight if I had any intention of walking.
    “That’s it for me girls. I’m already numb.”
    “No way Payton. Cade’s here, relax. At least one more. Look at all the yummy guys.” Dawn whined.
    Cade sipped at his Virgin Sex on the Beach compliments of Kylie, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. It was his turn to be the designated driver for our group, so he sat back and watched the fall out of girl’s night. Then he would pile us into his car and get us home.
    “You know I’ve got you Payton if you want to let go,” Cade confirmed Dawn’s comment.
    “Are you willing to carry me, because that’s where this is heading?” I taunted him expecting a laugh or at least a smart comeback.
    “Anytime Pay, anytime.”
    His statement brought the conversation around me to a standstill and all heads turned in his direction. Cade was the constant with us, but he never flirted and never judged. This was new for him.
    “Easy girls… I would carry any one of your drunken asses if I needed too.” Cade said the words but something passed between us when his eyes met mine. Something lingered there in his chocolate depths that I couldn’t quite make sense of. Actually