Free The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) by Becki Willis

two together. Two total knockouts, side-by-side. Every guy’s
fantasy,” he said, a playfully wicked gleam in his eyes.
    Makenna hid her blush behind her wine
glass. “You are definitely good for a girl’s ego, Hardin Kaczmarek! Full of it,
but good for the ego.”
    “Full of it?” he feigned hurt feelings.
“I give you a sincere and heartfelt compliment, and you accuse me of being full
of shit. What’s a guy gotta do to catch a break?”
    In response, Makenna merely laughed and
rolled her eyes. She cut into her chicken as Hardin picked up the conversation.
    “So you said the Reagans took you in as
their own. Where are your parents?” he asked between bites of crusted fish and
rice pilaf.
    Makenna shrugged. “I honestly couldn’t
say.”
    “You mean, you don’t know where your
parents are?” he asked incredulously.
    “They haven’t spoken to me in three
years.”
    “Wow, that’s harsh.” He looked truly
stunned at her revelation. “Where were they, last you knew?”
    “The last address I had was somewhere in
South Carolina. Or maybe it was North.” She frowned, trying to recall what Kenzie
had said. Not that it mattered; that had been three years ago, and according to
her friend, they rarely stayed in one place more than a couple of years at a
time.
    “I’m sorry to hear that.” His voice was
low and sincere. “It’s hard for me to imagine a family that’s not close. Having
mine all around me can sometimes be a pain in the butt and God knows there’s no
such thing as keeping a secret, but I can’t imagine living my life without them
all up in it.”
    “I know what you mean.”
    The moment the words were out, Makenna
realized her mistake. She toyed with the stem of her wine glass and tried to
sound philosophical. “It is hard to imagine. I guess that’s why I have adopted
the Reagans. I’d much rather pretend they are my family, than my own flesh and
blood.”
    “Has is always been that way? What was
it like growing up?”
    “We moved around a lot.”
    “What does your father do for a living?”
    “You know what? I’d rather not discuss
my family, if you don’t mind. I’d rather discuss something pleasant.” It wasn’t
intentional, but when she leaned forward and propped her elbows on the table,
the precarious neckline of her borrowed sweater slid even further down her arm.
    “And what did you have in mind?” he
grinned, gaze lingering on a creamy shoulder.  
    “Tell me what’s planned for tomorrow.”
    The conversation flowed smooth and easy
as they discussed plans for the next day, and Makenna could not remember the
last time she had enjoyed a date so much. Hardin was easy to talk to and
engaged her in a two-sided conversation. It was a complete change from most of
the men she had dated in the past, particularly Derek. With her former
boyfriend, everything had been about him; Makenna’s opinions and tastes had
been of little consequence. Derek was constantly posturing, portraying himself
as the fastest/brightest/best, no matter the subject. Not for the first time,
Makenna wondered what she thought she had seen in him.
    By the time they sampled from the
other’s plate and critiqued both offerings, they had discussed a dozen topics
and had at least one good-natured argument. They were contemplating dessert
when Hardin caught a glimpse of Bob and Lisa Lewis coming out of the bar.
    “If you don’t mind, let’s skip dessert,”
he suggested. “If we hurry, we might can get out before the Lewises spot us.”
He caught their server’s attention and asked for the check, murmuring something
about a minor emergency. She hurried back with the receipt and Hardin paid in
cash, telling her to keep the change.
    They almost made it to the door. Makenna
tucked her head and studied the wooden planks beneath her feet as she and
Hardin hurried past the other couple, thinking if she didn’t see them, perhaps
they wouldn’t see her. It was a valiant effort, but just as they reached for
the