When Hearts Collide

by Lorana Hoopes

  She paused, hand on the door, and debated her options. Though not her scene, she was hungry, and there were a few empty booths. The renewed rumbling of her stomach finalized the decision, and with a clenched jaw, she crossed to a nearby empty booth. Why couldn’t she be old enough to sit at the bar and order a stiff tequila drink?

  She’d been drinking since the age of fourteen when she'd found the liquor in her mother’s stash. The first swig had been awful, but she’d found after that the lightheaded sensation helped her forget the leers and touches of her stepfather. Jess wouldn’t say she had acquired a taste for the liquor, but she had developed an appreciation to the mindless bliss it offered.

  A college-aged waiter, clad in a white t-shirt, shorts, and bored expression arrived shortly and handed her a menu. New fears of the quality of the food deepened as the sticky menu ripped open with a squelching sound. Swallowing her disgust, Jess ordered a burger, fries, and a diet coke.

  As the waiter turned away and headed to the kitchen, a large male slid in the booth across from her. With his short brown hair and broad shoulders, he looked very much like all the other jocks at the nearby table. A quick glance that direction confirmed her suspicion as the whole table had their eyes glued Jess’s direction. The guy wasn’t bad looking, but Jess held no love for jocks. Perhaps if she could give him a cold enough stare he would leave, but alas he opened his mouth, and at the sound of his thick southern drawl, Jess felt IQ points trickle out of her head.

  “I haven’t seen you ‘round here before,” the behemoth said. “I’m Randy. I’m a linebacker.”

  Though Jess watched football - she was, in fact, a closet Dallas Cowboys fan - she had no intention of letting this dolt know it.

  “That’s nice,” she said sweetly, plastering a fake smile on her face, “now get out of my booth.” The last words dripped with venom as her smile dropped and she glared daggers at him.

  Randy held up his hands in defense. “Whoa, no need to be rude now. I just thought I’d say hi.”

  “Hi, now please leave.”

  “Whatever.” He unfolded himself from the booth and lumbered back to his friends who cheered and clapped.

  Jess rolled her eyes and sighed. Maybe she should have ordered in. She turned her attention out the window, and as she watched the cars pass, she wished for a different life. Thankfully, the table of jocks decided she wasn’t worth any more trouble and left her alone.

  A few moments later, her plate of greasy food arrived. Jess hadn’t thought a restaurant could mess up a burger and fries, but she had been wrong. There was so much sauce on the burger that the bun had begun to disintegrate, and she was forced to eat the patty with a fork. The fries had evidently sat in the fryer a little too long as they were no longer a golden yellow, but an odd rusty brownish color. She could make a scene—demand a refund—but she wanted no more attention tonight. Better to just let it be and mark this as a place to never revisit. She shoveled down what little she could to satisfy the rumbling, paid the tab, and left. It was still better than home, she reminded herself as she stepped out into the humid night.

  “Hey, you got a light?”

  The voice came from the right where a guy with dark hair and a black leather jacket stood. Stubble covered his chin, making his blue eyes shine like a beacon in a dark storm, and the hint of a tattoo peeked over his collar. Jess’s breath caught as her heart hammered in her chest. He reminded her of Adrian Paul’s Highlander, a show that had originally aired before her time but that she had fallen in love with when re-runs began.

  She nodded, forcing her voice to stay cool as she reached for her lighter. A slight tremor gripped her hand as she held it out, but he didn’t seem to notice. He lit his cigarette and then handed the lighter back. Jess shook out her own cigarette and lit up next to him.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, nodding at her and taking a deep breath of smoke. It curled out of his thin lips in little wisps. Jess had never wanted to be a cigarette so badly.

  “Jess. You?” She breathed in a deep lungful, careful not to overdo it. A coughing fit in front of this Adonis would be mortifying.

  “Chad. You go to Tech?”

  “Yeah, I just got here.”

  He nodded again and continued puffing. Jess watched as his hand rose to his mouth and lowered to his side in a rhythmic motion, and she wondered what the stubble on his face would feel like against her cheek. Would it be rough like sandpaper or was it softer? A heat seared across her face, and she turned away.

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you around.” He finished his cigarette, flicked it on the ground, and then mounted a black Harley Davidson parked at the curb. His bad boy quotient rose even higher, and her heart pounded faster as she envisioned herself climbing on the back and wrapping her arms around his waist, the smell of his leather jacket tickling her nose.

  As the engine roared to life, the image vanished, and the pounding in her heart slowed. He flicked a mock salute and rode away. Sighing, Jess finished her cigarette and began the trek back to the dorm room.

  When the building came into view, her good mood faded away. If only she didn’t have the perky roommate to put up with.

  With a sigh, she pushed open the door to the shared room. Emily looked up from her book, but said nothing. Crossing to the little sink, Jess brushed her teeth, changed into her sleeping attire of a long t-shirt, and then flicked off the overhead light.

  “Excuse me, but I was reading.” Emily’s voice held a note of annoyance, and Jess smiled to herself in the darkness.

  “And now you’re not,” she retorted.

  A sigh carried across the room, followed by the sound of rummaging around in a drawer. There was a click, and a little book light came on. Jess should have known Emily would be a prepared little Girl Scout. She rolled her eyes and turned to face the wall. Score one for the annoying blonde, but there was always tomorrow. She would just have to be more creative.

  As Chad turned off the motorcycle and dismounted, his mind revisited the raven-haired girl. With one side or her hair shaved and a nose ring, she was definitely trying to portray a tough exterior, but though he hadn’t spoken with her long, he had sensed a sadness in her eyes. It was the same sadness he often saw reflected in his mirror, and he wondered what hurt resided in her past.

  He hadn’t always been into analyzing people. When he’d first come to Texas Tech, it had been to major in Mechanical Engineering, but two years ago his younger brother had been killed in a school shooting and everything had changed. Chad had turned from mechanical engineering to psychology, desperate for answers as to why people acted the way they did. He still wasn’t sure what he planned to do with the degree, but if he could save even one person from going through the fate Kyle had or dealing with the aftermath as he was having to, it would be worth it.

  He flicked on the light of his small apartment-like dorm room and sighed. The benefit of being a Junior was that he could live in West Village, but as he’d opted for a single apartment this year, the downfall was that loneliness often crept in.

  Chad thought about calling one of his “hook-ups,” but it would be his first day teaching tomorrow. His time would be better spent making sure he was prepared as he needed to keep this job to afford his housing. Besides, he was rather tired of last year’s offerings. Hopefully, this year would wield some new and exciting flavors.

  Again the girl from earlier flashed into his mind. She had been attracted to him. He had seen it in her face before she turned away, and she might be interesting. At least interesting enough for some good times. It was too bad he hadn’t gotten her number. Tech was a big campus and the chances he would see her again were small.

  He pushed the thoughts of her from his mind and focused on arranging his papers and rehearsing his lecture. Tomorrow would be soon enough to focus on finding new women to add to his list.

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A Free Story For You

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  The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet

  A SWAT officer. A bored billionaire heiress. A bet that could change everything….

  Read on for a taste of The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet….

  The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet Preview

  Brie Carter fell back spread eagle on her queen-sized canopy bed sending her blond hair fanning out behind her. With a large sigh, she uttered, “I’m bored.”

  “How can you be bored? You have like millions of dollars.” Her friend, Ariel, plopped down in a seated position on the bed beside her and flicked her raven hair off her shoulder. “You want to go shopping? I hear Tiffany’s is having a special right now.”

  Brie rolled her eyes. Shopping? Where was the excitement in that? With her three platinum cards, she could go shopping whenever she wanted. “No, I’m bored with shopping too. I have everything. I want to do something exciting. Something we don’t normally do.”

  Brie enjoyed being rich. She loved the unlimited credit cards at her disposal, the constant apparel of new clothes, and of course the penthouse apartment her father paid for, but lately, she longed for something more fulfilling.

  Ariel’s hazel eyes widened. “I know. There’s a new bar down on Franklin Street. Why don’t we go play a little game?”

  Brie sat up, intrigued at the secrecy and the twinkle in Ariel’s eyes. “What kind of game?”

  “A betting game. You let me pick out any man in the place. Then you try to get him to propose to you.”

  Brie wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t want to get married.” She loved her freedom and didn’t want to share her penthouse with anyone, especially some man.

  “You don’t marry him, silly. You just get him to propose.”

  Brie bit her lip as she thought. It had been awhile since her last relationship and having a man dote on her for a month might be interesting, but…. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem very nice.”

  “How about I sweeten the pot? If you win, I’ll set you up on a date with my brother.”

  Brie cocked her head. Was she serious? The only thing Brie couldn’t seem to buy in the world was the affection of Ariel’s very handsome, very wealthy, brother. He was a movie star, just the kind of person Brie could consider marrying in the future. She’d had a crush on him as long as she and Ariel had been friends, but he’d always seen her as just that, his little sister’s friend. “I thought you didn’t want me dating your brother.”

  “I don’t.” Ariel shrugged. “But he’s between girlfriends right now, and I know you’ve wanted it for ages. If you win this bet, I’ll set you up. I can’t guarantee any more than one date though. The rest will be up to you.”

  Brie wasn’t worried about that. Charm she possessed in abundance. She simply needed some alone time with him, and she was certain she’d be able to convince him they were meant to be together. “All right. You’ve got a deal.”

  Ariel smiled. “Perfect. Let’s get you changed then and see who the lucky man will be.

  A tiny tug pulled on Brie’s heart that this still wasn’t right, but she dismissed it. This was simply a means to an end, and he’d never have to know.

  Jesse Calhoun relaxed as the rhythmic thudding of the speed bag reached his ears. Though he loved his job, it was stressful being the SWAT sniper. He hated having to take human lives and today had been especially rough. The team had been called out to a drug bust, and Jesse was forced to return fire at three hostiles. He didn’t care that they fired at his team and himself first. Taking a life was always hard, and every one of them haunted his dreams.

  “You gonna bust that one too?” His co-worker Brendan appeared by his side. Brendan was the opposite of Jesse in nearly every way. Where Jesse’s hair was a dark copper, Brendan’s was nearly black. Jesse sported paler skin and a dusting of freckles across his nose, but Brendan’s skin was naturally dark and freckle free.

  Jesse flashed a crooked grin, but kept his eyes on the small, swinging black bag. The speed bag was his way to release, but a few times he had started hitting while still too keyed up and he had ruptured the bag. Okay, five times, but who was counting really? Besides, it was a better way to calm his nerves than other things he could choose. Drinking, fights, gambling, women.

  “Nah, I think this one will last a little longer.” His shoulders began to burn, and he gave the bag another few punches for good measure before dropping his arms and letting it swing to a stop. “See? It lives to be hit at least another day.” Every once in a while, Jesse missed training the way he used to. Before he joined the force, he had been an amateur boxer, on his way to being a pro, but a shoulder injury had delayed his training and forced him to consider something else. It had eventually healed, but by then he had lost his edge.

  “Hey, why don’t you come drink with us?” Brendan clapped a hand on Jesse’s shoulder as they headed into the locker room.

  “You know I don’t drink.” Jesse often felt like the outsider of the team. While half of the six-man team was married, the other half found solace in empty bottles and meaningless relationships. Jesse understood that - their job was such that they never knew if they would come home night after night - but he still couldn’t partake.

  Brendan opened his locker and pulled out a clean shirt. He peeled off his current one and added deodorant before tugging on the new one. “You don’t have to drink. Look, I won’t drink either. Just come and hang out with us. You have no one waiting for you at home.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. Jesse had Bugsy, his Boston Terrier, but he understood Brendan’s point. Most days, Jesse went home, fed Bugsy, made dinner, and fell asleep watching TV on the couch. It wasn’t much of a life. “All right, I’ll go, but I’m not drinking.”

  Brendan’s lips pulled back to reveal his perfectly white teeth. He bragged about them, but Jesse knew they were veneers. “That’s the spirit. Hurry up and change. We don’t want to leave the rest of the team waiting.”

  “Is everyone coming?” Jesse pulled out his shower necessities. Brendan might feel comfortable going out with just a new application of deodorant, but Jesse needed to wash more than just dirt and sweat off. He needed to wash the sound of the bullets and the sight of lifeless bodies from his mind.

  “Yeah, Pat’s wife is pregnant again and demanding some crazy food concoctions. Pat agreed to pick them up if she let him have an hour. Cam and Jared’s wives are having a girls’ night, so the whole gang can be together. It will be nice to hang out when we aren’t worried about being shot at.”

  “Fine. Give me ten minutes. Unlike you, I like to clean up before I go out.”

  Brendan smirked. “I’ve never had any complaints. Besides, do you know how long it takes me to get my hair like this?”

  Jesse shook his head as he walked into the shower, but he knew it was true. Brendan had rugged good looks and muscles to match. He rarely had a hard time finding a woman. Jesse on the other hand hadn’t dated anyone in the last few months. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been looking, but he was quieter than his teammates. And he wasn’t looking for right now. He was looking for forever. He just hadn’t found it yet.

  Click here to continue reading The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet.

  Discussion Questions

  1. Lorana Hoopes used her alma mater, Texas Tech, in this story. What do you remember from college or if you didn’t go, what do you think you would have liked the most?

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  2. What did you think of the book starting with something that just happened and then going back to the past? Did it make it more enjoyable or less?

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  3. Who was your favorite character in the book and why?

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  4. Amanda lost herself after the attack. While you may not have experienced anything that horrific
, what are some things that distract you or cause you to lose yourself?

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  5. How can we ensure our daughters don’t go through the same struggles Amanda did?

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  6. What did you learn about God from reading this book?

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  7. How can you use that knowledge in your life from now on?

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  8. Is there something you could do at your church to help inform or love on women in this position?

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  9. Have you ever had an experience like Amanda and Jordan did? What was it?

  The Story Doesn’t End!

  You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….

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  I bet you’re wondering how you can meet everyone else.

  Star Lake Series:

  When Love Returns: The first in the Star Lake series. Presley Hays and Brandon Scott were best friends in High School until Morgan entered their town and stole Brandon’s heart. Devastated, Presley takes a scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu, but five years later, she is back in Star Lake after a tough breakup. Brandon thought he’d never return to Star Lake after Morgan left him and his daughter Joy, but when his father needs help, he returns home and finds more than he bargained for. Can Presley and Brandon forget past hurts or will their stubborn natures keep them apart forever?

  Once Upon a Star: The second book in the Star Lake series. Audrey left Star Lake to pursue acting, but after an unplanned pregnancy her jobs and her money dwindled, leaving her no option except to return home and start over. Blake was the quintessential nerd in high school and was never able to tell Audrey how he felt. Now that he’s gained confidence and some muscle, will he finally be able to reveal his feelings? Once Upon a Star will take you back to Christmas in Star Lake. Revisit your favorite characters and meet a few ones in this sweet Christmas read.