Page 44 of Just One Kiss

"What do you do for fun if you avoid the mountains?"

"I sing karaoke with the girls at Micky's," she said.

"You've always had a good voice."

"I can carry a tune, and I'm loud, but I'm no Chelsea," she said wryly, referring to her friend, who was a very successful and well-known country music singer.

"Few people are. What else do you do? Do you still bike?" They'd spent a lot of days biking around the lake when they were younger.

"Yes. Tim Hodges at the bike shop hooked me up with a sweet deal on an off-road bike that can get me down any rough road."

"I think old Tim Hodges might be sweet on you."

"He's seventy."

"And he's still a flirt. However, I'm sure you can do better than a seventy-year-old."

"Well, thanks," she said dryly.

"Do you have someone that you're dating?" He tried to make the question sound as casual and as disinterested as he could. He'd seen her around town a few times with different guys but not one guy on a consistent basis.

"Lots of someones."

"Haven't found Mr. Right?"

"I'm not even looking for him. But Mr. Fun For a While wouldn't be bad."

"You don't want a relationship?"

"They're a lot of work and, frankly, no one has made me want to do the work in a long time."

"When was the last time you were in a relationship?"

"Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious. Is it a secret?" he challenged.

"No. It was three years ago. It ended right before I moved back here."

"What happened?"

"Nothing dramatic. We met at a book signing. We both loved the mystery author, J.R. Welks, and we bonded while standing in line. Unfortunately, our mutual love of mystery thrillers didn't extend to much else in our lives."

How long did you go out?"

"About a year." She shifted in her seat, giving him a thoughtful look. "What about you? Are you dating anyone?"

"Not at the moment."

"And before this moment?"

"I've had a few girlfriends," he conceded.

"Probably more than a few. You were always very popular," she said, a tighter, tense note entering her voice. "When was your last serious relationship?"

"Serious? I'm not sure I've ever had a serious relationship."

"Why not?"

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