License to Date
Authors: Susan Hatler
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #General, #Romantic Comedy, #Short Stories (Single Author)
License to Date
by
Susan Hatler
License to Date
Copyright © 2014 by Susan Hatler
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
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Cover Design by Elaina Lee, For The Muse Designs
Titles by Susan Hatler
Better Date than Never Series
License to Date (Book #6)
Teen Novels
Praise
“Susan Hatler has a knack for writing books that draw me in from the very first page!”
— Books Are Sanity!!! on Love at First Date
“Ms. Hatler has a way of writing witty dialogue that makes you laugh-out-loud throughout her stories.”
— Night Owl Reviews on Truth or Date
“Seriously you guys, you have to pick this one up if you are a romantic at heart.
Deliciously sweet.”
—
Getting Your Read On Reviews on My Last Blind Date
“An Unexpected Date is a wonderful and perfect release to a stressful or crazy day.”
— Cafè of Dreams Book Reviews
“If you enjoy a YA Romance jam packed with adventure and the unknown. I would recommend this fantastic read.”
— Tifferz Book Reviewz
License to Date
by
Susan Hatler
Chapter One
I shouldn’t have sent out the wedding invitations. So obvious—
now
. The only upside? I’d chosen exquisite paper and Bickley Script font for the cancellation notices. Humiliating, but classy. According to my mother, good taste improved any situation. It was a motto she lived by, and I’d followed suit.
Always the good girl, that’s me.
Unfortunately, the bridal boutique where I bought my wedding dress had a no returns policy. I’d chosen an off-the-shoulder chantilly lace trumpet gown that would never go out of style. Not that I’d ever wear it after what Paul DeWitt put me through. So I sold it online for a fifty-percent loss, which was a bummer.
Being married to a lying, cheating, slimeball would’ve bummed me out more, though.
Since my mom had raised me to control my emotions, I’d kept it together—at least on the outside. In private, I bawled my eyes out for two months straight.
Paul had called me for the first few weeks pleading with me to forgive him. He’d admitted cheating on me but said it had been
early
in our relationship. And if he had
known
she was my sister then he never would’ve dated her. Hard to believe he’d thought
that
apology would win me back. I’d grossly overestimated his intelligence.
That had been four months ago.
Now, I’d just closed escrow on a ranch-style house located on the Sacramento River—boo-ya! Unfortunately, my new home looked like the eighties had thrown up in it. The remodel overwhelmed me so I recruited my two girlfriends and we were currently peeling strips of orange rooster-covered wallpaper off my kitchen wall—a tedious task that was going three times faster than when I worked alone.
“My realtor asked me out,” I announced, as I removed an impressively large strip of wallpaper (three roosters-worth).
Kristen let out a whistle as she defiled the poultry on the adjacent wall. “Guess he wanted more than a commission, huh?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Well, a commission is all he’s getting. I turned him down.”
“Is this the guy, Kaitlin?” Ginger gestured to the calendar-magnet on my fridge, which included a glamour shot of my realtor, Chase McDermott. “Why would you say no to this fine specimen of a man? Just looking at him makes me want to buy real estate. Not that I can afford it.”
“Oh, I hear you,” I said, picking at a stubborn scrap of wallpaper that didn’t want to come off. “If my dad hadn’t given me the down payment, I’d still be renting, too.”
Ginger rubbed her chin. “How’d you get your dad to pony up the cash?”
Shrugging, I said, “He offered, so I accepted. We don’t really go into details about things in my family. It’s all very polite and surface-like. But, I don’t know, maybe he’s trying to make up for divorcing my mom, moving to Seattle, and being absent most of my life.”
“Darn.” Ginger went back to scratching at her portion of wall. “My parents are still married so I’m out of luck.”
I made a frowny face and pursed my lips. “Poor you.”
“Back to Chase McDermott.” Ginger gestured toward his picture. “H. O. T.”
Kristen hummed her approval, too.
I flashed Ginger a wry smile. “Feel free to take down his number and call him.”
She twisted her long, dark hair around her finger, and seemed to think about it a moment. “He likes you, not me. It’s been months since you dumped your loser ex. Time to get back in the saddle, girl.”
I shook my head. “I’m not into horseback riding anymore.”
Ginger huffed, then turned to Kristen. “You’re a family therapist. Talk some sense into her.”
Ugh. They were pushing me to date—
again
. My stomach knotted as I realized I’d brought this on myself by mentioning Chase. Not smart, Kaitlin. Not smart.
Kristen glanced my way, then surprised me by shrugging. “If Kaitlin doesn’t want to date Chase McDermott, the most gorgeous man to walk the planet—after Ethan, of course—then that’s her choice, and we should respect that.”
Surprised, the knots in my belly loosened. “Thank you.”
Kristen flicked a piece of paper off her sponge, then lifted her lashes. “Although it does seem like an awful waste. It’s not like there’s something horrifyingly wrong with him, right? He doesn’t smell? Or pick his teeth with his fingernail?”
Ginger shuddered. “I hate when guys do that.”
My mouth dropped open. “You were going to respect my decision, remember?”
Kristen shook her head. “I said we
should
. I never said we would. What gives, Kaitlin? Did you find out he has a rap sheet?”
I rolled my eyes. “Chase could be the most law-abiding citizen in Sac, I’d still rather spend my time doing something just for me—like remodeling my house. I’m using shabby chic beach-themed decor.”
“Sounds gorgeous.” Kristen scrubbed her sponge against the wall. “But can’t you date him
and
decorate?”
I moaned. “Just drop it. I’m not interested in going out with Chase.”
“You said the same thing when your mom wanted to fix you up with her friend’s son, and you didn’t have a good reason for turning him down, either.” Ginger hopped onto my counter then leveled me with a stare. “Do you want to become a cat-lady, Kaitlin? Is that your goal?”
“Hmm . . . you could be onto something there. Felines are probably more loyal than a man. Thanks for the idea. Maybe I’ll start with a calico—”
“You need to start dating,” Ginger said firmly.
Kristen nodded. “It’s really time.”
I grunted and threw my hands up in frustration, my sponge flying through the air. It hit the floor, spattering water. “See what you made me do? I just want to fix up my house in peace, without you two ganging up on me.”
Ginger pursed her lips. “Not gonna happen.”
“As a successful woman in your late twenties, you’re in your prime. You side-swiped being married to a two-timing cheat. You’ve earned a license to date. Take it, and drive.” Kristen used an annoyingly reasonable tone. “Go out with a guy. Or two. Or five. Try men on and see how they fit. Don’t think of it as stressful, more like window-shopping.”
I leaned down, then nabbed my sponge off the floor. “Is this what therapy is like? Do you use these kinds of whacky analogies with your clients?”
“I don’t have to because my clients listen to me.” Kristen tilted her head. “At least, most of the time.”
Ginger raised her hand. “If you start dating, I will help you paint the inside of your
entire
house.”
I’d been heading to the sink to rinse my sponge, but stopped short at this generous offer. “You do realize we’re talking about two-thousand square feet?”
Kristen moved to stand next to Ginger. “We’ll
both
help you.”
A vision of my house entirely painted flashed through my mind—sandy-brown with white trim. While the thought of opening my heart to someone left a bad taste in my mouth, what would one drink with Chase hurt? “If I go on this date, you’d both have to help me from start to finish. Deal?”
“One date?” Ginger crossed her arms. “That’s pacifying us, not getting back in the game.”
The image of my beautifully painted interior evaporated and I panicked. “What’s it going to take?”
Ginger turned to Kristen and they seemed to hold an entire conversation with their eyes and facial expressions, before finally nodding at each other.
“Five dates,” Kristen said. “Then we’ll stop worrying about you becoming a hermit and you’ll have two slaves for your remodel.”
“Five?” I groaned, then realized today was Saturday. If I went on five dates in five nights, we could start painting next weekend. “Not only would you have to stop bugging me about dating but you’d need to tell the girls at work to lay off, too. Because Ellen keeps trying to set me up with some guy from Henry’s softball league.”
“Agreed,” they said in unison.
Ginger clapped her hands, then lifted my cell off the counter. “Call him. Now.”
“You’re relentless,” I muttered, as she handed me the phone. “Fine.”