The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (18 page)

I
felt my resolve falter as I admired the twinkling lights, the cobblestone
sidewalks, and the couples who passed by us with their heads tucked together romantically.
My footsteps kept time with the chanting in my head.
It’s not a date… It’s
not a date… It’s not a date...

Kadyn
and I stopped abruptly in front of King Street Blues. The restaurant was a two
story brick building painted in a Cape Cod blue. The windows and door were
trimmed in yellow, and they were lit with red neon lights. We stared at the
mural on the side of the building, which depicted two pigs dressed up like the
blues brothers.

I
laughed.

Kadyn
just shook his head. He opened the door to the restaurant, then followed me
inside.

I
stood there gaping at the inside of the restaurant. The place had been attacked
by an incredibly bored artist. The walls were covered with wild murals. Strange
looking paper mache animals and people were all tangled up eating, drinking,
and playing instruments.

Kadyn
led me through the crowded bar to the dining area upstairs. His friends were
seated at two tables that had been pulled together in the center of the room.

One
of the men waved at Kadyn as we reached the top of the stairs. “Hey, Kadyn! You’ve
got to try these roadhouse nachos!”

I
glanced at their plates as we approached the table. They were heaped with homemade
potato chips, barbeque pork, cheese, onions, sour cream, and guacamole. I
leaned toward Kadyn and whispered, “I hope they taste better than they look.”

He
laughed as he helped me out of my coat. He draped my coat over the back of the
chair he’d pulled out for me and slid his coat off as we settled into our seats.

I
quietly studied his circle of friends. Everyone seated at the table looked to
be my age or younger, and every one of them was in really good shape. People
working on the Hill came in all shapes and sizes. If Kadyn’s friends were any
indication, this did not hold true for the Pentagon.

Kadyn
introduced me to a really pretty Hispanic girl named Cenia, who was sitting on
my left. Her shiny black hair was cut in a chin length bob. She appeared to be
a few inches shorter than me. She had pretty brown eyes and a beautiful smile. She
had been ribbing some of the other people at the table when we first joined the
group. I was instantly drawn to her spunky attitude.

Roger
was sitting next to Cenia. He rose to shake my hand. He had a Southern drawl
which made him seem every bit the gentleman, although the mischievous look sparking
in his eyes suggested otherwise. Roger looked like the kind of guy who could
stir up trouble and look so innocent doing it that no one would think to blame
him. His light brown hair was trimmed just above the collar. He draped his arm across
the back of Cenia’s chair and sat back down with a wink.

A
tall, lanky guy named Phil was sitting at the end of the table. Phil had deep
blue eyes. His dark blond hair was trimmed a little shorter than Roger’s. Phil
seemed really laid back, like he’d be easy to be around. He was seated next to
a girl named Marie. Kadyn explained that the two of them were married. Marie
looked more like a Yoga instructor than an officer in the military. She was
long and lean with green eyes, long brown hair, and a naturally pretty face.

Troy
rounded out the group. He was sitting between Marie and Kadyn. Troy had a trim build,
bright blue eyes, and short curly blond hair. Like Roger, he looked like he
might be good at stirring up trouble.

Kadyn
and I glanced over the menu as soon as introductions were completed. The
restaurant served a hodgepodge of southern comfort food. One of the items on
the menu was disturbingly named “cats and dogs.” Thankfully, it was just catfish
and hush puppies. Everyone ordered ribs or pulled pork sandwiches. The waiter
left with our order, and the conversation turned to the Air Force-Navy game,
which was only a few weeks away.

“Do
you guys want to carpool up to Annapolis and try to stay on the naval base in
the officers’ quarters?” Cenia asked.

Everyone
nodded or mumbled his agreement.

“Let’s
tailgate. I’ll bring my portable grill,” Roger suggested as he reached for his beer.

Again,
everyone agreed.

Kadyn’s
shoulder brushed against mine as he leaned back in his seat. “If anyone still
needs tickets, let me know. I can get a few more tickets from the coach.”

I
glanced at Kadyn. I was intensely aware of his presence next to me. I was
trying to resist the urge to lean into him, but the guy was like a high-powered
magnet.

Cenia’s
eyes met mine as she reached for a chip. “They taste better than they look. You
should try one,” she encouraged with a friendly smile.

I
reached for a chip that was loaded with barbeque pork and sour cream. I popped
it in my mouth. My eyes widened in surprise. I looked at Cenia. “They’re not bad.”

She
smiled before turning toward the rest of the group. “I’ll send an e-mail out on
Monday so we can get a firm head count, determine who’s driving, and generate a
list of food for meals and snacks. Do any of you know what you want to bring?”

“I’d
like to make chocolate chip cookies,” Troy responded.

Everyone
stopped talking.

Roger
looked completely dumbfounded. “You bake chocolate chip cookies?”

“I
make the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet,” Troy replied with no
shortage of confidence.

“Impossible,”
Roger countered, just as the waiter delivered our food. “Cenia makes the best
chocolate chip cookies on the planet. Yours couldn’t possibly compare.” Not
that Roger was biased or anything.

I
nearly choked on my Sprite.

Troy
looked thoroughly insulted. His pulled pork sandwich hung suspended in mid-air
as he turned his attention to Cenia. “Are your cookies chewy or crunchy?”

A
grin spread across my face as I watched the exchange. I couldn’t believe the
airmen were trying to one up each other on chocolate chip cookie recipes. I
risked a glance at Kadyn.

He
just shook his head. We both dug into our sandwiches as the conversation between
Cenia and Troy continued.

Cenia
met Troy’s gaze head on.
Yep,
I decided.
Spunky was the right word
for her.
“The bottoms of my cookies are firm, but the center is soft.”

Troy
set his sandwich down. He shook his head as he reached for his beer. “I’m not
convinced. A chocolate chip cookie should be under baked.”

I
eyed Troy with renewed interest. There was some merit to his argument.

“I
think we should have a taste test to decide which one of you makes the best
cookies,” Phil suggested. He was clearly looking for a way to capitalize on the
debate.

Cenia
looked at Marie. “You care to throw your cookies into the mix?”

Marie
shook her head. “No way. I’ve tasted your cookies. You can count me out.” She held
both hands up to ward off any further discussion of her joining the
competition.

Cenia
nudged me. “You in?”

I
nearly dropped my sandwich. “Me?” I squeaked.

“Surely,
you bake,” Cenia teased.

I
laughed. “I bake seventy dozen cookies over the holidays alone.”

Beer
sprayed from Troy’s mouth. “Why so many?” he asked as he mopped up his chin.

I
leaned back in my chair, suddenly embarrassed. “I baked them for the local
homeless shelter. I couldn’t bear the thought of homeless children missing out
on homemade Christmas cookies.”

Kadyn
looked stunned, then thoroughly intrigued. A smile spread slowly across his
face. “Okay, she’s in. My money’s on Kri.”

Troy
eyed me warily. “So when are we going to do this?”

“We
can do it at my house next Saturday,” Cenia responded. “I’ll cook chili, so
plan on coming for dinner. Kri, Troy, and I will bake the cookies afterwards.
The rest of you can participate in a blind taste test.” She glanced at Troy,
then turned toward me. “Mix your cookie dough before you come and bring your
own cookie sheets.”

Troy
and I exchanged glances, then nodded.

Three
new conversations broke out at once. I sat back, thoroughly entertained by the banter
and the close knit group of friends. I was having a lot of fun, but I lost
track of the conversation near the end. I was so cold my teeth were chattering,
but I resisted the urge to reach for my jacket. I didn’t want Kadyn to think I was
ready to leave.

Kadyn,
who apparently didn’t miss a thing, reached behind my chair and slid my jacket
over my shoulders. As he turned in his chair, his well-muscled thigh settled
against mine.

I
didn’t move. First, the heat rolling off him was impossible to resist. Second,
the feel of his leg against mine sent sparks pinging through my body, which
short circuited my brain. I couldn’t have moved if I had wanted to.

When
we finally left the restaurant, Kadyn tucked my hand in the crook of his arm.
The night air had turned cold so we huddled close.

“I
really enjoyed meeting your friends,” I confessed as we neared the parking
garage.

Kadyn
smiled. “Good. I figured you and Cenia would hit it off.”

“Cenia’s
kind of spunky. She reminds me of my friend Kimme.” I couldn’t wait to tell
Kimme about the evening. I knew she’d be rolling with laughter when she heard
about the cookie bake-off.

Kadyn
opened the car door for me. He held my elbow as I ducked inside. “Most of us
met at the Air Force Academy. We’ve been friends ever since.”

I
watched as Kadyn walked to the other side of the car. I waited to speak until
he was seated next to me. “Thank you for introducing me to them and for
inviting me to tag along tonight. I had a wonderful time.”

Kadyn’s
eyes softened as they met mine. “Me, too,” he admitted before starting the car.

We
drove in silence most of the way home. Each of us seemed lost in his own thoughts.
I really liked Kadyn’s friends. I had really been missing my own family and
friends. And, now? Kadyn was offering me a new circle of friends. He could have
searched the whole world over and never found anything I wanted or needed more.

Kadyn
parked his car in the fire lane outside my apartment. He walked around to the
passenger side to open my door. He reached for my hand as he helped me out of
the car. “Do you plan on walking Cade?”

I
looked up at him as I placed my hand in his. I was surprised he had thought to
ask about Cade. “Yes. He needs to go for a short walk before bed.”

Kadyn
was still holding my hand. “Do you mind if I sit here until you get settled inside
your apartment?”

I
suddenly realized that Kadyn was trying to ensure my safety. “Thanks, Kadyn.
That’s really thoughtful.” I glanced down at his hand, then reluctantly released
it as I walked the short distance to my apartment.

Cade’s
tail was wagging when he met me at the door. I scooped him up and kissed him on
the head. I dumped my purse on the breakfast bar, grabbed his leash, and locked
the door behind me. Cade and I walked to the patch of grass on the other side
of my balcony.

Kadyn
was a few feet away, leaning against the side of his car.

Cade
didn’t waste any time going to the bathroom. He made a bee line for Kadyn as
soon as he was done.

Kadyn
bent down and scratched Cade’s ear. “Hey, little man.”

I
picked Cade up and settled him against my chest. I glanced shyly at Kadyn as I reached
for his hand. I squeezed gently. “Thank you again for a wonderful evening.”

Kadyn
smiled as he returned the squeeze. He slowly released my hand. “I’m looking
forward to those chocolate chip cookies next weekend.”

I
carried Cade back to the apartment. “I hope I can give Cenia and Troy a run for
their money,” I called over my shoulder.

Kadyn
laughed. “I’m banking on it.” He pushed off the side of his car and waved as I
unlocked my door.

I
slipped inside my apartment. I locked the door behind me, then leaned against
the door. “Remind me why I’m not dating that guy,” I whispered as I nuzzled Cade’s
ear.

His
soft brown eyes peered up at me sadly. Poor little guy knew every reason why.

*
* * * * *

The
next week proved to be a wasted chapter in my life. Everything on the Hill had
come to a complete standstill. None of the senators or congressman would sign
onto any bills until the budget stalemate was over, and it didn’t look like
that was going to be resolved any time soon. They couldn’t even agree on a continuing
resolution. Everyone was speculating the federal government would be shut down.

It
was noon on Friday. I was reviewing the briefings I had pulled together for the
Senator’s book. I couldn’t gain any forward movement on the Orphan Drug Bill,
the Medicare Early Buy-in Bill, or the bill that expanded alternatives to
nursing homes.

I
stared at Patrick, who was marking up his own briefings. “Why does it feel like
I’m banging my head against a wall?” I asked irritably.