Las Vegas Sidewinders: Karl (Book 3) by Kat Mizera

her.
    “Sorry!” She spoke
quietly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    “What are you doing
here? I thought you were going back to L.A. to do that reality show?”
    “We haven’t started
filming yet so I’m home for a few weeks.”
    “Therese, just so you
know—what you did in Vegas was bullshit. Understand me when I say I’m not
interested in you and I’m taken.”
    She rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t possibly think you’re going to have something
long-term with that chubby little American?”
    “She’s not chubby!”
Karl moved away from her. “She’s sexy as hell.”
    “I’ve never seen you
with someone like her!”
    “That’s because those
women were only about sex. Kate is special.”
    “Fine.” Therese
followed him and lazily lounged on the couch. “So then tell me about her—why is
she so special?”
    “Why do you care?”
    “Why not?” She cocked
her head. “We’ve known each other for years—can’t we be friends?”
    “You haven’t been very
friendly lately.”
    “You were the great
love of my life,” she said.
    “We were kids!” he
protested. “We were 17!”
    “And 20.” She shrugged.
“There’s never been anyone else quite like you.”
    “It was a long time
ago,” he replied easily.
    “Remember Iceland?” she
said, smiling. She sat across from him with a little grin. “And that stupid
igloo?”
    Karl smiled after a
moment. “God, I haven’t thought about that in a long time.” He shook his head.
“I thought we were going to freeze to death in that thing!”
    “And your mom found us
buck naked and turning blue!”
    “I heard about that for
weeks!” he groaned.
    “Or that tournament in
Switzerland!” she giggled. “ Em got so drunk she
toppled over the seats and onto the bench of the other team!”
    Karl laughed. “Oh yeah!
And my guys were trying to lift her out but the other team was pulling her
back.”
    “You got so mad you
skated off the ice and jumped into their bench!”
    They were both laughing
now. “See?” he said. “We were 18! Crazy!”
    “We had some good
times,” she said.
    “We did,” he agreed.
    “Let’s have a drink to
good times,” she got up and moved towards the kitchen. “Tequila or scotch?”
    “Tequila!” he said
absently, leaning back so he could text Kate.
    Whatcha doin ’?
    Working—what else? You?
    Having a drink and then
going to bed. All day at the hospital, again.
    Poor baby. Need a
massage?
    Desperately.
    Maybe I can get away
for a few days next week.
    You think?
    I already put it out
there to Dante—if I can work around his schedule, I could get away for 4 or 5
days.
    That would be awesome.
Let’s talk about it tomorrow.
    Good night, babe.
Xoxoxo
    “Here we go!” Therese
came out with two glasses, handing him one and keeping the other. “To
friendship and good memories!”
    “To friendship!” He
downed the shot and relaxed as it burned down his throat.
    “Another?” she asked
with a smile.
    “Sure.” He held up his
glass. It had been a long time since he’d been drunk; maybe tying one on would
clear the cloud that had been in his heart since he’d arrived in Sweden.
     
    Karl woke with a raging
headache to the incessant ringing of his phone. Growling, he reached for it and
put it to his ear without checking the caller ID. “Yeah, what is it?”
    “How could you?” Kate’s
voice caught on a sob on the other end.
    “Kate? What’s wrong,
baby?” Karl sank back against the pillows, wondering what had her so upset.
    “ What’s wrong?! ”
Her voice broke.
    “Baby, I had a really
bad day yesterday and drank a little too much last night, so you’re going to
have to give me a clue what you’re upset about.”
    “Oh, maybe a little
thing like your Twitter post.”
    “My what?” He closed
his eyes. “Kate, I haven’t been on Twitter in days.”
    “I guess you had more
to drink than you thought,” she whispered.
    “Babe?” He fought a
sigh of frustration. “I