27 Dates_The Dare Date Read online

  “—until you got fired.”

  “—and I never tried to rush a table. And I wasn’t fired, I quit.”

  “You dumped a plate on a customer’s head.”

  “He should have kept his hands to himself,” she said.

  “He was an attorney,” Kate reminded her. “You’re lucky you weren’t sued.”

  Ember’s smile was fond. “I’d forgotten about that. He threatened to have me thrown in jail.”

  “Why didn’t he?” Kate asked.

  “I took his fork and stabbed his steak so hard it broke the plate,” she admitted. “Then I told him that when I got out I’d find him and teach him how to use his hands.”

  Kate laughed at the image of an attorney in a thousand-dollar suit cowering before Ember. The girl barely topped five feet but she could frighten the hide off a bear. Kate was grateful they were friends.

  “One day your temper is going to come back to bite you,” Kate said.

  “Every girl has a spark of fire,” Ember said. “Mine just happens to be hotter.”

  Kate smiled and took another bite, wondering if it was her own spark that had refused Jason’s proposal. She liked to think she had a piece of Ember’s courage. Even a part would be powerful.

  They finished their meal and paid their bill to the now jittery waiter. Then they vacated the table for an impatient couple. When they exited the restaurant, they climbed into Ember’s jeep and drove home. Mercifully, Ember talked about her latest boyfriend, a guy in the chess club who had no idea the wrath he was about to incur.

  “He doesn’t seem your usual type,” Kate said.

  “You should see him in a turtleneck,” Ember said smugly. “He may be a nerd, but he works out like a wrestler.”

  “That sounds more like your type,” Kate said with a smile.

  “I’m taking him to a comic books shop,” she said.

  Kate frowned. “You’re taking him?”

  “I’d be getting social security by the time he asked,” Ember said. “I followed your lead and asked him out. Reed gave me the idea about the comic book store.”

  “Just how much do you two talk?”

  Ember shouted at a driver that was about to cut her off and then shrugged. “More when it’s his turn to ask, but I’ve talked to him a few times about dating. His thesis is really intriguing.”

  “You’re interested in psychology now?” Kate asked. “Since when did I step into bizarre world?”

  “Most of the guys I date aren’t exactly high quality,” she said, her forehead knitting together. “I asked him why and he told me I might be looking in the wrong place.”

  “He sent you to the chess club?” she guessed.

  “He dated a girl in the club and knew the members. He suggested I meet Tanner.”

  “Do you think I’m just a game to Reed?” Kate abruptly asked.

  “If that’s true, I’ll kill him.”

  “No need for that,” Kate said. “He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever known.”

  “True,” Ember said. “But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes.”

  “Before we get to the beatings, can you answer the question?”

  Ember was silent long enough that Kate glanced her way, but the girl’s brow was furrowed in thought. She turned at a light, ignoring the honking car she’d just cut off and then accelerated down the street.

  “No one does this much work for a friend,” she said. “Even him.”

  “Then why do you sound uncertain?”

  “I don’t know,” Ember said, her tone annoyed. “I just wonder if he’s capable of dating just one girl. You must doubt it too, or you wouldn’t have asked.”

  “I know he’s attracted to me,” she said, imagining Reed. “I see it in the way he looks at me, the way he smiles, the effort he puts into his dates.”

  “Then what are you afraid of?”

  Kate watched the cars pass while she tried to get to the root of what bothered her. Every date with Reed cemented what she felt for him, and she suspected it did the same for him. But she couldn’t shake a nagging doubt.

  “Something drives him to date the way he does,” she said. “And I still don’t know what it is. I’m afraid he can’t let it go . . . even for me.”

  “He hasn’t told you?” Ember asked.

  “I think it has to do with a girl named Aura,” she said.

  “Marta told me about her,” Ember said. “What have you learned?”

  “You should consider a career in law enforcement,” Kate said. “You’d make a great cop.”

  “Too many rules,” she said airily. “Besides, the truth is easier to get if you . . .” Her eyes narrowed. “Is that why you did the truth game?”

  “Is that bad?” Kate asked.

  “It’s brilliant,” Ember said.

  “It wasn’t the only reason,” Kate said, feeling guilty. “But I did want to learn more about Aura.”

  “And?” Ember asked, pulling into the driveway.

  “He was in love with her,” Kate said.

  Ember braked hard enough that Kate slammed into the seat belt. “He what?”

  “She was his best friend for years but he fell for her,” Kate said, rubbing her chest. “It’s not like he’s cheating on her.”

  “Oh,” Ember said mildly, putting the car into park. “What happened between them?”

  “Aura fell for a guy that pulled them apart.”

  “That’s it?” she asked.

  Kate hesitated. “I don’t know. He talked about her with such . . . finality. I got the impression more happened than just losing a friend.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said.

  She wondered if she could voice her suspicion. The way Reed talked about Aura, all in the past tense, even in his text, when he’d said he hadn’t seen her in a while, suggested something more than just the end of a friendship.

  “I think Aura died,” she said.

  To continue to Volume 7, you can find 27 Dates: The Doctor Date on Amazon here.

  Author Bio

  Originally from Utah, Ben has grown up with a passion for learning. While still young, he practiced various sports, became an Eagle Scout, and taught himself to play the piano. As a teenager he began creative dating and continued the practice into college, where he took a break to do volunteer work in Brazil. After school, he launched his first series, The Chronicles of Lumineia, and has since published over 20 titles across multiple genres. He loves to snowboard, build treehouses, and play board games, especially with his family. His greatest support and inspiration comes from his wonderful wife and six beautiful children. Currently he resides in Missouri while working on his Masters in Professional Writing.

  To contact the author, discover more about 27 Dates, or find out about the upcoming sequels, check out his website at 27Dates.com. You can also follow the author on twitter @27Dates or Facebook.