My Last Hot Kiss

Eight

Kayla's eyes widened. "No way! Darby told me you couldn't make it tonight and that's why I got the ticket! I'm Kayla, single mom of twins." She put her hand in his, felt a spark of sexual chemistry between them.

"It's the strangest thing, isn't it?" He held her hand a second longer and then let it go. "They must have gotten mixed up. Come on. The lights are flashing. Let's go see the rest of this concert."

Kayla and Noah sang and joked and chatted as Country Fire sang about bonfires on the beach, honky-tonks, relationships gone sour, dogs and God and falling in love the second time around. She liked the way he smiled, the way his jeans fit, and the sparkle of humor in his eyes. The arm muscles didn't hurt either. Of course, after the concert, they'd go their separate ways. Too bad he lived so far away, all the way out on the coast while she lived inland, almost to New Hampshire. They'd never accidentally run into each other at the grocery store or while picking up pizza on a Friday night. Why couldn't there be someone for her in Three Lakes? Someone with strong arms, kind eyes, and a country-boy heart?

When the last song was sung and the final bows taken, the lights came on in the auditorium and the audience began to file out to the exits. Noah held onto her elbow, guiding her to the WKPG booth. "Well, if it isn't our two famous contestants!" Darby said, reaching out to both of them and grabbing their hands. "Come on. Time to meet the band." Kayla caught Noah's eye and he just grinned and shrugged. They greeted the band members, took selfies to post on social media, got their tee-shirts and cds signed. Kayla couldn't remember ever having so much fun--not even at her and Dominic's wedding.

The wedding had been a disaster. The venue had promised there was room for one-hundred guests, but it was obvious from the way everyone was smooshed together at long tables, the temperature rising, the small air-conditioning unit unequal to the task of cooling the heat of that many people, that serious building codes were being violated. Everyone--wedding party, parents, guests--were sweaty and cranky. Nobody wanted to dance in the heat, even if there had been more than three square feet on the "dance floor." The honeymoon had been little better, two days in a sad, little cabin near Moosehead lake with a smoky fireplace, rain both mornings, and a bed that squeaked so loud they ended up putting the mattress on the floor afraid that people in the cabins next door would hear them.

These thoughts ran through Kayla's head at Noah walked her to the limo after the meet and greet. No wonder her marriage hadn't lasted. They'd never had a chance after such a bad start. And, to be honest, none of those things would have mattered if she and Dominic had truly been in love with each other. The tale would have become one of the funny stories they told their kids and grandkids, part of the family history. Instead, the wedding had just been the annoying beginning to a bad marriage. They hadn't really been in love. They'd just wanted to settle down. Kayla didn't really blame Dominic for finding love somewhere else. Yes, it hurt. It hurt more that he wasn't interested in his own children. But she didn't really blame him. She wanted more, too. She'd just have to be more careful next time.

"I had fun tonight," she told Noah as the limo driver opened the door for her. "I'm glad the station screwed up and gave us both tickets. Or maybe they did it on purpose."

"I had fun, too, Kayla, the mom of twins. Can I call you sometime? I'd like to take you out to dinner, see if there's something more here."