Read A Beat in Time for Free Online Page A

haven’t changed a bit.”
    “You have.” I sipped my beer.
    “Oh?” Jensen sat forward with a grin.
    “You put on some muscle.”
    “So tell me. What have you been up to?”
    “I’m an author.”
    “What do you write? The stories of loss and love? That’s what you always wanted to do.”
    I arched a brow at him and he put his hands up. “Okay, so I know what you write. I’ve been following your career.”
    “Pity, I can’t say the same,” I mumbled.
    “What?”
    “Nothing.”
    “You never got married,” Jensen said, softly.
    “No. I didn’t. Did you?”
    “Once, but it was a total nightmare.”
    “I’m sorry,” I said sincerely.
    “Live and learn.” Jensen shrugged. “What do you want to eat? The tacos here are pretty good.”
    “Tacos sound good.”
    “So why are you taking drum lessons?”
    “I’m here to write a love story that revolves around rock bands. I don’t write about anything I don’t know about, so here I am, researching and learning to play instruments.”
    Jensen placed our order and turned back to face me. Damn those dimples when he smiled. I wanted to slap them off that gorgeous face. How could he still look fifteen? God hated me. Now I felt like a pedophile.
    “Serena?”
    “Yep.”
    “Where did you go just now?”
    “Just thinking how weird this is. I didn’t know you lived here, much less gave drum lessons.”
    “Well, I always loved Arizona, but I couldn’t live in Tucson anymore. I love it up here, so this is where I stayed.”
    “I always wanted to live here. For years I’ve been saying I wanted to move to Flagstaff when I was ready to slow down.”
    “So you’re slowing down?”
    “I don’t know. I’m just here to write this book. After that? Who knows where I’ll be.”
    Our food arrived and Jensen talked about the lessons while we ate. We’d be together a lot, according to his schedule. I didn’t know if I could handle this. I was already looking at him the way I used to and I had to stop. Jensen glanced up at me and those eyes fixed on mine. I coughed and looked away.
    “So how about I take you to a bar after this?” Jensen folded his hands and smiled. “We can talk about what we’ve been up to. Or I’ll talk about me and catch you up.”
    “Um. Okay.” My eyes strayed to his hands and a shiver passed through me. God I remembered those hands.
    Jensen paid the bill and then I was driving behind him on our way to some bar. I sighed in frustration as we hit downtown and the one way streets began. I was so bad at navigating one ways. Jensen pulled into a bank parking lot and I parked next to him. We walked down the sidewalk and I had to smile as Jensen walked on the outside. He opened the door for me at the bar and I turned to him.
    “Still the gentleman.”
    “My mother raised me right.”
    “Yes, she did. How is she?”
    “She passed away.”
    “I’m so sorry. She was such an awesome lady.”
    “Thank you.”
    I followed Jensen into the bar, my heart aching. I loved his mother and now she was gone.
    “Serena?”
    “Yes?”
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m just…I’m so sorry about your mother. She was always good to me.”
    Jensen smiled and motioned to the booth. “Have a seat. I’ll grab a waitress.”
    I took a look around the bar. Pool tables lined down the center of it and a shuffleboard game was against the back wall. Pictures of local bands lined the walls. Jensen came back with two beers and sat down across from me.
    “So.” Jensen peeled at his beer label.
    “Tell me how you got here. When did you finally make it big?”
    “Right after I got out of college. I was playing in a few bands along the way, but then I hooked up with Wyatt and the guys. They needed a drummer, and I auditioned and it went from there.”
    “I’m really happy for you.”
    “Thanks. When I’m not touring, I’m here giving drum lessons. I like being settled, I guess. Touring kind of wipes me out, so it’s always nice to come back here and be