Clementine by R. Jean Wilson Read Free Book Online

even more. He let out a rich laugh and ran his hand through his hair. She was beginning to see it was one of his most adorable habits.
    “It’s definitely a rough life during the resident years, luckily I onl y have three more to go,” he said with an easy smile.
    “Are you able to get out much or do you pretty much live here?” she asked, motioning toward the hospital hallway.
    “I try to get out on the weekends, especially in a city like Austin. I bought a kayak a year ago and have been pretty good about taking it out a few times a week ever since.”
    She finished chewing a cherry tomato before she admitted she’d never been kayaking before.
    “I’ve tried to get a group together to go but it’s never worked out.” How convenient. He owns a kayak, I’ve never been kayaking. It’s destiny if I’ve ever seen it.
    He raised his brows in shock, “We’ll have to go then. If nothing else, you can’t leave Austin having never kayaked on Town Lake before. It’s like a rite of passage,” he said, as if his casual invitation didn’t cause her stomach to do somersaults. Nod, chew, and swallow. Act like a normal human.
    “Uh, yeah, that’d be fun,” s he managed to get out before eyeing her salad hoping he wouldn’t see the blush creeping up her cheeks at the thought of them hanging out again.
    A few minutes of silence went by as they both took bites of their food and scanned the cafeteria. She felt like she was on a first date in high school, when everything felt new and strange. This isn’t a date though. She could feel his gaze on her but for some reason she couldn’t meet it most of the time. It was easier to focus on the other patrons eating their dinners.
    Holden wiped his mouth and put his napkin on his plate. “You know yo u seem familiar for some reason,” he began, “I’ve been thinking about it since Saturday night but I can’t pinpoint where I would have met you before.”
    He paused as Addison licked her lips, keeping her eyes focused on the table in front of her. She didn’t trust herself to meet his furtive gaze just yet; she wanted to absorb his words fully. He does recognize me?
    “I thought having dinner with you tonight would trigger some memory, but I can’t fig ure it out,” he continued.
    She took a deep breath and finally glanced up at him.
    “I know what you mean,” s he began, “but for me it’s almost more than a faint familiarity. When I saw you at the coffee shop with Stacy I instantly knew you... without knowing you,” She said quietly, rubbing her hand on the back of her neck, her eyes focused on attempting to unlock their past.
    She suddenly realized how silly she must sound to him, but looking up, she found the same curiosity in his eyes.
    “I completely agree,” h e said, his gaze increasing in intensity. His eyes searched her face, as if by looking over every feature, he’d be able to jog his memory. The energy between them shifted, curiosity and interest hung in the air.
    Suddenly, Addison’s phone alarm buzzed, letting her know that she still had another hour of volunteering. The alarm brought both of them back to reality, breaking a moment that she didn’t want to end. What horrible timing.
    “I have to get back to the gift shop. I only had a short break for dinner,” Addison explained dejectedly beginning to stand and grab her trash.
    “Wait,” h e said, reaching out to touch her hand.
    The second his hand reached hers, Addison felt warmth spread through her body. The innocent contact stopped her mid-stand and she whipped her head down to look at their hands. His sturdy hand was barely resting on hers, and yet it was as if he had clenched it directly onto her heart. Whoa. She pulled her hand back instinctively, confused by her body’s reaction to such an innocent touch.
    “Let me put your number into my phone, you know ... for kayaking.”
    She concentrated on his boyish smile as she no dded robotically, letting her mind wonder. Why does he want my