After She's Terminal The Alpha Regrets (Elaine and Lucas) novel Chapter 175

Chapter 175

Blaine stepped out of the car, greeted immediately with the evening breeze coming in off the ocean. She looked

over at Liam.

“I thought we were going to dinner,” she said.

“We are. But first…why don’t we talk a walk?” Liam asked, gesturing not toward the beach but to the bear walk. Elaine smiled and jogged a step to take Liam’s hand as he led her toward the crowds, lights, and games of the boardwalk. 1

“I take it this is another place you’ve never been?” Liam asked as they strolled along, past shops and flashing lights.

“As a matter of fact, I have been here before,” Elaine said as she looked around.

“Oh?”

“A long time ago. With my mother.”

“Ruth?”

“Oh, goddess, no. My birth mother. It was before she died. Walter took us all. We made a day of it,” Elaine said. “I hardly remember it anymore.”

She hand drifted up to the locket around her neck.

Liam studied her profile and the weary lines under her eyes. He tugged her hand gently. “Maybe this will help you remember.”

He took her to a line of games, paying for the tokens to play. The first one was where you threw darts at balloons and tried to pop them. If you could get ten without missing once, you won a prize.

Elaine got two. Liam only got five, then promptly announced, “These games are all rigged, you know.”

Elaine chuckled. “They must be.”

“Else I’d win you the biggest prize they have.”

“Oh, no doubt.” Elaine smiled as they kept walking. It reminded her of their time at the amusement park. That had been fun as well. She was content to keep walking around with him like this, until she heard his stomach grumbling.

Liam blinked, not saying anything at first.

Elaine laughed. “Are you hungry?”

“I believe I am.”

“We should get dinner,” she said.

“Only if you’re ready.”

Elaine tugged on his hand. “I won’t have you starving just because you wanted to wait for my stomach to start grumbling too. Come on.”

She tugged him toward the nearest diner, but he gently guided her away from it, and toward a more up–scale restaurant that looked five times as expensive. She definitely wasn’t dressed for it.

1/4

Chapter 5

+20 BONUS

“Liam…”

et me treat you today. You deserve it,” Liam said.

Elaine rolled her eyes but there was only amusement on her expression as he led her inside. They got a table beside the window, overlooking the ocean that was now reflecting the pale light of the moon.

A fake candle flickered between them.

“You think they could afford real ones with their prices,” Elaine muttered.

“Someone probably set fire to something with a real one,” Liam joked.

She laughed.

“Well, it must be my lucky day!”

Liam and Elaine both looked up to see Nancy approaching the table.

“Nancy,” Elaine said.

“Mom?”

Nancy paused beside their table. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. I’m not following you. I have a business dinner here with a new brand partner with New Dawn,” she said.

‘Brand partner?” Elaine asked.

“A canned foods company. They’re interested in making some generous food donations. Thought I’d sweeten the deal with some food,” Nancy said.

Elaine chuckled. “Good thinking.”