One Hundred Decisions (An Aspen Cove Small Town Romance Book 13)

by Kelly Collins

  “Just hear me out. You’re right, Bobby and Louise are struggling, and it will only get worse as their kids grow older. You see how much Will costs, and they have eight children.”

  Natalie buried her head in her hands. “I can’t imagine. I wish I could pay Bobby for the part. Doc said he’d take care of it, but I’m not sure what that means. Is it a trade of some sort?”

  “I don’t know, but I know how you can help. Quit the diner and come to work at the bookshop.” When she was about to say no, he held up his hand. “Listen, before you argue. Louise can work at Maisey's and bring her kids like you do Will, but that’s not possible at the bookstore. We’ll end up with lots of bindings and no pages. I really need someone to take over B’s Book Nook.” He took a breath and continued. “You can set your own hours, and close when you need to for weather, illness, or to watch Will in the school play. I’ve set aside funding for a decent annual salary, so you don’t have to depend on tips. You’d have a consistent paycheck that would allow you some extras.” He did his best to sell her on the idea, but he wasn’t sure he had.

  “I didn’t realize Louise had applied for the job. Now I feel selfish; her husband is working for free to fix my piece of junk. Today it’s the alternator and with my luck the starter tomorrow, and the battery by the weekend.”

  “Hey.” He lifted her chin. “Don’t borrow trouble. If you take the job, you’ll make enough to pay for your own repairs next time.”

  “You’re relentless in your attempt to pawn the shop off on someone so you can go.” The corners of her mouth drooped into a frown.

  “I thought that you liked me because I was temporary.”

  “It’s the best thing about you … and your kisses.” She lifted from her seat and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Now, tell me about my salary and benefits.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’m not a freeloader.” She moved around the bookstore pushing in chairs and straightening books.

  “I know you’re not, but I thought you’d want to work on the house this week.” Jake followed her into the fiction aisle where a box of books sat on the floor, waiting for her to shelve them. “You don’t have much time before the next home visit.”

  She frowned, knowing what he said was true, but she had to do what she felt was right, and working her shift was right. “Are these already entered into the system?” She moved several books to the side to make room for the new Grisham novels. It turned out the people of Aspen Cove liked conflict and angst after all, but in books and not their lives.

  “Yes.” He stopped her hand mid progress. “Natalie. You don’t have to show up to work until you have the house ready.”

  “I do.” She pulled away and touched her hand to her chest. “I have a lot of pride. Maybe too much. I’ve never had so much at once, and I need to feel like I’m earning my keep. Besides, I can’t be without a paycheck for weeks on end.” She didn’t want to admit that without the food he put in her house, they would eat canned beans and crackers each night. “I need this. Let me do what I have to in order to get things done.”

  He bent over and picked up the stack of books. “Fine, but you have to have a balance. I can give you an advance.” His eyes lit up. “Oh, I know … what about a sign-on bonus?”

  “Haven’t you done enough?”

  The door to the shop opened, and she rushed to the front where she found Mercy Meyer leaning on the counter. She wasn’t in her normal sweater set and slacks. Today she wore a pink sundress that showed off her assets—especially when said assets were trapped together between her arms.

  “Oh, hi.” Mercy bolted up and stepped back, adjusting the neckline of her dress up. “I was …” Her head cocked to the side with a perplexed expression. She lifted on her tiptoes and craned her neck to see over Natalie. “Is Jake here?”

  She swallowed the ill-placed jealousy. It was a stupid emotion since Jake wasn’t hers and never would be. They both knew the kisses they shared meant nothing. It was a nice distraction from the stress of their everyday lives.

  “Jake,” she called.

  He peeked around the bookshelf and smiled. “Mercy, good to see you.” He arrived at the counter in less than a dozen steps. “I bet you’re here to see if I got those Eric Litwin books in.”

  She blushed and leaned forward. Once again, Mercy’s assets were on display, and Natalie watched with interest.

  “Yes, but also …” She turned toward Natalie and smiled. “Maybe she can get the books while I discuss something of a personal nature with you.”

  Having spent a solid amount of time with Jake over the last few weeks, it was fun to watch him respond to her not so subtle adoration.

  “Where would I find them?” she asked Jake. “I don’t want to be an interloper to a private conversation.” She went to slide by Jake, but he grabbed her hand and tugged her back.

  “Nothing to interrupt.” He glanced at her quickly, but in those few seconds, she saw the Help me embedded in his blue irises. “Natalie manages the store now, so anything you have to say to me should be said to Natalie since she’ll be taking care of things from this point forward.”

  He tugged her close, so they touched on one side. It was as if he was pushing the point of solidarity. But Natalie knew by the look in Mercy’s eyes that she wasn’t here about the books. She also imagined what the not so schoolmarm-ish teacher wanted couldn’t be delegated to another. She wanted Jake.

  “Umm, I …” Mercy squirmed in front of the counter. “Honestly …” She inhaled and let out a whoosh. When she grew an inch taller and pulled back her shoulders, she said, “I’d like to have lunch with you.”

  Jake stood like a statue, looking at her without so much as a blink. If his jaw hadn’t ticked or the arm hanging between them hadn’t twitched, she could have believed it stunned him to stone.

  Natalie bumped him with her hip to get him to respond. “Mercy would like to take you to lunch.”

  Jake shook his head. “That’s so nice of you, but honestly, there is so much that Natalie and I have to cover before I leave, that it’s impossible to free up the time.” It all came out in a single string of words without a breath or a break in the sentence.

  She wanted to laugh at him for being so nervous. Here was a confident life coach, and he was faltering. Part of her wanted to tease him for it; the other part wanted to take him behind the stacks and kiss him. Mercy Meyer was beautiful and willing, and he wasn’t interested.

  No doubt it was because he was leaving, but she wanted to believe that it was her. She was enough for him.

  A giggle slipped from her, and both Jake and Mercy turned to stare. Mercy’s was more of a glower.

  “That’s right. I forgot about our lunch meeting.” Taking a step sideways to gain some distance, she added, “But Mr. Powers is free now for tea.” She moved around the corner and walked straight to the door. “He likes the decaf variety.”

  Mercy’s expression went from downtrodden to lottery win happy. “Tea would work. Although I’m not a fan, I can have coffee.”

  With the door held open, she waved them out. Jake stood at the counter for a long minute before he gave in. As he passed her, he leaned in and whispered, “You will pay for this.”

  “I’ll look forward to our meeting, Mr. Powers.”

  That thread of jealousy wasn’t there when they walked out because he wasn’t interested in Mercy.

  She moved back to the stacks and stocked the shelves. Thirty minutes later, she was standing at the counter scanning in the Patterson books when Jake returned. He immediately turned over the open sign to closed.

  “I’d like to see you in your office, please.” He moved past her at a fast clip while she stared after him.

  Had she pushed things too far? She’d never seen him riled up or upset, but his curt direction led her to believe that maybe she’d driven him to anger.

  She set the book down and marched into the room after him. As she neared the door, she said, “I’m sorry. I thought it w
as funny to see you squirm.” As she passed the threshold, he yanked her inside and slammed the door.

  “You’re sorry?”

  Within seconds he’d pinned her to the wall, his body so close that she could feel the heat emanating from him.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want me to date Mercy while I’m here?” He penetrated her with his blue eyes. Eyes that somehow had fire in them despite their cool ocean-blue color.

  “No, I …”

  “You what?” He leaned in and brushed his nose across her cheek until he reached her ear. “Is that your thing? You like competition?”

  She shook her head, but his mouth stayed close to her ear. “Are you protecting yourself?” he whispered. “Pushing me away, so when I leave, it’s not a loss?”

  His breath sent shivers all the way down her spine. She tried to push back, but there was no way to get beyond the wall pressing hard against her spine.

  “No, of course not. We know what this is. This is an attraction run amuck, but it means nothing.”

  He moved until his lips were against hers. “Yep, that’s what I told myself too until you tossed me out the door with another woman. Now I intend to prove otherwise. This might go nowhere, but dammit, it means something.”

  He kissed her hard and rough as if he meant to brand her. She’d been telling herself that it meant nothing, that his kisses were a way to reward herself for surviving another day, but was he right?

  His body molded around hers like a warm blanket. His presence was reassuring, his passion exciting, his kisses—everything. His nearness fogged her sensibilities. Somehow in the course of a few weeks, she’d gone from being an island adrift to an anchored peninsula. The anchor being Jake Powers. Her heart said finally, but her head screamed at her to step back and gain perspective. Don’t let a few kisses steal your good sense. A heart was simply an organ to keep her alive, not a litmus test to determine her value.

  As she pondered the value of giving in to the moment, her heart beat faster. The rush of blood ringing in her ears drowned out the sensible advice of her brain and subconscious.

  Jake was right: this meant something. It meant she was lonely and hungry. Hungry for attention and affection. Jake had made it a point to feed her, so why not let him nourish those parts too?

  Her hands moved up his body to thread through his hair. She tugged the roots to pull him closer—to get her fill. She might not have him for long, but she’d overindulge while she did. She pulled back and said, “Eat your heart out, Mercy Meyer. This man belongs to me.” For now.

  “That’s my girl.” He stepped back and pulled her with him down to the floor. The hardwood couldn’t have been comfortable for him, but she didn’t have to feel it. The only thing hard beneath her was his arousal. The rest was a bed of muscles that her body melted into.

  They kissed like they were both starved. He tasted like sweet mint, which was probably the tea he’d had with Mercy. After the first five minutes of frenzied kisses, things slowed, with his velvet tongue exploring her mouth like he was Lewis and Clark and her mouth the new world. His expedition was thorough. When his hands joined in, every skin cell sang hallelujah.

  Jake had a gentle touch, but she knew he was capable of more. If his hands had followed the lead of his mouth, she’d be naked on the floor of the office right now.

  He ended the kiss and bracketed her head with his hands, pushing her away enough so they could see eye to eye. “You’re beautiful.”

  She shook her head. “Not really. I’m just me.”

  “And I think you’re perfect.”

  Those words caused a giggle to erupt in her belly, tickling her insides until it turned into a full laugh. She moved so much she rolled off his body and came down onto the floor beside him.

  “For a life coach, you sure are unobservant. I’m far from perfection.”

  “It depends on the rubric you’re using.”

  She hadn’t thought about it in that way. At thirty, perspective was everything. Age gave you more, but so did experiences. “You’re using a flexible curve when grading, and your expectations must be low.”

  He sat up and scooted to the desk to lean against it. “Come here,” he said and held out his hand. “It’s time you got to know me a little, but first, I want to tell you things you might not know about yourself.”

  She moved beside him.

  As one of the most self-reflective people she knew, there wasn’t anything Jake could tell her she didn’t already know.

  “Okay, tell me, Mr. Almighty and Wise, who am I, and what don’t I know?”

  He turned to face her. “You’re fearless.”

  “Wrong. I’m scared of everything.”

  “But you do things regardless, and that makes you fearless. Or maybe the only thing you fear is fear itself.” He cupped her cheek. “You’re selfless.”

  She laughed. “Wrong again. I’m selfish. I don’t allow people into my life because I don’t want to share.”

  He shook his head slowly, a sparkle of amusement twinkling in his eyes. “That’s what you tell yourself, but really, you open yourself up to a lot of things. Like your brother. Or this new job. It takes time to learn about things and people. You’re doing it.”

  He had her all wrong. “I’m all about what’s necessary. I do what I have to, to survive.”

  “You can lie to yourself again, but I know your truth. You’re scared to admit that you love because love is painful. But it’s also powerful. Yes, you hold back just enough so that if love disappoints you, you won’t disappear along with it. But you know what, the only person you’re hurting is yourself. You can’t really fully love anyone until you love yourself, and that’s where you’re hung up. Someone once told you and showed you, you were not worthy or lovable, but it’s not true. I think you’re easy to love. Who wouldn’t love a woman who’d drive across the country to save a kid? You’re relentless in your desire to keep Will. A lesser person would have let the foster care system swallow him up.”

  “I’d never!” she shouted. “I’ve been there, and it’s not always great. It’s a crapshoot. You get the hand you’re dealt, and mine sucked.”

  “And despite all that, you survived.” He moved his hand from her cheek to the scruff on his face. “If I were creating life success teams, I’d want you on mine.”

  “That’s very nice, but don’t let my ability to adapt fool you. It’s a defense mechanism. I become who I have to, to endure. I’m like a chameleon.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap. “I like your colors.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “And I love this mouth.”

  The heat of passion coiled tighter and became hotter with every touch of his lips. Too bad he wasn’t staying in Aspen Cove because a girl didn’t need to eat if her lunch hour was filled with his kisses.

  As his hand moved in to cup her breast, a loud pounding sounded from the back door.

  “Natalie, are you in there?” Will called out and pounded again.

  Jake groaned. “We could ignore him. I was just getting to the good stuff.”

  She pulled herself up and stood looking down. “You call that the good stuff?” It was good, but the kisses and feels weren’t enough.

  He grabbed the edge of the desk and hauled himself to his feet. “That’s the good stuff before we get to the really good stuff.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Two days later and Jake could still feel her lips against his. Still imagine the weight of her breast in his palm. Two days that he hadn’t had the pleasure of her touch, only her presence.

  As much as Natalie wanted to fight him on her assessment, he knew he was right. She was fearless. She didn’t shirk responsibilities or take them lightly. He made her the manager of B’s Book Nook, and by the third day, she was running the shop like a well-oiled machine. She knew where everything was located from Tolstoy to Dr. Seuss. She didn’t change the display weekly, but daily, so visitors always had something to look at. Her
displays weren’t static but interactive. She’d turned the spare iPad into a game for patrons. She filled it up with questions about the book or the author. It was Aspen Cove’s version of trivia night.

  He sat at the table and watched several of the regulars come in, as well as tourists, and pick up the book she was pushing for the day. It was the ones he’d overordered, and she sold them. She was holding a one to five ratio of interested patrons to sales, which was damn good. He’d have to add remarkable to his ever-growing list of descriptive words. So far, he had:

  Beautiful

  Resilient

  Talented

  Ambitious

  Passionate

  Brave

  Creative

  Modest

  Protective

  Proud

  Guarded

  Natalie was everything he’d find desirable in a woman.

  He looked at his watch and dialed his next client. Her name was Marylin Richards, and she was a handful.

  He tucked himself farther into the corner as he waited for her to answer.

  Normally he would take the call in the office to afford him and his client privacy, but Natalie looked absolutely stunning today, and it made him feel good to just see her.

  Mary picked up. “Oh, Dr. Powers, I’m so glad you called.”

  He shook his head. “Mary, I’m not a doctor. We’ve talked about this before. I have a master’s degree in behavioral science, but I never attended medical school, nor did I continue on to get my Ph.D. Call me Jake.”

  Natalie looked at him and motioned to the office. He wasn’t sure if she was suggesting he go or if she should, but he shook his head.

  “Let’s talk about your life and work balance.” Mary had taken on the job as a major pharmaceutical president, and it was more than she’d intended to bite off.

  She made a phlegmy sound in her throat. “I’ve been eating that damn elephant one bite at a time like you said, but I’m so tired of elephant. I need something different.”

  Natalie leaned on the counter and stared at him. He often found her looking. Sometimes he didn’t even need to see her eyes to know. The heat of her gaze was always warming his skin.