“You could say that,” I replied with an unamused huff, then proceeded to tell her all about my latest run-in with Mikki, starting at the diner and ending with my arrival on her doorstep. “It’s safe to say it didn’t go well.”
A long moment passed where Bo’s blue eyes pierced my skin—shot through me like a burning arrow—before she opened her mouth and laughed her ass off. Doubled over and smacking her thigh, laughing, like I’d somehow managed to come up with the world’s greatest punchline. Eventually, she wiped the tears from her eyes, still chuckling to herself. “You’re a bossy prick when it comes to Mikki,” she said on another laugh. “I wonder why that is?” Stroking her chin like an evil villain, she stared at me as if she knew the answer—and I was half-tempted to beg her for it.
I didn’t do that. “Excuse the hell out of me for trying to be a good guy and show concern.” Women were confusing in every aspect of life, outside of the bedroom. When it came to sex, they were pretty straightforward and easy to understand, but other than that they made as much sense as Mozart does to a cat.
“Did she ask for your concern, or give you any reason to think your concern might be welcome?” Again, her tone suggested her question was rhetorical, which rankled.
But I couldn’t deny that Mikki hadn’t asked for my concern. Hell, she hadn’t asked anything of me at all, and had instead given me a look that told me to stay away in the diner. I hadn’t listened. “Nope.”
Bo nodded, the brown ponytail bobbing behind her giving her an atypically girly look. “Then it wasn’t really about her, was it?” She gave me a look that said she knew all my secrets. It was damn creepy.
Maybe she had a point, but I wasn’t wrong, either. “I was concerned.”
“But mostly you wanted to force her to talk about why she was avoiding you, right?”
I sat back, shocked for the second, maybe third time today. “Did she call you?”
“No, and she didn’t need to—I’ve known you as long as I’ve known Jase. I know that you love to push, even when you haven’t stopped to think about whether you really want to know the answer or not. Remember Rebecca Moorhouse?”
I nodded. “How could I forget the one girlfriend of mine who tried to seduce my little brother?” She was one of life’s lessons that had stuck with me: women were not to be trusted. “Okay Bo, if you’re so smart, why is Mikki avoiding me?” Because I didn’t believe for one moment it was some act of martyrdom. Women didn’t operate that way. Ever.
Bo shook her head, giving me the same disappointed look my Ma had when I’d answered ‘no’ to her inevitable question about my love life. “Nope. I already told you why, but your big, stupid ego just won’t believe it.” She looked at me, eyes growing wider as if she were trying to figure out if I was from this planet or another.
Maybe Bo was right, and I really was only hearing what I wanted to. “So, I should leave her alone.” It wasn’t a question, not really; it was exactly what I needed to do. If she was willing to give up her social life to keep the peace, then leaving her alone was only right.
“I didn’t say that,” Bo blurted out, shocking the hell out of me. “What? I’m just saying listen to the woman, for crying out loud, because you are crap at listening. But I never said leave her alone.”
I pressed the cool bottle to my lips and took a long, slow pull of the hoppy beer as I replayed our entire conversation. She was right—she hadn’t once told me to leave Mikki alone. “What do you know?”
She shrugged. “I know that you like her, and I like her for you. So try not to screw it up again, yeah?”
“Fine,” I growled at her, finishing my beer before taking a walk around the property and finally making my way home. Bo and Mikki had given me a lot to think about, and I needed to be alone to do it.
Mikki
The phone chimed beside the cash register, vibrating across the glass just to make sure I knew there was a new text message. Other than Bo and Rocky, no one else had been calling, so I picked it up and frowned at the sender.
Would you like to have dinner with me?
I frowned at Nate’s message. Was this a joke? No, thanks.
His next message came right away. C’mon. Let me show you I’m not the dick you think I am.
I frowned again, wondering what he was up to. This was the problem with secrets—they caused unnecessary stress, more stress than if you just revealed everything right off the bat. I knew I had to tell him, and soon. But I wasn’t ready.
Why do you even care what I think?
It wasn’t like he wanted more than a few nights of fun in the sack, which I was more than up for. Until the nausea and the dizziness.
…that’s what I’m trying to figure out. So, dinner?
‘No’ was the right answer—the only answer—but my thumbs hesitated over the screen, thinking maybe this was my chance to tell him about the baby. What the hell, right? Things couldn’t possibly get any worse between us, and even if they could, at least the news would be out there. Delivered. Sure. When and where?
Tonight. Your place. I’ll surprise your taste buds.
Now I was truly suspicious. Is there some sporting event airing tonight and you don’t have the necessary cable package to watch it? It was a stretch, but it was the only thing I could come up with that made sense.
Nate surprised the hell out of me, replying with several rows of laughing crying emojis. Trust me that my cable package is more than sufficient, Mikki. And the fact that you think that’s why I want to come over is exactly why I need to come over.
I don’t think you’re a bad person, Nate.
Just not someone worth your time?
I shrugged and bit my bottom lip as I typed out my response. I gave you all the time you wanted. I’d let him set the tone for the relationship and, somehow, I’d still ended up the bad guy.
That’s what you think and I’m happy to prove you wrong.
You’re certainly welcome to try.
Good. What’s your favorite dish?
The thought of food so early in the day wasn’t something my stomach appreciated, and it flipped at the very thought of shrimp po’ boys. Still, maybe getting on a friendlier foot would ease the tension between us.
Shrimp and lobster po’ boy sandwiches, I told him.
I would’ve said bacon and lobster mac & cheese, but I’m not fancy.
That pulled a laugh from me. Who knew Nate could be funny? Certainly not me. As long as I’d known him, he went from gruff and scowling one moment to sexy and flirty in the next. Neither am I, just ask my mama and she’ll tell you how uncultured I am. Why did I share that with him?
Then she’d think I was a full-on Neanderthal, he typed back quickly.
Aren’t you?
He took a moment before responding, and I belatedly wondered if I’d offended him.
Wouldn’t you like to know?
And there was the Nate I knew—casual and easygoing, unable to let anyone or anything come close to scuffing his ego.
I wondered again what his angle was, but I decided to shake it off and accept his offer at face value. For now. According to you, I already do.
See you tonight, Mikki. Don’t be late.
I rolled my eyes at that message and got back to work, rearranging shelves and updating the social media accounts to keep myself distracted. Sometime later, the chime over the door sounded and Max strolled in. Alone, this time, which I made sure not to comment on. “Max, good to see you again. Not here for a return, I hope?”
“No,” she said on a nervous sigh and I was on my feet instantly, recognizing that look of panic. “I’m here for some lingerie. Something sexy but not impractical.”
I knew just what she wanted—it was exactly what any woman wanted when she jumped back into the dating pool. “Something you wear under your everyday clothes?”
She nodded. “Something like that, yeah.”
It took all the willpower I had not to ask a thousand different questions; namely, who was it tha
t had finally snagged the single mom’s attention? Instead, I nodded for her to follow me and picked up a few of my favorites. “Hope’s Everyday Sexy line is perfect, colorful, and simple, and perfect to seduce with a quick striptease.”
Her cheeks stained and I smiled. “Very funny. I just want to remember I’m a woman, you know?”
I did know. “Well, you certainly have the body of a woman, Max, and you’ll wear all of these well.”
“Is this what you wear for Nate?”
I tripped on a flat piece of ground, catching myself and instinctively wrapping an arm around my midsection before recovering quickly. If Max noticed, she didn’t say, and I was grateful. “There is no me and Nate,” I assured her firmly.
But Max was a strong woman and not easily put off, certainly not by something as non-threatening as a scowl. “Yeah, but there was. Did he prefer over-the-top sexy or,” she slid her gaze to the wall of lingerie, “Everyday Sexy?”
“Both,” I admitted. “Men are simple, visual creatures. As long as it shows off the goods, they’ll like it. Sure, they really love the over-the-top stuff, but it all ends up on the floor anyway, right?”
Max stared at me, mouth open. “You’re more cynical than I thought.” The tone said she approved of that fact and I smiled at her, thinking maybe keeping my distance wouldn’t mean complete isolation.
“Not cynical, practical.”
“Okay. I think I’ll try these four on for now.” She turned and hurried into one of the fitting rooms and I stayed close, grabbing a few more options for her to try.
“You buying these for someone in particular or is this just a pre-emptive-type thing?” It was a prying question, I knew, but I was starting to enjoy the nosiness of small-town living.
“Neither. I’m hoping this and the new wardrobe will make me feel more confident and remind me that I’m not just a mother, which might attract some kind of masculine goodness.”
I paused before allowing myself to ask the big question on my mind. “What’s it like, Max, being a mom?”
“Exhausting. Thankless.” She laughed, and the sound was pure affection. “But it’s amazing, watching this person you created grow and morph into a version of the adult they’ll eventually become. But also exhausting.”
To me, it sounded kind of wonderful—much better than the way Rocky and I grew up. We had it great, I knew that, but everything had been so formal and stiff, so focused on appearances. I wanted to give my child the kind of childhood Max’s little girl had, playing with bugs and going to sleepovers. Adventure. Excitement. Dirt.
I could almost see it in my mind’s eye, a little girl with Nate’s bright red hair and my hazel eyes, maybe a few of his freckles across her nose as she ran barefoot across the grass, laughing while butterflies, bees, and a golden retriever pup chased alongside her. The question was, would Nate be in that picture? And if so, would he be right beside me, watching as proud parents, or at a safe distance as equally proud co-parents? Maybe he wouldn’t be there at all, opting instead to send a check in the mail that we didn’t even need. If he chose that option, maybe staying in Tulip wouldn’t be for the best—but I wouldn’t abandon my shop, not for him. Not for anyone, and certainly not when I had a child to support.
No, I wouldn’t even think of leaving. I would stay and face the music, whatever tune it turned out to be.
“Hey, you in there? Earth to Mikki.” I blinked to find Max standing in front of me, waving several sets of lingerie in both hands. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, just not sleeping well. I have a lot on my mind.”
Max laughed. “I know all about those kinds of sleepless nights. Believe me, they never stop,” she added, with a knowing smile I couldn’t quite decipher. Had she figured out my secret?
“If you sign up for the Pretty Feathers newsletter, you’ll get a ten percent discount.”
Dropping the lingerie on the counter, Max held her hands up defensively. “If you ever want to talk, I’m here. And I know how to keep a secret.” That was all she said before turning her attention to the newsletter sign-up form and scribbling down her info.
“Thanks for that, Max. If I, uh, have anything I need to talk about, I’ll keep that in mind. And same for you,” I added clumsily, making her smile.
She nodded, accepting her bag and her receipt. “I hope you figure out whatever is weighing heavy on your mind so you can get some sleep.”
‘Thanks,” I told her sincerely. “And I hope that lingerie works… as intended.”
She laughed and waved me off as she walked towards the exit, leaving me alone in my shop. With my thoughts. Once again.
Nate
“Fuckin’ teenagers gonna be the death of me.” It was cold, and thanks to hours of hiking deep into the thick brush, I was sweaty and my teeth were chattering. All because of a group of dumbass teenagers.
“Maybe, but that’s only if we get to them before the cold does. Dispatch says they’re possibly high. The caller said something about ‘doin’ shrooms’ and Barb wasn’t sure what that meant.” Preston snickered, the way we often did when it came to S&R dispatcher Barb Torken. She was the sweetest lady around, but she was just as clueless.
“No doubt they were drinking, too—probably how they wound up in trouble in the first place. What in the hell were they thinking?”
“You were that age once; you know exactly what they were thinking. That they’d save some money on a parking permit and spend the night together by making their own campsite.”
He had a point, but I was growing colder and more exhausted with every damn step. We trained for all types of search and rescue terrains, scenarios, and climates but this shit never got any easier. “Yeah, I know all that. But, ugh, did they have to go so deep into the forest when there’s perfectly good camping ground every fucking where?”
“Calm down. We’ve got another hour to go before we get to their last known location.”
“Don’t remind me,” I grunted. “I hope like hell we don’t have to carry anyone back to the ambulance.” We’d left the rescue vehicles about ten miles back, because the trees were too thick and dense to access the site. Because it was remote as hell.
Preston stopped and looked at me, eyes wide with surprise. “You looking forward to being disappointed then?”
“Dick.”
He laughed. “It’s not so bad. We have plenty of time for you to tell me what’s been going on with you and Mikki.” Preston didn’t even bother trying to hide his laugh when my foot caught on a rock. “And don’t say nothing.”
“Sounds like you’ve been talking to Bo.” Her insight into what was going on had been helpful—Mikki and I were supposed to have dinner tonight. Didn’t look like that was happening, so I made a mental note to call her when I could.
“Nope, but it’s your favorite thing to bark at people when they want to know something.”
Was I that transparent? “Nothing’s going on. I was supposed to bring dinner over tonight, kind of a do-over.”
“Did you call her before we headed out?” At my shrug, Preston groaned. “Nate, man, you’ll be single forever if you don’t learn this stuff. Luckily for me, Nina has no problem telling me when I’m doing something wrong.” There was nothing but affection in his voice—the opposite of what I would’ve expected, given his words.
“I’m already single and that’s how I plan to keep it.”
“Yeah? Then why are you all bent out of shape every time her name comes up? And why do you need a do-over?”
“You’re damned annoying, Preston. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“All the time, but usually just my friend Nate when I’m not telling him what he wants to hear.” Being in love must have also given him super hearing, because he managed to duck away from the punch I aimed at his shoulder.
“Shh.” Preston held up a hand and closed his eyes, a trick that was admittedly impressive but that I still took every opportunity to mock. It’s a guy thing, sue me. “You hear that?�
��
I opened my mouth, a smart-ass comment on the tip of my tongue, but then I did hear it: a low hum of rock music. “Come on!” We were done chatting and shooting the shit, lengthening our strides to make the rescue happen quicker, before it really started to get cold outside.
Preston radioed our location and I ran towards the music, spotting the faint hints of a fire about five hundred feet in the distance. “Jase said he’ll come as close as he can get to help us carry any injured,” he relayed back when he caught up to me.
It wasn’t exactly a rousing orgy, but it was exactly what I expected of dumbass teenagers. A half-lit fire that meant they were all damn-near frozen because three of them were laid out on the ground, staring up at the sky with goofy grins on their faces. “Anybody hurt?”
Nothing but the sounds of nature and mine and Preston’s boots on the cold, hard ground.
“Hey!” Preston shouted a few times and clapped his hands to pull them out of their drug-induced stupor. “Is anybody hurt?”
“How can anyone be in pain when the sky looks so beautiful?” One of the kids spoke, and an arm raised into the air. Preston and I looked at each other and then looked up, seeing nothing but treetops above us. We turned back to the kid.
“At least he’s not injured. Check him and I’ll check the others.” A blond girl was also uninjured but near unconsciousness, probably due to the cold. Or the alcohol on her breath. “What’s your name?”
She smiled up at me. “Tessa. What’s yours, handsome?”
“Too old for you. Can you walk on your own?” It would make my job and this shift a hell of a lot easier if she could walk on her own, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
“Sure can!” She jumped up lightning quick and, just as fast, her legs crumbled. “Whoopsie!”
“One’s not injured but incapacitated,” I called out a status alert to Preston and went to the other kid, who wore a serene smile, grinning either at his moving hands or the trees beyond. “Hey, kid. You all right?”
Misters of Love: A Small Town Romance Boxset Page 9