“Nick dropped off a couple of flashlights for me last night.” I tried to brush it off, but my sister was far too clever.
“Is that so?”
“Yup. I’m gonna go shower.” I started up the stairs, but she grabbed my wrist and I turned around.
“Did—”
“Whatever you’re going to ask, not even. He had company of the female variety waiting back at his house.”
“Now that’s the Nick I’ve heard about.” She let go of my wrist and chuckled as I leaped up the final steps, suddenly feeling like I was back in high school with a nosy younger sister and absolutely no information to divulge.
I went into my sister’s guest bath and turned on the shower, setting my bag on the counter. It felt amazing under the warm water, like all the dirt and grime from the horrid mustard carpet could just slide off and never return. I shivered at the thought and rinsed out the shampoo.
It was a shame Nick had a generator and wasn’t even home to enjoy it. I would’ve stayed home the entire time just because I could. I shook my head and ran the conditioner through my hair as I heard the doorbell ring.
I quickly rinsed off and stepped out of the shower, dabbing and drying quickly, before stepping into my blue and white penguins. I got a few of my hair tangles out with my fingers and stuffed everything back in my bag, all while sliding my feet into my unicorn house slippers.
As I bounded down the steps to greet Jewels and my sister, I nearly toppled down the stairs when I heard his voice.
Nick was here.
I froze with one foot out in the open and the rest of me hidden behind the wall leading to the second floor. If he was in the entry, he’d see my foot, but if he’d managed to walk into the living room, I was in the clear. Regardless, I stayed motionless and prayed my unicorn wouldn’t betray me.
“I didn’t see her car in the drive and I didn’t have her phone number. I gave her mine, but I didn’t get hers. Anyway, I got worried something might have happened with the weather and all.” His voice was gruff, but the tenderness behind it nearly melted me on the spot. “But I’m glad she’s here. Will you just let her know that the power came back on about twenty minutes ago?”
“Will do, Nick,” my sister told him. “That was really nice of you to come all this way.”
“Well, she doesn’t seem like the most well-prepared person, so. . .” His voice got louder with each word until he was standing in front of me. “I feel a certain obligation to make sure she makes it to the holidays for the sake of her family.”
“I’m a perfectly capable human being,” I huffed. “I survived just fine last night. In fact, I barely used the flashlight you brought over.”
“What about the radio?” he asked, and I rolled my eyes, not wanting to give him an inch of forgiveness. “And I never said incapable, just not the most well-prepared.”
“Hey, Nick,” Jewels called up the stairs as the front door clicked shut.
I attempted to move past Nick, but his hand slid along my arm and my body hummed in response. I turned to playfully glare at him, but he was already letting me go and I wondered if I’d imagined it.
“Hi, Jewels. It’s so nice to see you again,” I told her, making my way down the rest of the steps.
“I didn’t see you up there.” She gave me a quick hug. “Is Nick staying for dinner?”
“I hadn’t had a chance to ask him,” Maddie responded, her eyes landing apologetically on mine.
“Actually, I’ve got some stuff I have to take care of back at the house or I’d love to,” Nick said, his gaze moving along my body.
“A hot Tinder date?” Jewels teased, and Nick twisted his lips into a sexy pout.
“I’m more than that, you know.” He smiled before adding, “But I gotta do what I gotta do.” He sunk his teeth into his lips, and I nearly fell over thinking about his mouth elsewhere.
“Tinder?” My brow arched. “I wouldn’t think you’d need a dating app.”
“So I take it you don’t swipe right?” He looked intrigued.
“I don’t swipe up, down, left, or right.” I looked over at Jewels and Maddie for guidance, but they were already making their way to the kitchen. “Too much work.”
“That’s the beauty of Tinder. There’s no work required.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of crazies and my finger would swipe right to them.”
“It happens,” he admitted. “But I’ve met a lot of interesting people, and it’s been easy to avoid the ones who aren’t looking for the same thing.”
“Which is what?”
“I’m not looking for a serious relationship, so I just steer clear of anyone who is.”
“So it’s true what they say about you?” I asked.
“Who is they and what is being said?” He jogged down the last few steps, landing squarely in front of me. I ignored the charge that ran through me just from his moving closer.
“Nothing much. Just that you aren’t exactly into relationships.”
“That’s true.” He nodded.
“Is there a reason?” I asked, feeling my pulse rise as his gaze stayed fastened on mine.
“Many.”
I took a step back and leaned against the front door. His eyes ran along my penguin pajamas, and a furious flutter in my belly made my body tingle with excitement for no apparent reason. I mean he was laying it out. Nick wasn’t looking to date, and he enjoyed having absolutely no commitment. So why was I intrigued?
“On second thought, I think I will stay for dinner.”
“Huh?” He brought me out of my daze.
“You heard me.”
“What? Are you trying to get me on Tinder?”
“Never.” He smiled and shook his head.
“And for the record, I didn’t ask you to install my door. It was on my to-do list. And I didn’t ask you to bring over flashlights or a radio. I would’ve been just fine without them. I’m fully capable and can handle a little snow and a power outage.”
He shook his head. “I told you. I never said that you were incapable. Any woman who can tackle painting a room in the dead of winter in a bra with the door wide open is . . . very capable.”
I tilted my head and waited for more.
“Besides, I saw a unicorn peeking out at me from around the corner, and I knew it had to belong to the one and only Holly Wildes. I just wanted to tease you a little.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“As cute as your best friend?” I moved away from the front door and felt his gaze on me as I walked toward the kitchen.
“Cuter,” he said from behind. “Much, much cuter.”
I stopped in the living room and waited for Nick to catch up.
“You’re difficult to figure out.”
“I shouldn’t be.” He shook his head, smoothing his hand over his hair.
“Well, you are.”
“Dinner is served,” Maddie called from the kitchen.
“Saved by the bell,” Nick muttered.
“You wish.” I turned around and walked to the kitchen, where Maddie had spread the food out buffet-style on her kitchen counter.
We all dished up and sat around the kitchen table. Maddie had the curtains pulled wide open, and the sparkle of the snow was visible under her porch lights.
“I’m so excited about our guest speaker next week,” Jewels began. “He’s the leading authority on matchmaking and dating in the digital age.”
“That sounds like fun.” My sister nodded and glanced at Nick. I felt his gaze on me, but I wasn’t sure why.
“Well, I don’t think dating is any different than it was before Facebook or Twitter.” I took a bite of the stuffed peppers. “I mean I can’t imagine using a dating service or—”
“So you’ve never logged onto any kind of dating app?” Nick asked.
“No way.” I shook my head.
“I’m tellin’ ya. You’re missing out not being on Tinder.�
�
“Isn’t that mainly for hooking up?” I asked. “Wait, never mind.” I hid a smile, but Jewels’ laughter filled my sister’s tiny kitchen.
“Nick’s favorite app is Tinder.”
“Who’d you hear that from?” Nick asked, sitting up straighter.
“My sister, Natty.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve dated Jewels’s sister?”
Nick shook his head furiously. “No way.”
“Oh, I see.” I took another bite. “Dating is too strong of a word? She’s just one of your best friends.” I used air quotes and chuckled.
Nick laughed. “Actually, she is. She’s also the town florist and engaged to her high school sweetheart, so unless I want to get my ass kicked to the moon and back, yeah. She’s a best friend.”
I was completely intrigued and confused.
“How many of these best friends do you have floating around town?” I asked.
Maddie looked at me, and then over at Nick, as if she had front row seats to Wimbledon.
“Well, there’s Tori, Natty, and Sophie. Since Jewels moved back to Fireweed, she’s making a strong case for a fourth.”
“Aww, you shouldn’t have,” she joked.
“So which best friend did you have at the house last night?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He smiled and glanced over at Jewels, who seemed to be enjoying this for some odd reason.
“What can I say? I’m nosy.”
He shook his head, laughing, and I knew I wasn’t going to get my answer.
Chapter Five
“The floors look amazing,” I told my sister. “It changes the entire feel of the cabin.”
“I can’t wait to see it. When will you let me come over?” My sister asked, wiping down the sink counter in the back room of the tea shop.
I measured a cup of peppermint leaves and sprinkled them into the stainless steel bowl where the rose petals and bits of licorice roots waited to be mixed. I tossed in a cup of lemon balm and blended the ingredients around in the bowl before transferring the tea into a tin.
“Give me a couple more days to make things better.” I glanced over at her and she nodded. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do about the paneling I painted white though. Now that the wood floors are in, the walls look even worse.”
“It’ll all come together, but don’t stress yourself out about Mom and Dad. It’s impossible to please them.”
I let out a deep breath, but it didn’t make me feel better.
“I think if we each bought a home in their neighborhood, used Mom’s decorator, and popped out two-point-five children, we’d start to make them happy,” she said with a chuckle.
I shuddered at the thought. I’d grown up in Illinois in a perfect little village that called out to families of four, but it was impossible to meet anyone in a town of five thousand to create that perfect unit my parents craved for their two daughters. To say they were old-fashioned in their thinking would be an understatement. I didn’t fault them for it, but I certainly didn’t waste any energy trying to convince them otherwise.
“I know. I thought Mom was going to have a heart attack when she learned that not only was I leaving New York, but I wasn’t coming home to Illinois.”
“At least they’re staying at my house,” my sister chimed in.
“True, and thank you for that.”
“Don’t think I don’t know why you bought a one-bedroom.”
I followed my sister into the front of the tea shop and helped organize the newest additions to the shelves. With the holidays coming, we’d come up with a few pumpkin-laced teas and wintery concoctions, like gingerbread tea and peppermint mocha hot cocoa. I had no idea working in a tea shop would be so much fun.
The bell jingled, and I glanced toward the door to see a cute couple coming in from the cold. It had been several days since the snowstorm, but the temperatures had remained cold, keeping the white stuff on the ground.
“Back for the holidays?” My sister asked the woman, who nodded and glanced toward the man holding her tightly. It wasn’t until he smiled that I recognized it was the Anthony Hill, lead singer of the Crimson Strings. I remembered hearing he had a place on the island, but I guess I never expected to actually see him wandering around town.
“We’re here until mid-January.” The woman glanced at me and smiled. Everything about her seemed warm and genuine. Her brown hair was piled in a braided bun with chunks falling around her face, and the gray leggings and bulky pink sweater looked like my type of clothing. “I’m Sophie, tea addict and town decorator.”
My gaze flashed to my sister’s and she grinned. So she’d known who Sophie was and hadn’t said a word. Sophie was probably whom she’d gotten her info from about Nick’s scandalous ways.
Suspicious.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Maddie’s sister, Holly.”
Without missing a beat, she wiggled out of Anthony’s grasp and gave me a hug.
“So happy you decided to move to Fireweed. We just love it here and wish we could spend more time.” She glanced at Anthony, and he was watching her like he’d just won the lottery. “If you ever need anything, let me know.”
“You said you’re an interior designer?” I asked.
She nodded and looked in her bag, pulling out a wallet and pinching a business card out of the leather.
“My store is at the north end of town.”
“Thanks. I’ve got a mini fiasco with paneling I painted white and parents coming into town who are overly picky.”
“I’d be more than happy to stop by,” she offered.
“She would love that,” Maddie said, looking at me. “Think of it as my housewarming gift.”
“Really?” I asked in disbelief.
“Totally. Anything to avoid Mom and Dad’s wrath tainting our Thanksgiving.” My sister threw her head back and almost chortled before adding, “Don’t get us wrong. We love our parents, but in small doses.”
“I hear that,” Anthony said, nodding. “All hands on deck if need be to avoid parental catastrophes near the holidays. Doesn’t matter how old we get.”
He walked over to one of the canisters and opened the lid.
“Smell this, babe.” He motioned for Sophie, and she eagerly made her way over.
“That is the best ever. Who knew a tea called Heartbreaker would smell like vanilla and orange? This is a must,” she said, holding onto the container.
Anthony was already sniffing another batch of tea when Sophie glanced at me. “So where did you move to?”
“I bought Frank’s old cabin off State Road 26.”
“You’re Nick’s neighbor?” Her brow arched and she glanced at my sister. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Maddie smiled but didn’t answer as she motioned for Anthony to try our latest tea.
“What? What did I do?” I asked, placing my hand on my hip. “Has Nick said something bad about me? I’ve been trying to keep my music down ever since my eighties night. I didn’t realize sound would carry so far, and I felt so bad for making him endure the endless loop.”
Sophie’s mouth curled up and she shook her head. “He hasn’t said an unkind word about you. In fact, I think you’ve thrown him for a loop.”
My brows furrowed and I shook my head. “I doubt that. Since he had dinner at Maddie’s last weekend, he hasn’t even so much as glanced in my direction when I’m pulling into my driveway. I was probably too hard on him about his Tinder account.”
Anthony laughed and added another tin of tea to their collection for Maddie to measure out.
“He’s a self-professed Tinder promoter, so he deserves anything you might have said.” Anthony’s smile from across the room was quite something. I could see why he was as popular as his music. He started talking to Maddie about how much tea they should get.
“That’s true. If anything, it’ll teach Nick to think before he speaks.” Sophie nodded, and I was just confused. “Anyway, when would you
like me to stop by? I’m pretty free over this next week.”
“Could you two check it out now?” Maddie asked, measuring each of their teas into baggies. “I can hold the place down until closing, and I’ll just feel better knowing your paneling debacle will be taken care of before Mom and Dad arrive.”
I looked over at Sophie, who looked completely enthralled with the idea. “I’d love to.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt your plans.” I looked over at Anthony, who was shaking his head.
“Not at all. She’d do interiors 24/7 if she could,” Anthony assured me.
Maddie rang them up while I untied my apron and hung it up in the backroom, feeling the excitement run through me at the thought of getting professional help.
“I’m just going to drop some books off at the library, and then we’ll be right over,” Sophie said as Anthony grabbed the paper bag full of tea.
“Sounds perfect. It’ll be nice to get an opinion from someone who has vision. I’m severely lacking it at the moment. There are days when I wonder if I made a huge mistake,” I confessed.
“From what I remember, Frank’s place is brimming with possibilities.” She winked, and Anthony draped his arm over her shoulders as they wandered out the door.
“See ya there,” I called after them before turning my attention to my sister.
“What?” her voice went an octave higher than usual.
“So you’re friends with one of Nick’s best friends and you didn’t say anything?” I asked.
“What’s there to say?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I already warned you he had an active social life, which he validated over dinner.”
I let out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right, but there’s just something about him. Half the time, I think I’m imagining a connection, and the other half, I think he feels it too.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he feels it, but the problem is that I think he feels it with a lot of females.”
“I know, but maybe a fling is exactly what I need for the holidays.” I wiggled my brows.
“Yeah, because that always works out well.” She laughed and put the lids back on all the tea canisters.
“Truthfully, he’s been giving me the cold shoulder all week, so it’s all just a fantasy anyway.” I grabbed my purse. “But I have been thinking about moving to Seattle and opening a Tinder account. Maybe that would make me more approachable.”
Tempting Love on Holly Lane (Island County Book 5) Page 4