by Croix, J. H.
“How’s it going?” Luke asked, his voice interrupting Nathan’s thoughts, which was convenient because his cock twitched at the mere thought of Tess this morning.
“Just a little out of it. Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet,” he said, not about to share his train of thought with them. “Where’s John?” he asked. John was Hannah and Luke’s two-year old son.
“He’s with Susie this morning. We’ve got a few errands to take care of and she offered to babysit. Errands are much quicker without a toddler,” Hannah replied wryly before changing the subject. “When are you guys taking that family out fishing again? They were great. I enjoyed hanging out with Tess.”
Nathan felt Hannah’s gaze on him and looked over, answering before he thought about it. “They have another trip scheduled with us tomorrow.”
“Since when did you ever remember who was scheduled with us?” Jared asked.
Jared’s observation was on target because Nathan rarely paid attention to such details, particularly since Jared handled most of the scheduling.
“I remember sometimes. Plus, when we saw Tess and her mother at The Boathouse last night, they mentioned it,” he responded, hoping they’d move on. He didn’t want them catching on that he noticed just about everything to do with Tess.
Hannah’s eyes took on a curious gleam, but she remained quiet. Luke glanced at her and then Nathan, but he kept quiet.
Jared, on the other hand, wasn’t holding back. “Really? We run into people we take fishing when we’re out all the damn time. Diamond Creek’s the size of a thimble. Still don’t think you ever pay much attention to who’s heading out with us. Here’s what I think, you can’t keep your eyes off of Tess, so for once you’re paying attention.”
Nathan took a slow sip of coffee and shrugged. “Think what you want,” he offered in return to Jared. He was in no mood to take this one up with Jared, exposed as he felt since last night. To say he was startled by how the slow burn between them exploded into white-hot passion last night was an understatement.
Hannah seemed to take pity on him. “Oh whatever, Jared. Even if Nathan’s got the hots for Tess, it’s not like he’s going to chat about it over coffee. Leave him be for now.”
Nathan gave her a grateful smile, which he immediately realized he’d done too soon when Hannah continued. “Although for what it’s worth, I think she’s awesome. A woman like her would be great for you. Might push you to do something other than flirt,” she said with a sly smile.
“Could I just have my coffee in peace?” he asked wryly.
Luke barked a laugh. “Maybe, maybe not. I’ll stay out of it for now, but I reserve the right to embarrass the hell out of you later.”
Nathan rolled his eyes and pushed his chair back. “That’s about all I can handle before a shower,” he said as he stood. He opted to change the topic. “So what are you two up to today?” he asked Hannah and Luke.
Jessie had gotten up and sidled against him when he stood. He reached down to stroke her head, slipping his fingers through her glossy hair.
“Not much. We came by for coffee before we head to town for errands,” Luke replied.
“We have to get some fertilizer for the garden,” Hannah added with a nudge of Luke’s shoulder. “You promised we’d take care of the flower beds this week.”
“So I did. Need anything?” Luke asked.
Jared and Nathan nodded in unison, which prompted a grin from Luke. “How about you do our grocery shopping for us?” Jared asked.
Nathan added, “You did a better job with groceries than we do.”
Luke looked amused. “So I had to move out for you two to appreciate me? We can grab a few things for you today, but you’re gonna have to figure this one out because I can’t shop for you every week.”
Luke and Hannah stood. Nathan experienced a moment of relief; they seemed to have moved on from needling him about Tess. Within a few minutes, Hannah was cleaning up in the kitchen and he was able to gracefully make his exit to shower. Entering his bedroom, he softly closed the door behind him. He looked out the window, which faced the bay. The sun was bright and the wind blowing, a steady roll of the waves on the water and a cluster of sailboats in the bay.
Once Nathan stepped in the shower, his thoughts turned to Tess again. For the first time since he’d asked her out to dinner, he pondered the fact that she didn’t live here. When he’d originally asked her, he’d thought it would just be fun. After kissing her last night and almost tearing her clothes off, he wasn’t so sure what he wanted.
***
It was late afternoon when Nathan stopped in to grab a cup of coffee at Misty Mountain Café. He had spent most of the day helping Jared with yard work and then headed to town to stop by the post office to pick up their mail. He’d kept himself busy enough that he’d managed not to dwell on Tess, but thoughts of her danced in the corners of his mind. He stepped into the coffee shop and tipped his sunglasses on top of his head, taking a quick look around. The coffee shop was situated in an old Quonset hut, a relic from the days of World War II. The United States had set up strategic bases in Alaska during the war due to its location on the Pacific Ocean. As a result, Quonset huts were scattered around the state; some left where they were originally placed by the military and others relocated. The huts were half circles of corrugated steel, often fairly long, and resembled half-tubes on the ground. Inside, they felt open and airy. They held up well in the rough weather of Alaska. As with many, this one had been modernized inside with finished walls covering the steel and decorative timber beams crisscrossing the upper portion. The café was accented with a wide variation of bright colors from different colored window trim and curtains to bright tablecloths. Local artwork rotated through the café on its walls.
This month was a new series of photographs from a local photographer who was a friend of his, Shane Joseph. As he walked over to take a look, Susie Hammond, Hannah’s best friend and a good friend of he and his brothers, waved to him from a corner table. He returned the wave and called out, “Be right over, let me grab a coffee first.”
He got in line behind what appeared to be a few tourists, seeing as Nathan had never seen them around town. The local population of Diamond Creek wasn’t too large, but the town exploded with tourists every summer. Anyone unfamiliar was most likely a tourist. Nathan thought back to when he and his brothers first moved to town a few years ago. The locals were welcoming, but it had taken a good year before Nathan felt like they’d genuinely been accepted. He learned over time that Alaskans were accustomed to people coming to the area with the intention of staying and then leaving within the first year, either daunted by the long winter and its short days, or having little understanding beyond the fantasy of living in Alaska.
Unlike other parts of the country, or the Lower 48, as Alaskans referred to the rest of the country, living in Alaska meant a degree of isolation that few grasped until they experienced it. In most of the United States, many areas considered themselves rural and they were; yet one could access populated areas within a few hours and by car. Most of Alaska was off the road system and urban areas took hours to reach by plane. Residents had to be prepared to tolerate this level of separation, along with the much higher costs of living. The payoff was the sense of community and caring that thrived in ways he hadn’t seen elsewhere, along with a stunning beauty and a connection to nature that was honed and sharpened by the way life was shaped by the seasons.
After he got his coffee, he headed to Susie. Once she saw him approaching, she closed her laptop and tucked some papers in a folder. She greeted him a huge smile. “Nathan! Haven’t seen you in weeks. How have you been?”
Nathan returned the smile and sat opposite her at the tiny table. Susie had wild brown curls and warm brown eyes. She was petite with an outsized personality, witty, outspoken and funny. She was also the best accountant in town and did the books for their fishing business. He took a gulp of his coffee and looked over at her.
“Just fine.
Busy fishing, but I’m sure you figured that. How about you?”
Her curls bounced as she nodded. “Good, good. Busy keeping up with everyone’s accounts. I came over here for a change of scenery and to eavesdrop and catch up on any gossip,” she responded with a sly smile.
Nathan chuckled. “So, what’s the latest news?”
“Well, if you must know…” she paused, her eyes taking on a mischievous glint. “There is some gossip about you, or perhaps it’s better said that there’s chatter about the fact that you seem to have changed your ways recently.”
He rolled his eyes. “Why would anyone care what I’m doing?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“Not long after you guys moved here, you became known as the fun one. Always out at the bars, flirting enough that you basically tortured half the single women in this town. You’ve lived here long enough that you might have a clue, but you have to realize that for those of us that grew up here, someone new in town is major news. Especially when they stay. With Jared so serious and keeping to himself, Luke now married to Hannah, all the girls had their hopes pinned on you. Not me, of course, because you’re not my type. But now word is that you’re not out that much anymore. Sooooo…the guessing game has been whether or not you got serious with someone. I know you can’t be because Hannah would have told me, but you should know plenty of people are wondering.”
Nathan sighed inside and looked over at Susie. The downside to a tiny town in Alaska was that everyone noticed everything. “Maybe I haven’t been out as much lately but don’t read too much into that. Just haven’t been in the mood these days,” he said with a shrug, not about to get into the fact that he wasn’t so sure being the local flirt was what he wanted for the foreseeable future.
Susie was sharp, but she didn’t push. “Well, I just thought you’d want to know. No worry that you’re the only subject of gossip. There’s plenty more. Like the fact that the couple that moved to town and opened The Boathouse Café are getting a divorce now and planning to sell the restaurant. I can assure you that news is getting way more traction.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Don’t really know them. Hope whoever buys the restaurant has enough sense to keep it the way it is. I love that place,” he said.
“You and me and pretty much everyone in town,” Susie said with a nod. “Anyway, that’s the main news. On another subject, I just closed out the books from the last two months for you guys. The One That Didn’t Get Away is in good shape this year.”
Nathan experienced a flash of pride. No matter how many years they did this, he loved the fact that their business was doing so well. “That’s awesome! Knew we were busy, but since I don’t do the books…Thank God you do, by the way,” he said with a nod to her. “We don’t really know how the numbers shake out until after everything tallied up and expenses are covered. I’ll let Jared know when I head home. He’s always impatient to get the final numbers.”
Susie shook her head. “You can say that again,” she said wryly. “You guys are easy to work with for the most part, but Jared wants everything right away. He forgets that I can’t balance everything out until all the receipts are in, and I have a chance to enter expenses. I’ve learned to be ready for him though. He’s so uptight about it that I try to beat him to calling me every time.”
Nathan threw back his head with a laugh. Susie gave Jared a run for his money. He’d watched her needle Jared time and again. “Awesome! Now I can enjoy the fact that I’ll be able to give him an update before he even called you.”
Still laughing, Nathan pushed his chair back and stood. “I gotta get going Susie. As usual, great to see you.”
As Nathan drove home, he pondered the fact that he’d unwittingly become a small topic of town gossip. While he had previously shrugged off what people thought of him, he wasn’t too comfortable that his patterns were so obvious. A glance at the clock on his dashboard and he realized he’d be meeting Tess for dinner in just over two hours. His stomach coiled and his heart picked up. The anticipation of seeing her sharpened his desire so quickly that he flushed. He felt like a teenage boy with his first crush. He wanted her so much that he would have preferred to skip dinner entirely and take her straight to bed. Somehow, he didn’t think that would help him convince her he wasn’t just a playboy.
He sensed a hesitance with her, as if she didn’t believe he was genuinely interested in her. As naturally beautiful and sexy as she was, he was curious about how oblivious she appeared to her appeal. The thought occurred to him that he would usually blow by any woman that didn’t seem easy-going. Tess had an edge to her and tended to be reserved. And yet, the side he’d seen of her in those blurred moments of passion on the beach was wild, unrestrained and so passionate, he’d thought she was about to burst into flames in his arms, right along with him. The contrast of how she felt in his arms with the guardedness she exuded at other times puzzled him. The fact that he was persisting in his pursuit of Tess in spite of this and that her hesitance only sparked his interest and determination was a new experience.
Chapter 6
Tess fiddled with her hair, trying to get an errant curl to stay in place. After her futile attempts failed, she let her hands fall to the edge of the bathroom counter. Accepting what she’d known for years, that her hair had a mind of its own, she sighed and quickly applied a soft pink lipstick before turning away. She had about a half hour before Nathan was due to pick her up and was pondering whether to ask her mother to make excuses for the rest of her family as to why she wasn’t having dinner with them this evening. She’d delayed until the last minute. While she adored her family, they were prone to have strong opinions about what she should do, especially when it came to men, all of which had been exacerbated since she’d broken up with Chad. She decided to tell her mother and ask her to cover with the rest of the family. She couldn’t fool her mother. Otherwise, she knew she’d get found out and then lose all chances to manage the narrative. Picking up her phone, she dialed.
Her mother picked up on the second ring.
“Hello dear! We’re going to head out in about an hour. Will you be ready?”
Tess took a breath, bracing for the interrogation that was sure to come. “Hey Mom, that’s what I was calling about. Do you have a minute to come to my room?”
The line went silent in her ear. Just as Tess hit the button to end the call, she heard a rapid knock at her door and laughed. Her room was four doors down from her parents, so her mother must have run down the hall. Opening the door, she could see the speculation whirring in her mother’s mind as Celine gave Tess a quick perusal.
“Yes?” Celine asked.
“Come in Mom, let’s not chat in the hallway,” Tess responded with a small laugh.
Once Tess had the door closed, she sat on the side of the bed. “Here’s the thing, Mom. I’m asking you to keep this to yourself so you better promise before I say another word.”
Celine’s eyes took on a curious gleam. “Of course! Whenever you’ve asked me to keep something to myself, I have. You should know that by now,” she said, a touch of affront in her tone.
“I know, Mom, but I have to make sure. That’s all,” Tess replied. She took another deep breath, seeing as she seemed to be taking those a lot these days. She looked over at her mother and felt her shoulders relax. Despite her mother’s tendency to be nosy and to worry, Tess knew she was blessed to be so loved. Celine looked worried and curious. Tess put her out of her misery. “Nathan asked me out to dinner and I said yes,” she blurted out.
Celine squealed. “Oh, he’s such a nice man and so handsome! He’s perfect for you. Tess, this is wonderful!”
Tess rolled her eyes. “I know he’s nice, Mom, and I won’t pretend he’s not handsome, but could you please not marry us off just yet? This is just dinner and he lives here—in Alaska, nowhere near North Carolina. I like him anyway and I need to have a little fun. You said so yourself. He’s asked a few times, and I finally said yes.”
Cel
ine visibly tamped down her excitement, but her smile just grew wider. “Just like I said the other night, it’s time for you to move on. A date with someone like him could lead to all sorts of things. I just don’t want you to rule anything out. Have fun, enjoy him,” she implored, her gaze growing serious.
“Mom, it’s just one date. I’m telling you this because it’s tonight and I want you to cover for me with dad, Simon and Jordan.”
Celine nodded, a gleam in her eyes. She loved feeling like she was in on something. “Of course! Do you know where you’re going so I can make sure we don’t accidentally end up at the same place?”
Tess shook her head. “I didn’t think that far ahead. How about you tell me where you’re going and I can rule that out if Nathan suggests it?”
“We were planning to go to The Boathouse Café again. Your father wants to try it. Since you loved it, I figured you wouldn’t mind going again.”
“What are you gonna tell them about why I’m not with y’all?”
“Oh that’s easy. I’ll just tell them you decided to get one of the spa packages here. Those take hours and hours. The guys will never think twice about it.”
“You are too good at this, Mom,” Tess said wryly.
“You forget that I have three older brothers. They may seem like nice uncles to you, but they were hell on me when I started dating, all the way into my marriage with your dad. Once they decided he was okay, they finally stopped nosing into everything. I became the master at coming up with good excuses for what I might be doing,” Celine explained with a sly smile. She gave Tess a long look. “You look lovely, but then you usually do.” She walked over to Tess and loosely tousled Tess’ curls and turned her to look in the mirror sitting over the dresser. “You need to stop trying to make your curls behave and just embrace that they are wild. Took me years to do that with my own curls, but ever since it’s much easier.” She tousled Tess’ curls more and straightened a dangly earring she’d tangled in the process.