Follow Love (Diamond Creek, Alaska Novels Book 2)

by Croix, J. H.

Looking back toward Nathan, Tess realized she hadn’t answered him, lost in the memory of this afternoon. A blush washed over her, again. “You might have mentioned it but feel free to repeat yourself,” she belatedly replied.

  “You’re beautiful. I’ve decided that I wouldn’t mind attending these things with you more often since I get to see you looking like that,” Nathan said with a teasing smile.

  A shiver ran through Tess. The thought of Nathan being a part of her world on a more regular basis was so….right…that she didn’t know what to do with it. She thought about what Simon had said—that her work could be done anywhere. While Tess had her own doubts about moving away from North Carolina, she couldn’t imagine Nathan living anywhere other than Diamond Creek. Nor did she want him to even consider it. While she’d miss the easy access to her family, Tess knew, if she let herself think about it, living in Alaska would be phenomenal. It would take some planning but Simon was right; she could bring her work with her.

  She turned to Nathan, biting her lip. “You’re looking pretty good yourself,” she said, another giggle bubbling up. Just as she started to speak, she saw Chad across the room. Looking up at Nathan, she asked, “Have I mentioned how much I appreciate that you’re here tonight?”

  Without her saying a word about Chad’s presence, Nathan scanned the room. “Ahh.” He brought his eyes back to her, his hand sliding down her back, the warmth creating a trail of comfort. “Just remember, this is almost over. Plus…” Nathan’s eyes brightened “Deanna’s coming. It’ll be fun. She’ll make Chad squirm, just because she’s here.”

  Relief bloomed. It wasn’t Nathan’s reminder that Deanna would be here, but that he cared enough to do what he could to help her relax. She’d never experienced someone who so naturally cared for her well-being and did so without making sure it was noticed. In every action, small and large, Nathan showed that how she felt mattered to him. While the grand gesture of flying all the way across the country on a surprise visit was enough to sweep her off her feet, Tess was just as touched by his willingness to tolerate shopping for dress clothes, his easy patience with her parents, that he unloaded the dishwasher without being asked, and that he tucked the covers around her when he lay beside her at night.

  “Tess! I wasn’t sure you’d be here tonight,” Theresa said, her voice breaking through Tess’s meandering thoughts about Nathan. Tess looked past Nathan who was turning toward Theresa to see Theresa and John approaching. Theresa was dressed sharply in fitted black slacks, a basic white blouse with a high collar and black flats. John wore what Tess considered the men’s Southern dress uniform – khaki slacks, light blue button down shirt, and brown loafers.

  “Theresa, how are you?” Tess asked, leaning forward to clasp Theresa’s hands in hers.

  Theresa smiled warmly, leaning to kiss Tess on the cheek. “Quite well, dear. I don’t think I need to ask how you’re doing seeing as Nathan is still here,” Theresa said with a sly smile.

  Tess blushed and shook her head. “I’m just fine.” Tess turned to John and Nathan. Though it had been mere seconds, she saw that they both looked serious. “What?” she asked.

  Theresa stepped back to John’s side. “You didn’t just dive right in, did you?”

  John nodded. “I did, honey. Thought they needed to know.” He turned to Tess. “Hello there. I know Theresa would have preferred we wait to tell you, but seeing as Chad is already here, I didn’t want to miss any private moment that we had.”

  Tess looked between John and Theresa, her gaze skittering to Nathan who looked serious, but not particularly worried. “Well, could you fill me in since we still have that private moment?” she asked.

  Theresa shook her head at John before turning to Tess. “John got a call from Simon on the way over here. Simon said he tried to call you but just got your voice mail, so he called John since he knew we’d see you tonight.” Theresa paused and looked to John.

  John glanced around before speaking. “The long and short of it is that Simon says the accounting firm fired Chad this afternoon and the DA filed charges of embezzlement. Not much else to report…” John paused when Tess choked back a laugh.

  “Sorry John,” Tess said. “It’s hard to think that isn’t much to report. I know we were expecting this, but dear god, why is Chad here tonight if this happened today?” she asked, incredulous that Chad would appear publicly at the event of one of his former primary accounts after being fired the same day.

  John nodded while Theresa just shook her head and rolled her eyes. John continued, “I was hoping Chad wouldn’t dare show his face here tonight, but the one thing Simon didn’t know was if HR at the accounting firm gave Chad any info on the court charges. They didn’t have to and may have decided they just didn’t want to go there with him. If that’s the case, Chad may not even know he’s facing charges. He might think that losing his job is all he’s got to deal with. Seeing as he’s here tonight, my guess is he doesn’t know about the charges.”

  Tess remained quiet for a moment. “Well, he’s here, so we’re stuck dealing with him.” She glanced toward Nathan who slipped his arm around her waist.

  “Don’t worry. Between me and the rest of us, you won’t be stuck with him alone.” Nathan glanced toward Theresa and John. “I trust you’re with me on this.”

  Theresa nodded emphatically. “Absolutely. He won’t get a minute alone with you, and he won’t even notice that we’re making sure that doesn’t happen.”

  John smiled ruefully at Tess. “Sorry you got caught in the middle of this. We’re here for you however you need us.”

  Nathan softly squeezed her waist, leaning over to press a kiss on her cheek. “And don’t forget Deanna will be here too.”

  Tess’s heart swelled. As private as she was, it was hard for her not to be embarrassed at the situation. Yet, Nathan’s solid support, along with that of her family and friends was helping her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. The two years with Chad had somewhat isolated her from the support of others. It’s not that her family and friends weren’t there for her. It was just that much as they tried to mask it, Tess knew none of them cared much for Chad. Instead of realizing that made them worry for her, she’d interpreted it as a failure on her part and withdrawn further into her own shell.

  Tess felt Nathan tense while Theresa and John both assumed bland polite expressions. Before she could turn, she heard Chad’s voice. “Hi there Tess. Good to see you,” he said, stepping smoothly to her side with a stiff smile.

  Just as Tess opened her mouth to respond, another voice cut in.

  “Well, hello there!” Deanna exclaimed, stepping into the small cluster. Her voice was bright and cheery. Her glossy dark hair hung straight down her back. She wore gray slacks with a red blouse and black flats. Her lipstick matched her blouse. Her forceful presence bolstered Tess.

  Chad stiffened beside Tess. He’d never liked Deanna and had complained about her to Tess when they’d been together. He thought she was too bossy. In hindsight, Tess surmised that Chad had picked up on the fact that Deanna saw him for what he was.

  Nathan smiled broadly at Deanna. “Hey there. Nice to see you here,” he said with a wink.

  Between Nathan, Deanna and Theresa, the social banter picked up. Deanna drew others to her, and the circle around them quickly expanded. At one point, Chad leaned toward her. “Tess,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I need to talk to you…”

  Theresa immediately drew her attention, her voice bright and impossible to ignore. “Tess, do you think I should persuade John to go to Alaska? Nathan was just telling us about it. I’d love to hear about your trip.”

  Surrounded by others, it was impossible for Chad to try to pull Tess aside, so he merely stayed quiet in the group as the conversation about Alaska continued around him. The time passed quickly. Much as Tess wished otherwise, Chad lingered near her side despite the presence of Nathan and her friends. At one point, Nathan left her side to go to the restroom. Chad
stepped closer to her.

  “So you think if you just keep him nearby that I’ll forget you promised to mingle with me tonight?” Chad asked, his tone laced with anger.

  Tess looked up at him, trying to ignore the unease he triggered. “Chad, I’m not avoiding that. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re mingling right now,” she said, gesturing around them. “I’m not sure what you thought, but this is how these dinners are. It’s not quite the event you may have expected.”

  Chad didn’t even bother to look around, just kept his eyes locked on her. “You know, Tess, things haven’t gone so well for me lately. I’ve decided to move on from the firm. If you have any contacts at Coastal Alliance, I’d appreciate an introduction.”

  Tess was startled and then realized she should have expected this. Chad looked at everything as a narrative to spin. Rather than questioning himself and learning from the situation, he was moving on, trying to make it sound like he chose to leave, not that he got fired. Coastal Alliance was the firm that Simon used to work for before he started his own business. Through Simon, Tess had plenty of contacts there. Although she knew damn well that by the time Monday rolled around, any chance Chad had of getting a job anywhere in the accounting world would be long gone. She just had to stall for now. But she was uncomfortable about blatantly lying, even to Chad, even with everything he’d done.

  She kept her answer vague. “Oh I don’t know, Chad. Can’t say that I’d know who to introduce you to there.”

  Chad looked at her sharply. “Really Tess? Simon worked there. I know damn well you have connections. Don’t play me on this. I meant what I said. Your friends might not care, but I have no problem spreading those rumors about you. None of it will help your reputation.”

  Nathan’s voice came over Tess’s shoulder just as he returned to her side and slipped his arm around her waist. “The hell you’ll be spreading rumors,” Nathan said, his voice low, anger vibrating through.

  Chad’s eyes shifted to Nathan. “This is none of your business.”

  “Sounds to me like you’re planning to talk trash about Tess. You’ve made it my business if that’s the case,” Nathan replied.

  Nathan’s eyes were dark, his gaze locked onto Chad. Tess felt like she was watching two dogs circle each other. Chad may have been trying to convince himself otherwise, but Nathan was clearly the superior alpha, dominant on multiple levels.

  Tess subtly elbowed Nathan’s side. Much as she appreciated his presence, she didn’t want to inflame Chad’s anger. Though she’d ignored it when they were together, Chad tended to be childish when angry. Given his situation, she figured Chad was feeling cornered. The chances of him making a bad situation worse and dragging her through it increased on pace with his anger.

  Chad didn’t respond to Nathan. He gave Tess an appraising look. “Seems like your friend here doesn’t understand that we had an agreement.”

  Tess’s throat tightened. She wanted to just walk out and forget tonight. But she knew damn well that would lead to all sorts of questions from everyone in the room that didn’t know what was going on with Chad. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts.

  “We don’t have an understanding Chad,” she finally said, her words startling her.

  “Oh really? That’s not what I remember,” Chad said, an edge of warning to his tone.

  “Chad, you can’t force this,” Tess said, relieved to finally just say what she wanted.

  Chad glanced away, a muscle ticking in his jaw. He turned back quickly, eyes raking over Tess. “Maybe I can’t, but I can make sure you’ll wish you had helped me.” Chad looked to Nathan. “Not sure Tess mentioned it to you, but we were engaged once. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, there’s a damn good reason I dumped her. Only kept her around because her connections made it worth my while.”

  Nathan stiffened at her side. “Bullshit. Tess wised up and ditched you, not the other way around.”

  Chad rolled his eyes. “That’s the story Tess likes to tell,” he said, raising his voice. Tess cringed when she noticed most people in the room turning their direction. Theresa, John, and Deanna swung in unison, all stepping closer. Chad ignored them and continued. “Tess freaked out when I broke up with her. Called me all the time, crying about her miscarriage and whining about how we were meant to be.”

  Tess wanted to hide her face and run. Chad had done precisely as he’d threatened. To make matters worse, he’d done so quite publicly. The conference room was large, but small enough that Chad’s raised voice could easily be heard. While her thoughts whirred through options and she stared blindly at the floor, she didn’t notice Nathan’s hand had slipped off her waist.

  There was a sudden jolt of motion. Tess glanced up as Nathan’s fist connected with Chad’s face. Chad turned away just as Nathan’s fist landed, the blow striking his cheekbone. Chad righted himself after Nathan’s punch, his face red. For once, he seemed to have forgotten he was in a crowd. He threw a punch at Nathan with Nathan quickly dodging, leaving Chad’s fist to thump against his shoulder.

  Nathan twisted to face Chad, pulling his fist back again, this time connecting squarely with Chad’s nose. Blood gushed from Chad’s nose as he again attempted to punch Nathan. Nathan was faster, stepping neatly out of the way. The next few seconds passed in sickening slow motion as Tess watched Nathan efficiently dispatch Chad. Every eye in the room was focused on them, those nearby gathered closer, yet no one moved to help Chad. Though Tess had known in her gut that Chad wasn’t that well-liked when they were together, she had somehow convinced herself otherwise. The complete lack of response from some of his colleagues and acquaintances as Nathan made quick work of Chad drove home the point that Chad didn’t have many friends to call upon, if any. This reminded Tess why he’d been interested in her to begin with—he’d badly needed the social currency she offered. A few moments later, Chad lay sprawled on the floor, blood smeared across his face.

  Nathan calmly adjusted his sleeves as he looked down at Chad. “Next time you want to talk shit about Tess, you might want to think twice.”

  Chad came to his feet unsteadily, vainly attempting to come off as cool and collected. He swiped a napkin off the nearby table. Wiping the blood off his face, he looked back to Nathan and shrugged. “Sure, you’d like to think I’m talking shit,” he said with a sneer. “You may think you know Tess, but just wait until she bores you to tears. Fuckin’ relief to walk away from her.”

  Nathan’s breath was audible, his pulse visible at his temple. Tess put her hand on his arm, feeling the vibration of his restraint. “Oh no, no you don’t. There’s a damn good reason you came running back for her and you know it. She’s brilliant, gorgeous and has the one thing you’ll never get—respect,” Nathan said through his teeth.

  He looked away from Chad into her eyes and for a moment, the crowd around them faded. His blue eyes were dark with anger and a mix of pride and concern. His arm relaxed beneath her hand. Tess flamed from her blush, a part of her savoring how protective Nathan was warring with how mortified she felt.

  Chad glanced at her, his eyes cold and flat. “Well, hope you got what you wanted.” He took a quick look around before stalking out of the room.

  ***

  Tess leaned against the bathroom stall door and sighed, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. After Chad had left the boardroom, Nathan, Deanna and Theresa had tried to talk to her, all insisting that Chad had only made a fool of himself, not her. Tess had fled, needing a few moments to herself. She felt physically sick, her cheeks still hot from the humiliation of those long moments in the boardroom. She fought back tears, her throat tight. She knew intellectually that she had nothing to be ashamed of and knew that Nathan and her friends were mostly right. Yet she was utterly humiliated that the entire room of people, most of them professional acquaintances, now knew she’d had a miscarriage and were witness to just what an idiot she’d been to stay with Chad. Not to mention the way Chad made her sound. She
knew that he looked like a complete jerk and that it was unlikely anyone would believe him, but she was mortified nonetheless.

  Tess heard the outer door to the bathroom open and hoped it wasn’t anyone that she knew. Footsteps came to a stop in front of the stall.

  “Tess, I know you’re in there, so just come on out,” Deanna said.

  Tess took a long breath. “Could I have just a few minutes to myself?”

  “You already did. I’m fending Nathan off as it is.”

  Tess sighed and let her arms fall before stepping out of the stall. Deanna was leaning against the marble counter that held a run of sinks. She took a long look at Tess, her eyes searching and worried, yet with that ever-present touch of determination.

  “Well, you haven’t been crying. That’s good news,” Deanna said with a wry smile.

  Tess smiled ruefully, feeling tired inside. “Nope, no crying, close but not quite.” She took a shaky breath. “I just didn’t want what just happened to happen. The last thing I need is everyone knowing my personal business and Chad making me look like an idiot. Not to mention that it wasn’t exactly helpful for Nathan to get all protective and start a fight.”

  Deanna tiled her head to the side, rolling her eyes. “Okay, I totally get it that you didn’t want your private laundry aired. But the only one who looks like an idiot is Chad. He’s up against the wall and he knows it. As soon as its public that he’s on the hook for embezzlement, anyone left who has a halfway decent opinion of him won’t anymore.” Deanna pushed away from the sink and stepped in front of Tess, reaching to straighten an errant curl.

  “As for Nathan, he may have thrown the first punch, but Chad is the one that set that fight in motion. I know I wasn’t the only one in that room that enjoyed seeing Chad take a few punches,” Deanna said, a sly smile on her face.

  A small laugh escaped as Tess looked back at Deanna. “I’m sure you weren’t. And Nathan…I don’t know Deanna. I appreciate that he was pissed at Chad, but a public fight isn’t exactly what I needed. I was hoping not to draw attention and that did the opposite.”