Keep cool and don’t let anything she says get your temper going. She’d always known how to get him going. When they’d been a couple, he’d sworn she did it sometimes just for fun.
Nate entered the house through the door connecting the two-car garage to the kitchen. On his last visit he hadn’t made it any farther into the house than the living room, but he wasn’t surprised that the kitchen reflected Lauren’s personality. The walls were painted a sunny yellow, her favorite color. A few flowerpots overflowing with fresh herbs lined the windowsill above the sink. Bar stools sat beneath the counter, and pictures of famous locations in France hung on the walls. “Lauren,” he called out, closing the door behind him.
“Make yourself at home. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Too bad you don’t really mean that. If not for the storm and bad driving conditions, she would have sent him on his way as soon as they pulled into her driveway.
Nate made his way into the cozy living room and toward the couch. By the looks of things she’d left in a hurry earlier that night. A half-eaten sandwich and a glass of what he would bet his entire savings was root beer sat on the coffee table. Several textbooks lay open on the couch and a plan book was set next to them. Avoiding the books, he sat down and looked around the room. A large-screen television hung over the fireplace and two overstuffed chairs sat in front of a big bay window overlooking the front yard. A tall bookcase stood in the far corner. The bottom two shelves contained cookbooks, while the top three held framed photos. In this room, like the kitchen, she’d hung pictures of places in Europe she had always talked about visiting someday as well as a plaque that read, “Always Dance In The Rain.”
Had she managed to travel to any of the places pictured on her walls? He could still vividly remember her talking about the trips she wanted them to take someday when they both graduated from college. If she had, whom had she taken with her? Had she traveled alone? Had Callie gone with her? The two of them were like sisters, or at least they had been. Had they traveled across Europe before Callie’s marriage?
“Sorry, I needed to call Kevin back.” Lauren put a little extra emphasis on his name as she came into the room. “I was supposed to drive down to Rhode Island tomorrow for the weekend.”
She took a seat across from him, and Nate wondered why she was telling him all this, and if she’d told Kevin he was here. Could it be her way of telling him again that she had someone in her life and for him to leave her alone? Or was she just making polite conversation?
“By tomorrow afternoon the roads should be fine,” he said, as visions of Lauren with Kevin formed in his mind.
Lauren nodded in agreement, causing a strand of hair to fall forward. “I know, but I’ll want to visit Kelly and the baby when he or she is born.”
The reason for Lauren’s dangerous trip out into the snow had slipped his mind entirely. “Have you heard from her or Jared yet?”
“No. I keep checking my text messages, but so far nothing,” she answered, clear disappointment in her voice. “Are you hungry? There’s a decent chance I’ll lose power. It happens during almost every snowstorm, so if I’m going to cook I should do it soon.”
“Sounds good. Whatever you have is fine.”
Without a word, Lauren stood and went into the kitchen. Left alone, Nate moved over to the bookcase and the framed photos. The top shelf contained three: the one in the center of the shelf was of Lauren and Kelly at her sister’s wedding, to the right was one of Lauren with her brother Matt the day he got married, and to the left stood one of Callie and Lauren at Callie’s wedding. Several pictures of kids that he guessed were her niece and nephew filled the second shelf. Both children bore a resemblance to her brother. The last shelf contained a mixture of pictures of Lauren and her family. In some of them Lauren looked to be only five or six, while in others she was much older.
Tucked close to the back, one particular picture caught his attention. Pushing aside some frames, he grabbed the one almost hidden behind the others. In the picture, a nine-year-old Lauren stared back at him. She stood on the beach with Kelly and Matt on one side of her and Nate and his older brother Ryan on the other side. Behind the group stood Virginia McDonald and his mom and lying in front was the family dog. He remembered the exact moment her father took the picture. The two families had gone up to New Hampshire for a week together. It had been the first of many trips they had taken to New Hampshire together. Before that, they had always gone to a campground near Wells Beach in Maine. That year they had decided to try out a new location, and it had become a favorite for everyone.
He hadn’t thought of those joint family trips in years. Now though, he could picture the sand castles they had built together and the hours they’d spent splashing in the lake or hiking along sections of the Appalachian Trail. Once it grew dark or the bugs got too annoying, they’d returned to their campers and played board games or told stories until their parents wrangled them into bed.
For years, going up there with his family and the McDonalds had been the highlight of his summer. Something he’d started looking forward to as soon as they had changed the clocks in the spring.
Nate placed the photo back on the shelf and glanced over the other framed pictures again. The picture of her and him on the beach with their siblings was the only one of its kind. All the others, with the exception of the one with Lauren at Callie’s wedding, contained only family. There weren’t any pictures of her and Kevin on the shelf, or anywhere else in the room for that matter. This photo must have meant a lot, otherwise it wouldn’t have earned a spot on the bookshelf.
Did she often think about the trips they’d taken back then? Did she think about him? Over the years he’d spent countless nights unable to sleep with thoughts of her on his mind.
“Everything’s ready. What do you want to drink?” Lauren appeared at the entrance, and he once again focused on the here and now.
“Do you have any soda?”
“Only root beer.”
Just like he’d guessed. “That’s fine.” Nate stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out for her and followed her into the kitchen. “Have you lived here long?”
“Almost two years.” She made no attempt to elaborate as she grabbed a root beer from the refrigerator and handed it to him. “I need to go shopping, so there weren’t many options for dinner.” She settled herself on a bar stool at the counter.
Considering some of the food he’d eaten while in the military, she could have served him toast with butter and he wouldn’t have complained. He nodded toward the grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and soup. “This is great. Thanks.” Picking up his sandwich, he bit into it. Immediately his jaw froze as the rich combination of sharp cheddar, tangy tomato, and fresh basil exploded on his tongue.
She remembered. She’d never liked basil on her grilled cheese. When they’d been children she’d always reminded his mom not to add it to her sandwich when she cooked them grilled cheese. Yet his had some on it now. His heart smiled at the fact as he reached for the bowl of soup.
Bite. Chew. Swallow. Lauren went through the motions, while next to her Nate polished off one sandwich and started on his second. With him so close, she could hardly breathe, never mind eat. Ever since the retirement party, thoughts of him invaded her mind in a way they hadn’t in years. But when she’d looked into the living room while preparing dinner and saw him holding that picture, an entire avalanche of feelings and memories dropped on her. For a brief moment she was once again a child on vacation with her family and best friend. Then her mind fast-forwarded to lazy summer days as a teenager with the person she’d thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Finally, she crashed headlong into the day he stood before her and crushed her heart.
Had he felt anything when he saw the picture? A tiny cruel part of her hoped he felt pain when looked at it. She still did, even after all this time. The picture also brought back memories of her wonderful childhood with the people who had played an integral
part in it. For that reason she’d never gotten rid of the picture. She sometimes pushed it farther back on the shelf, when the memories of Nate’s betrayal overshadowed the happy ones, but she never removed it.
“I’m going to change and send Jared a text message. Help yourself to anything in the refrigerator.” Leaving her half-eaten dinner behind, Lauren escaped to her bedroom. Thanks to the combination of Nate’s closeness and the painful memories stirred up by that picture, her ability to hold it together was near the breaking point. Anger and sadness clutched at her heart, and she wanted to yell at him for what he’d done all those years ago. Demand answers to the questions that had haunted her since then. But she knew doing those things would accomplish nothing. What happened back then was ancient history. Something best left in the past. “Pull it together. Don’t let him know how you feel,” she muttered, tugging off her top. “Keep your mouth closed, and he’ll be gone in the morning.”
***
In the corner of the couch, Lauren sat dressed in a pair of pink fleece pajama bottoms and an oversized white sweatshirt with ballet slippers and the name of a dance school on the front. She’d pulled her hair up in a ponytail and washed her makeup off. The sight of her like that threw him back fifteen years. How many times back then had they sat with her dressed in a similar manner watching television or studying?
He tried not to think about all those occasions and how they’d usually ended with them wrapped in each other’s arms. Instead, he continued his search for something to watch and flipped to the next channel. So far the power had remained on, although it had flickered a few times. When a pass through all the channels failed to catch his attention, he went back to the twenty-four-hour news channel but hit the mute button. Should he attempt a conversation? They’d shared some small talk over dinner but nothing of consequence. And since her trip into her bedroom, she’d remained silent.
“Do you teach dance there?” He pointed to her sweatshirt.
Lauren’s head shot up from the magazine in her hands, and then she glanced down at her sweatshirt. “Two nights a week during the school year.”
“Ballet?” She had done all kinds of dance when he’d known her, but ballet had been her favorite.
Her brows creased in confusion.
“Don’t you think I remember how much you liked ballet, Lauren?” Just because they’d been apart didn’t mean he’d forgotten her likes and dislikes. At one time their lives had been so entwined they’d known every single detail about each other.
Lauren looked away. “It’s been a long time, Nate.”
“Some things you never forget. We both know that.”
Her head snapped back around, a challenge in her eyes. “And some things we forget very easily.” An undercurrent of anger laced her tone.
Nate held her gaze. “Care to explain?”
“There’s nothing to explain. Not now anyway.” For the first time all evening her polite tone dropped away. “Let’s just leave it and watch TV.”
Leave it? After her implication, he couldn’t just leave it. “Not happening. What did you mean?” Even if the best he could ever hope for was her friendship, he needed to get past her anger first.
Lauren unexpectedly jumped to her feet, took a few steps away, and whirled around to face him. “Fine. You want to talk about the past? We’ll talk. You promised to write. Do you remember that, too?” She took a step closer. “That day you said we’d stay in contact, but you never bothered.”
His gut winced. When he’d said the words way back then he’d meant them. He’d even tried once. He had picked up the phone, started to dial, and hung up. Just like then, Nate was unsure of what he intended to say now as he stood and began, “Lauren let me—”
“Don’t make up any excuses.” She stepped toward him and jabbed a finger into his shoulder. “I don’t want to hear it. Besides, it doesn’t matter now. We’ve both moved on.”
In one motion, Nate wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her closer. The sudden physical contact caused his heart rate to rev like the engine of his brother’s prized Corvette. “Bullshit.”
With his hand still wrapped around her wrist, she took a step away from him. “Soon you’ll go back to wherever the military wants you. We may never see each other again. The past doesn’t matter.”
“Like I told you the other night, Lauren. I am not leaving.” He focused on removing the anger from his voice.
A cynical smile formed on her face. “You left the Marines? Yeah, right. They mean more to you than I ever did.” The anger he’d heard before diminished, but sadness took its place.
Nate reached out his free hand and touched her cheek. “That’s not true, and I’m no longer on active duty.” The warmth from her skin managed to penetrate through the calluses on his hands. “I’m in the reserves now. Last month I graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico.”
Lauren’s eyes flew open. “You’re an FBI Agent? Seriously?” Her voice hit the next octave.
Surprise and shock trumped anger any day of the week. “Yeah, in the Boston field office.”
“Wow, that’s . . .” The awe in her voice trailed off. “That doesn’t change anything.” She took a step back, and his hand fell away.
With the increased distance between them again, the sunshine he’d felt bathed in a moment ago disappeared. “I don’t believe that.” In two steps he closed the distance between them. Before she could move again he made his move. He let his lips brush against hers.
Home. The word lit up in his head. Regardless of the years gone by, he belonged right here with this woman. He always had.
All messages between her brain and muscles stopped. For that brief moment she could only relish the feel of his firm lips once again against hers after all this time. Then the paralysis wore off, and she placed both hands on his chest and shoved him hard. “That didn’t happen.”
Nate folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, Lauren, it did.”
Her eyes traveled down his face to his arms where his biceps strained against his shirtsleeves. Back in high school he’d been fit and muscular, but the years since then had taken his unrefined body and sculpted it to perfection.
Don’t get distracted. “I’m seeing Kevin.”
He took a step closer. Despite the warning bells in her head, a flash of heat and excitement burst through her body.
“Simple. Stop seeing him.”
The rich timber of Nate’s voice washed over her, triggering both desire and annoyance at the same time. Lauren latched onto the annoyance. “Kevin makes me happy.” It’s not a lie. He may not set her on fire, but they had fun together, and she felt safe with him. “Just because you’re back changes nothing. I have a life, Nate. I didn’t just sit around while you did your part saving the world.”
Nate unfolded his arms then reached for her hand. “Lauren, give me a chance to explain. I—”
Rough calluses rubbed against her hand, a reminder of the different lives they had led since high school. “Nate, I’m glad you’re home safe, but our relationship ended a long time ago. Maybe we can be friends again. That’s it, though.” Her last sentence came out almost as a whisper. If he’d come back into her life years ago, maybe her response would’ve been different. Now, though, too much time had passed.
Nate’s jaw clenched, the only outward sign he felt anything. No big surprise there. Even as children he had been great at hiding his emotions. “I need some air.”
He disappeared out the front door onto the porch without his jacket. Ah, the wonderful Nathaniel Callahan avoidance. How many times had she seen that over the years? Oh well, at least it brought an end to their conversation.
Chapter 4
Lauren bolted upright in bed. Next to her, JoJo lifted her head as if to say you woke me. Then she heard it again. A gut-wrenching moan that sent a chill through her body.
Nate. In one movement she kicked off the covers and flicked on the bedside lamp. “Damn,” she said when the light didn’t turn on. Moonlight
from outside provided just enough light to cross the room without banging into anything and grab the flashlight from her bureau. Another moan came from across the hall. Without hesitation, Lauren left the room. The light from the flashlight bounced off the closed bedroom door. Through it she heard Nate say something, but all she caught was the word “no.”
“Nate?” His only response was another agony-filled moan. Lauren opened the door as Nate once again said, “No,” his voice thick with grief. The bright beam from her LED flashlight washed over him. He’d stripped down to his underwear and his legs were twisted up in the bed sheets. Even though his eyes remained closed, his face was contorted in pain and his entire body gleamed with sweat. As she stood in the doorway, he moaned again, his head thrashing back and forth.
“Nate,” she called again as she moved to the side of the bed. When no response came, she put down the flashlight and reached for his shoulders. “Wake up, Nate.” She tried to give him a little shake but it was a bit like trying to move a cement slab. “Come on, Nate. Wake up.” This time she raised her voice.
His eyes popped open, darted wildly around the room, and then locked on her face. Still unfocused, he stared at her, but she got the sense that although his eyes were on her, he wasn’t really seeing her.
“Are you okay?” Now that he’d stopped moaning, she became aware of the warm slick skin under her hands and the oddly shaped scar she could feel on his left shoulder.
He blinked a few times. “Lauren?” His eyes moved around the room illuminated only by the flashlight then returned to her. Recognition finally filled his face.
“You were . . . dreaming.” The pain and grief she saw on his face made her chest ache. Before she could do something stupid like hug him, she lifted her hands and clasped them together in her lap. “Are you okay?” she asked again.
The Billionaire's Best Friend (The Sherbrookes of Newport) Page 6