by Melissa West
“So we’re fine?” But even as the words left him, he knew the answer. They were anything but fine.
She swallowed hard and Nick wanted to pull her into his arms, stroke her hair, make her feel better in any way he could, do whatever she needed. “We’re fine.”
Right.
So why did Nick feel so much worse?
Chapter Six
Becca threw her hair into a high ponytail; then, frustrated with the way the elastic tugged at her hair, she pulled it down and instead piled her locks onto her head in a messy bun and wrapped the elastic around it before dropping her arms to her side.
It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Nick all but told her that he would never go there with her, never want more, and still, her heart ached as though he’d just said it. The confirmation that her feelings would never be returned made her want to call him and say she was done, throw in the towel, their friendship was too much for her.
But she cared about their friendship more than she cared about her heart, so she would lick her wounds, lock away her feelings, and move on. What else could she do?
“Bad mood?” Sage asked from the kitchen.
“Always,” Becca joked, then grabbed the plates he’d set out and started for the table that had ordered the food. Thankfully, there were no Hamiltons in the diner that Sunday morning, or else she feared she might lose it.
So Nick didn’t want in her pants. Wasn’t that what she expected? Hadn’t she known that all along? So why did it hurt so badly for her to hear it?
She could almost hear her heartbeat pick up speed when he said he wanted her every time he saw her, and a little part of her had pictured him sighing and pulling her into his arms, where he would kiss her with all the pent-up passion of a man who’d wanted her since the first moment he saw her.
They’d kiss and then kiss more, and then tell stories about how hard it’d been not to confess their undying love for the other and laugh about how long it’d taken them to get together. All would be well and fine and wonderful. Close book, happily ever after complete.
Instead, he took it all back, said he hadn’t meant a word of it, then came by her house to reiterate just how much he didn’t want her.
She still couldn’t believe she’d let him see her crying, but she couldn’t help it. It was either let him in or ignore him, which would only confirm that something was wrong. And while it hurt her tremendously to let it go, she had to. Nick was her best friend, and though her heart would forever be his in a different way, she didn’t want to lose their friendship. It meant the world to her.
“Becca, new table.” Willow motioned to the first table and she did a double take. Crap. Crap, crap, crap.
“Do you know them? You look pale.”
“No, well, yes, a little. But I’m fine. Totally fine.”
Only she was anything but fine.
Because seated at table one was none other than Instructor Zac and two other men who looked remarkably similar to him, which meant they must be his brothers. She thought she remembered meeting a slew of Littletons at Alex’s wedding, but she’d forgotten that there were three brothers—and that they were quite this attractive.
“I can get it if you’re busy,” Willow said. “That’s a full house of delicious over there.”
Becca shook herself from her trance and waved off the waitress. “No, I’m good.” Though Becca wished she could ignore them without being rude. The truth was that she didn’t want Zac seeing her here, at work, where she was the bland waitress who would never amount to more.
A vision of the Becca she might have been flashed through her mind. Her as an ER nurse, and Zac coming in after some scuba diving accident, and her being the nurse to stitch him up. They would stare at each other while she worked, tension building. Instead, she was about to serve him coffee and pancakes.
Would you like extra syrup with that? No, me neither—but I’ll give you my number if you ask.
God, she was pathetic. And all in an effort to put Nick out of her mind, which let’s face it, was next to impossible.
“Hey there,” she said as she neared. “I didn’t realize teachers actually ate.”
What the heck was that? Good God, it was no wonder she was single.
Zac turned and immediately a beautiful smile broke across his face. He was dressed in a long-sleeve Guy Harvey shirt, his hair spiking out as it had been the day before, and Becca wondered if he ever dressed nice, or if he, like her, preferred the ease of comfort clothes. “Becca, right?”
“Yeah. From scuba diving class.”
He nodded, and the guy across from him piped up, “Damn, brother, I would have joined you for that training if I’d known this was what your students looked like.”
Zac groaned. “Becca, this is my brother Charlie,” he said, motioning to one of the other men with him. “And this dipshit is Brady. Feel free to file a harassment suit against him now. Trust me, he’ll deserve it.”
Brady grinned with pride. “Don’t worry, I’ll be a good boy if you want me to be. If not . . .”
He winked, and Zac tossed a sugar packet at him. “Leave her alone. Besides, she’s taken.”
“Is she now?” Brady studied her. “I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it.”
“Yeah, Alex’s brother. Nick.”
Becca waved her hands frantically. “Oh, no. No, she’s not. And definitely not with Nick. He’s a friend.”
This seemed to please Zac and he turned to face her in the booth, suddenly very relaxed. “Now that’s the most interesting thing I’ve heard all day.”
She grinned back at him and set down their menus. “I’d love to stay and chat, but we’re a little slammed.”
“So you’re taking dive lessons?” Brady asked, ignoring her attempt to leave.
“Yeah, on Saturdays. Do you all three teach or just Zac?”
“We own Southern Dive in Crestler’s Key, so we teach throughout the year, whenever we’re not on the farm.”
Becca nodded. “I remember Kate saying she grew up on a farm. I didn’t know y’all worked it, though.”
“Yeah,” Zac said. “We took over when our dad became too old to manage it.”
“That’s great that you can continue the family business.”
“It can be.” They stared at one another, and Becca bit her lip in an effort not to grin. She could get used to this kind of attention, even if a part of her felt sad that it was coming from someone other than Nick. Still, she needed to get used to the idea of someone else. Nick would never be a reality for her.
“Becca, order up,” Sage called from the kitchen, and Becca turned back, waved that she was coming, then focused back on the Littleton brothers.
“Sorry. I’ve got to get to work.”
“But you’ll be back?” Zac asked, his voice tinged with a hope that sounded amazing after her encounter with Nick. See, some guys did want her. She was likable, maybe even lovable.
She grinned. “I’ll definitely be back.”
Becca walked around the rest of her tables to double-check drinks and ask if anyone needed anything, then grabbed the plates from Sage and went to deliver them to the giant table in the center of the diner, each chair full of trustee members.
“Here you go.” Becca started handing out plates, then went to grab more, when she caught the conversation they were having.
“The fall festival is just three weeks away and we need confirmation of what the Hamiltons are doing. Where is Nick anyway? I thought he was going to meet us here?”
“I bet he’s tied up with that new girl I overheard he was crushing on,” one of them said.
“Oh, really? Who is that?” Charlotte asked yet another trustee who lived for gossip about the Hamiltons. She was every bit of sixty, married with her own lot of kids, but she had always hoped one of her daughters would marry a Hamilton.
“No idea. I didn’t catch the end of the conversation. But I bet she’s a lawyer or doctor or something fancy like him. Nick was always the s
martest of the three. I bet that’s where he is—with that lawyer or doctor.”
“Actually, Nick’s right here.”
Becca glanced up to find Nick standing a few feet away from her, dressed in loose jeans and a light blue golf shirt, the look so perfectly Nicklike it made her heart clench tight. But the mayor and Charlotte were probably right. He was probably with whoever the new girl was, and because both Trip and Alex had mentioned something and now the trustees, clearly there was a girl. But then, why hadn’t Nick mentioned the girl to her? Wasn’t she his best friend?
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“Am I getting that plate in your hand, Becca, or are you going to keep holding it?” Mayor Philips laughed as he reached up, plucked a slice of bacon from the plate, and took a bite.
“Sorry, here you go, Mayor.” Becca placed the plate in front of him, ignoring Nick because her mind really couldn’t handle the man she wanted to want and the man she actually wanted being in the same space. Especially when one made it clear he wanted her back and the other made it abundantly clear he did not.
“Sit down, Nick,” the mayor said. “We were just diving into the final details. Is Trip coming, too?”
“I think so.” Nick stared after Becca, and she wanted to tell him to stop, to just sit down and they could talk later. But instead he said, “Look, y’all get started. I’ll be right back.”
“But we’ve already started,” Charlotte called. “We need your input.”
“Fine. I’ll be right back.”
Becca sped up, but not fast enough to outpace Nick and his long legs.
“Wait. Can we talk?”
“I’m at work, Nick. What’s there to talk about?” She scanned the diner, and sure enough, every set of eyes were on them, including Zac’s.
“I just want to make sure we’re okay.”
Becca grabbed another set of plates, the greasy smell coupled with the knot in her stomach making her feel queasy. “I told you yesterday that we were fine.”
“Yet you just ran away from me like I was on fire. And then you were all weird yesterday, and I needed to talk to you.” He lowered his voice and moved closer when Becca took a step back.
“Why don’t you talk to your lawyer-doctor girlfriend?’
“My what?”
“Look, I’m busy and everyone’s staring. Please just sit down and eat with the trustees before they break their necks trying to watch us argue. We’ll talk later.”
“But, Bec, I don’t—”
“Later. Please.”
She walked away before he could say another word, and Nick frowned as he took a seat at the end of the trustees’ table. Then, realizing she had to take his order, she stopped beside him.
“Order.”
“You know my order.”
The trustees were all staring, but Becca couldn’t keep her mouth shut another second. “Maybe I don’t. There seems to be a lot about you you’re not telling me these days. Seems I don’t really know you at all.”
“What is this about? You know me.”
“Do I?”
“Becca, order up!”
Frustrated, Becca stomped her foot and shook her head and cursed under her breath like a person possessed by a demon. And hell if she wasn’t possessed by a demon—the demon of want for Nick Hamilton. Eternal bachelor, his heart tied to a dead woman, and though Becca could respect that and would never want him to forget Britt, she was there, too. She’d been there all along. But no, he didn’t want in her pants; he wanted in the doctor’s pants.
“Waffle and eggs over easy.”
“Fine.”
“Fine,” Nick replied.
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
Nick stood then and followed her. “What is your problem?”
“You.”
Now not only was everyone staring but the entire diner had gone quiet, eager to hear every juicy word of the exchange. Fantastic. Becca had told herself that morning not to involve the town in her and Nick’s mess, yet here they were, in front of the trustees no less, hashing it out.
“We are talking outside right now.”
“No. We’re not.”
Nick’s face creased with anger. “Fine, have it your way. If you won’t talk out there, then we’ll talk in here. You think I care what they think?” He waved around the diner, and Becca felt her cheeks burning bright from anger and embarrassment, each fighting it out for control. Damn him for acting like this! Damn him for making her care so much!
“Stop it.”
“Not until you tell me what the hell is wrong with you.”
“I told you. You. You’re what’s wrong.”
“Me? What did I do?”
Becca’s head was shaking so hard it might snap off any second, but she couldn’t rein in her emotions any longer. “You get some fancy doctor girlfriend and you don’t even tell me. I’m your best friend and you don’t even tell me. And then—”
“Wait.” Nick threw up a hand. “I what?”
“I can’t talk about this right now.”
“What’s going on?”
They both looked over to see Trip standing in the doorway, watching them. “Y’all okay?”
“We’re fine,” Becca said, glaring at her best friend. “Perfectly fine. Nick was just taking his seat.”
Nick swung at the incoming pitch, missing completely, and then swung again at the next pitch, only to miss again. What the hell? Were his glasses not doing their job all of a sudden?
He had found himself at the batting cages after the debacle at the diner, and even after an hour there, rain threatening to pour down on him, he still had no idea what was happening with Becca. And despite all the craziness at the office, his issues with his brothers, and the indecision weighing on him about the company, what bothered him the most was Becca being upset with him.
They’d been friends a long time, and though they were human and had the occasional fight, it was rare, and never like this. He felt sure he’d said something horrible to piss her off, but he couldn’t figure out what. How could he apologize if he had no idea what to apologize for?
He swung again, eager to work off his pent-up aggravation, and made contact, only to watch the ball hit the chains at the top of the cage, soar back down, and smack him in the face.
“Ow.” He yanked off his glasses and with now blurry vision examined them to find, sure enough, both lenses were cracked. “Freaking fantastic.”
“You’re having a time, aren’t you?”
Nick tossed his glasses into a nearby trashcan and went back to swinging, ignoring Alex. “What are you doing here?”
“We came—”
“We?” Nick glanced around to see a fuzzy Trip standing beside Alex. “Perfect.”
“We wanted to talk to you. Trip told me about what happened at the diner. You never fight with Becca, and you just had it out in the middle of the diner. We think Dad’s death has hit you hard and you’re refusing to address it. Now we’re talking about selling Industries and you’re holding on for him. Even if you know deep down it’s a good decision to sell.”
“What would you know about Industries? Either of you? You’ve stepped foot in that office what five times in your lives. I handle Industries.”
“Is that what this is about?” Trip asked. “You want to be the one to decide? Fine. Decide. But don’t let the business tank before you’re willing to sell. Look at the numbers, man; they speak for themselves. We’ve peaked in the last few months, but sales are down for the year. Please, think about what you’re doing. With the business. With us. And with Becca.”
Nick paused, then got back into position, swung again, and missed.
“And your form is shit,” Alex said, resulting in a sharp shove from Trip.
“Hey, don’t piss him off any more than he already is. First Becca went off on him, now this.”
“You don’t know a thing about Becca and me.”
Trip stepped inside the cages
and set down a folder, then took a step back. “I know a lot more than you give me credit for. About Industries. And about you and Becca. I know you care for her, and I know you’ve been putting off telling her. Maybe you’re scared. Maybe you think she won’t share your feelings. But you more than anyone should know our days are numbered and we’re not guaranteed anything. She deserves to know how you feel.”
Nick eyed the folder, then his brother, the first hint of defeat working through him. He swallowed, delaying. “What if I’m not sure how I feel?”
“Then figure that out first. But once you know, tell her. She’s amazing and she loves you.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“She loves you. We all know it. And we think you love her, too.”
Nick stared at his brothers, unsure whether he could admit to loving her or even if he truly felt it. He knew Becca meant the world to him, but how could he go down that road again? He’d lost everyone who meant anything to him. What idiot walked into that hell for a fourth time?
He needed to think, and as much as it hurt, he needed to do it without Becca Stark.
Chapter Seven
One week. Okay, not a complete week, more like six days, but still. It had been six whole days since Becca had talked to Nick and she felt like an addict going through withdrawal. She had the shakes and her fingers kept twitching, like if left to their own devices they would find her cell phone and dial Nick and demand that he come over just so she could look at him and breathe and remind herself that her world hadn’t changed.
She just wasn’t talking to Nick.
And why? Because he had a doctor girlfriend and refused to tell her? Or was this because he’d said he didn’t want to get into her pants, because who the hell got mad at that sort of thing? She should be pleased. She should be glad that she was friends with a guy who valued her friendship. But why didn’t he want to get in her pants? Was she really that gross?
Surely not, right? Zac didn’t seem to think so, but then, maybe something was inherently wrong with Zac. Like maybe he was blind to female grossness the way some men were color-blind.
No, Zac was too hot for that nonsense, so then what?