Best of Intentions: A Best Friend's Brother Standalone Romance

by LK Farlow

  “Save it, kiddo. I’m the boss, and I said to take your break. No lip.”

  Shrugging, I duck out from under the bar and head to my car, gift box in hand.

  With shaking fingers, I unwrap the box Duke delivered. I remove the card and place the box on my center console. I slide the card from the envelope. The front simply has a frowny face on it.

  Nervously, I flip it open and read it.

  Jenny, did you know my dad keeps an apology notepad for whenever he messes up with my mom? It’s like this little prescription pad for saying sorry. Clever, right? Only my transgressions are too big for its little checkboxes. So, here’s my own version just for you.

  To: The best thing that’s ever happened to me

  From: The idiot who desperately wants you back

  Date: To-damn-day

  Infraction: Stupidity, stubbornness, lack of communication, and then some.

  Reason(s) for my behavior: There’s not a reason on earth that can justify how I acted. All I can say is, I’m a sorry-ass man whose head was so far up his own ass that I couldn’t see the good thing right in front of me. I can also say, if you give me another chance, I’ll do everything in my power to make it up to you, and I’ll show you every day just how much I love you.

  I really do love you, Jenny, and if there’s any way in hell you can find it in your heart to forgive me, meet me down at the pier on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

  Still yours, whether you want me or not,

  Nate

  For the second time today, I’m a crying mess. And these tears, they’re the worst kind—they’re hopeful. After laying the card on my passenger seat, I finish opening the package.

  Carefully, I remove the lid and stare at the contents housed inside of it. Each item has a sticky note stuck to it. One by one, I examine the contents.

  A package of my most favorite, splurge-worthy coffee—Jenny, I know this is your favorite, just like I also know you save it for special occasions, but every day with you is special.

  Next is a bundle of hair ties—I know you like to wear the same one until the elastic is completely stretched out, but I also know you only have two left in your drawer.

  Beneath that is a three-pack of my favorite lip balm—after the first time we kissed, I made it my mission to discover what made your lips so soft and sweet. Hopefully I get to kiss you again.

  The last item is a poorly painted heart-shaped ceramic dish with a stack of sticky notes attached to it—you’re probably scratching your head over this one, huh? The day we watched Tatum, I planned on taking you to the Painting Parakeet. Even though we didn’t get to go together, I coerced Duke into coming with me so I could make you this. I know it’s ugly as sin, but I’m hoping you can look past that. This is me giving you my heart, Jenny—it’s yours for the taking. Hell, it’s yours whether you want it or not. But I really hope you want it.

  I’m a full-blown blubbering mess by the time I finish reading the little stack of Post-it notes. Jesus. This man. Turns out Natalie was mostly right with her Shrek-ology. Only Nate’s not an onion, he’s a coconut—with his hard and gruff exterior that's protecting his sweet, sweet center.

  chapter thirty-three

  Nate

  It’s five minutes until Jenny’s supposed to meet me, and I’m a hot mess. Can guys be hot messes? Hell if I know, but if they can, that’s what I am—what I’ve been all week. I was hoping to hear from Jenny on Thursday, but it’s been two excruciating days of radio silence.

  Natalie said she hasn’t spoken to her either, but I’m not so sure I believe that.

  Either way, I’m nervously twiddling my thumbs under the oak tree that separates the parking lot from the sand, anxiously waiting to see if the woman I love is willing to give me another shot.

  My eyes flit back and forth between my watch and the road, simultaneously counting down and looking for her. Please God, let her show.

  When nine o’clock comes and goes, my heart sinks. But, hey, maybe she’s running late, right? At five minutes after, the sound of a car pulling up has me on alert. Frantically, I scan the parking lot—oh, shit, yes, she’s here. She’s. Here.

  It takes all of my willpower to stay put, to let her come to me. Oh, fuck it, who am I kidding? We meet in the middle, and she practically tackle-hugs me to the ground.

  “You came.” I cradle her face in my hands. “You’re really here.”

  Jenny nods, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “I’m here. D-did you mean all of those things you said…in your notes?”

  “One thousand percent, GG—with all of my heart.”

  She inhales a shaky breath and presses her lips to mine. My heart soars in my chest, and I put my everything into our kiss. I move one hand to the back of her head and the other to her waist, holding her to me.

  Her grip on my shirt is like a lifeline tethering her to me. We stay locked together until we have to separate in order to breathe. But I don’t let her get far. Pressing my forehead to hers, I murmur, “I fucking love you, Jenny Jones. You’re every good thing in this world, and even though I know I don’t deserve you, much less another chance, I’m begging for both.”

  “It’s yours. I’m yours. You’re worth every chance and then some. I love you, cutie, so much.”

  I press a chaste kiss to her lips. “Say it again.”

  “I love you.”

  If anyone would’ve ever told me that hearing those three little words would get me hard enough to pound nails, I would’ve laughed until I was blue in the face. Yet, hearing Jenny say them has that exact effect and judging from the way she’s softly shifting her hips against me, she knows it.

  “Let’s get out of here?” I ask, hoping like hell she says yes.

  And she doesn’t let me down. “God, yes.”

  The rest of the day—hell, the rest of the weekend—is spent with me lost in her body, making love, only breaking long enough to eat or sleep. And let me tell you, being inside her tight body, with her clenching around me as she chants, “I love you-I love you-I love you,” like a prayer…yeah, there’s nothing on this earth that’s comparable.

  chapter thirty-four

  Jenny

  Tonight’s our first dinner at Nate’s parents’ house as a couple. As much as I’d like to say I’m totally chill about the whole she-bang, I’d be lying. I’m a freaking mess. While I know that Melanie and Luke like me just fine as Natalie’s best friend or as an occasional babysitter for Tatum, that in no way means they’ll like me as their only son’s girlfriend.

  “Are you sure it’s not too soon to introduce me as your girlfriend?” I ask Nate for the millionth time since we’ve left his house to head over to theirs.

  “We’ve been over this.” Nate holds up his index finger. “First: They already know you, so you can’t really call this an introduction.”

  He adds another finger. “Second: We’ve been together—officially, not counting those days apart—for a month and you already know I plan on keeping you for the long haul, so why wait?”

  He’s now holding up three fingers. “Third: Like I’ve told you countless times, my mom totally ships us—her words, not mine—and she’s gonna be over the moon to hear it’s official. I legit wouldn’t be surprised if she asks about a wedding date or when we plan on giving her grandkids.”

  I take a deep breath and smooth my hands over my skirt. “Okay…if you say so.”

  Nate reaches over the center console and grabs my hand. “I know so.”

  His touch soothes me, and I relax into the seat. Until we turn onto their street and their house comes into view, that is. At the sight of the picturesque red brick, my riot bees begin buzzing in full force, fluttering nerves from my belly all the way up into my throat.

  “Maybe we should just cancel?” I ask, panic creeping in as we turn into their driveway. “Or you can go, and I’ll just wait here.”

  Nate turns to me, his eyes squinted. “You do realize you’re acting a little bit insane, right?”

  As
much as I want to balk at his words, I can’t, because he’s right; I am acting insane. But this is my first time ever meeting a boyfriend’s parents. It’s a big deal, a big step. Their approval of me—in this capacity—means a lot to me. Straight up, I’m more nervous now than I was when Nate told me he loved me for the first time.

  “GG, take a breath. They already love you. Not to mention, my mom has already tried setting us up once.”

  I shake my head. “No…no, she has not.”

  He nods, smirking. “Yes, ma’am. When you came to dinner with Natalie the week after Tatum’s party—that was all Mom’s doing. She saw the way I was looking at you and was smart enough to put two and two together long before I ever did.”

  “For real?”

  “Swear on it. So, c’mon.”

  Feeling slightly more settled, I reach across the center console and take his hand. “One last thing…are you ever gonna tell me what GG means?”

  Like the cocky little shit he is, he just winks.

  I do my best to calm my frazzled nerves as we walk from the car to the front door, but it’s no use. My brain is muddled with every possible worst-case scenario. Logically, I know Nate’s right and that I’m being insane, but my logic has seemingly abandoned the hive.

  Sensing that I’m approximately zero-point-five seconds from a meltdown, Nate grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze before softly rubbing his thumb over my knuckles in a soothing gesture. And damn if the bees don’t simmer down—it’s kind of mind-blowing the way such a simple touch from him can put me at ease.

  My quasi-calm shatters the second he flings open the door and hollers, “Mom, Dad! We’re here!”

  I tighten my grip on his hand. “We?” his mom calls back, her voice moving closer. “Who’s we—oh, hello, Jenny dear.”

  “H-hi, Melanie.”

  Her eyes flit between the two of us briefly and then down to our clasped hands. A small smile plays on her lips and I can’t help but wonder if maybe Nate was right…maybe she is okay with us. The jury’s still out on her actually shipping us though.

  “Oh, Nathaniel. Is she…are y’all…” Melanie’s words fall away.

  “Together?” Nate supplies. “Yeah, Mom, we are.”

  The next thing I know, Nate’s mom is swooping in like some kind of bird of prey—only instead of pecking out our innards, she’s wrapping both of us in the tightest, most motherly hug on earth.

  When she finally releases us from her hold, we’re both nearly gasping for air; Melanie pays us no mind though. “Oh, Nate. You finally pulled your head out of your ass. I’m so happy.” Nate scowls at his mother as she focuses her attention on me. “Welcome to the family, sweet girl. If he doesn’t treat you right, you let me know.”

  “Uh, okay—I mean, yes, ma’am?” My reply comes out sounding more like a question, causing us all to laugh.

  “Alright, Mom, that’s enough. Let’s go eat.”

  “Not until your sister gets here. You know the rules.”

  The three of us head into the family room, joining Luke, while Nate grumbles all the while about how hungry he is and how it’s just like Natalie to keep everyone waiting. Luckily, she strolls through the door with Alden and Tatum not even five minutes later.

  Dinner is delicious and the conversation flows easily. I’m pleasantly surprised when no one makes a fuss about Nate’s changed relationship status—at least, until Tatum catches on to the fact that we’re together.

  “Uncle Nate, why are you holding Miss Jenny’s hand? Is she your girlfriend again? Did you fix stuff?”

  Grinning, Nate confirms to his niece that we are indeed together again.

  “So, now will y’all get married and have babies? In all of my movies, when the prince wins the princess back, he hurries up and marries her so that way when he messes up again, she has to stay.” It takes my all to contain my laughter when she turns her wide eyes on me. “And Uncle Nate will mess up again, Miss Jenny. It’s just what boys do. Mama says they can’t help it—something about it being in-brained in their NBA. So, marry him and stay, okay?”

  “It’s a little soon for all that, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

  Tatum sighs dramatically. “But the longer you wait to get married the longer until you have babies!”

  I can’t help but smile—this kid really wants a sibling something fierce.

  “Tater Tot,” Natalie interjects. “You do know that not all married couples have children, right? Families come in all shapes and sizes.”

  “I know, Mama. But, since you and Daddy won’t give me a baby, maybe Uncle Nate will!”

  I turn to Nate, expecting him to look horrified at the mere mention of wedding bells and babies, but that’s not at all what I find. Nope. In fact, he has a downright dreamy look about him.

  My eyes are glued to Nate as he speaks up, his voice sounding soft and far away. “You know what, Tater Tot, maybe I’ll do just that.”

  “What?” I choke out on a gasp.

  Nate smiles warmly at me. “You’re telling me you’ve never thought about the two of us settling down and starting a family? Because I gotta say, GG, it sounds damn good to me.” My eyes fill with tears—as do Natalie’s and Melanie’s.

  Melanie lets out a small sob at her son’s declaration, but Luke is quick to speak over everyone, ending the emotionally charged moment before it ever really starts. “Got plans for the Fourth?” he asks gruffly, aiming his question at no one in particular. I guess the senior Mr. Reynolds is not one for all the lovey-dovey talk.

  Everyone launches into their plans for the following weekend—it looks like we’ll all be together enjoying the annual Bay Ridge fireworks display on the bluff. Which is just fine by me, seeing as the café is catering the event and all of my favorite people will be there—minus my family of course. But that just means we’ll have to make a trip up to Tennessee sometime soon.

  The fireworks start in an hour, yet instead of being down at the bluff, I’m trapped in my loft with my best friend while she goes through every article of clothing I own. I’m not even exaggerating either. I know I tend to overthink my outfit choices, but this girl’s taking it to a whole other level—like cuckoo-crazy, she hit her head level.

  “Natalie, babe, what gives? It’s a cookout.”

  She rolls her eyes and tosses another dress down onto my bed.

  “I’m not kidding, Nat. Why does it matter so much? Not to mention, shouldn’t you be there helping your husband?”

  “I was down there from the crack of dawn until like two hours ago. He’s fine,” she says dismissively. “Oh, try this on!”

  I barely catch the dress she tosses my way, but I slip it over my head knowing that arguing with her won’t help—she’s apparently on a mission and honestly, at this point, I don’t really care. The faster I comply, the faster I get to see Nate, who has been blowing up my phone asking me where I’m at. Once I told him his sister was holding me hostage, the ass sent back a winky face emoji and told me he loved me.

  I turn and appraise my reflection in the mirror. The dress Natalie picked is pretty cute—a breezy little white spaghetti strapped number with a sweet V-shaped neckline and a thigh-skimming hemline trimmed in eyelet lace.

  “Do you like it?” my best friend asks.

  I shrug. “Sure. It’s cute and comfy.” She finishes off my outfit with a pair of red espadrilles and a gold and navy tasseled necklace. According to her, I’m festive and cute. According to me, I’m overdressed and ready to see my man.

  Natalie insists I ride with her and I don’t put up a fight—hell, I’d probably agree to riding horseback if I got us out of my cottage and on our damn way.

  By the time we make it to the bluff, the sun is almost kissing the waterline. People are everywhere; it’s a veritable minefield of lawn chairs, beach blankets, and frolicking children. I let Natalie lead the way as we weave through the crowd.

  “There they are.” She points off in the distance, and sure enough, the entire Reyno
lds clan is set up beneath the shade of one of the many ancient live oaks.

  The minute Nate spots us, he starts our way and we meet in the middle where he sweeps me into his arms as if it’s been an eternity since he last saw me.

  “Missed you, GG,” he husks into my ear, sending a wave of shivers down my spine.

  “I missed you, too, even though I saw you last night.”

  “Still been too long.”

  I shake my head at him and press a quick kiss to his lips. “You ready to tell me what GG stands for? I think I’m all guessed out.”

  Like the infuriating man he is, he simply shrugs and links his pinky with mine. “Let’s grab some food before they run out.”

  I let the subject drop, because while I’ve tasted the individual components of these Italian hoagies, I’ve yet to enjoy the finished product. Here’s to hoping I don’t drop a glob of sauce on my white dress.

  We both make quick work of our hoagies, finishing them just as the first of the fireworks start. We stand together, chest-to-chest wrapped in each other’s arms as the night sky bursts with colors.

  “Love you,” Nate murmurs against my temple and I tilt my face up toward his, intent on stealing a kiss. But he beats me to it, capturing my lips with his. He tugs at my bottom lip and I open for him. He licks into my mouth, our tongues tangling as he owns me with his kiss.

  His hands slide to my hips and mine tangle in the collar of his shirt, clutching him to me as he deepens our kiss just a little bit more. We spend what feels like hours, though it’s probably only minutes, so completely lost in one another that the fireworks that once held me captivated have nothing on the ones Nate has lighting up my body.

  When he finally pulls away, I start to mumble out a breathless love you, too, but my words evaporate when he drops down to one knee before me. Holy. Shit.

  “Nate…wh-what are you…”

  He takes my hands in his. “Jenny, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I spent years thinking I wasn’t enough, that I didn’t deserve the love of a good woman. Hell, I figured being alone was my penance, but you’ve shown me just how wrong I was. You’ve shown me that I’m not defined by my past and that I’m more than my mistakes. You’ve shown me that I am worthy of love and then you went a step further and gave me the greatest gift of all—your love.”