One Hundred Decisions: An Aspen Cove Romance

by Collins, Kelly

  She shook her head, and the more she tried to control her emotions, the more she trembled. He hated to watch people crumble. Hated that she didn’t feel like she had anyone to share her problems with.

  “Hey.” He cupped her cheek and thumbed the tears away. “I’m here. I’ll listen. Tell me what’s wrong.” His hand slid around her back to pull her closer. He expected her to fight the affection or to bolt, but she didn’t. She sank against him and sobbed. He held her for minutes while she emptied her sorrows against his chest. His hands brushed up and down her back while his lips skimmed the top of her head between whispers of affirmation and offers of help.

  “What do you need?”

  She jumped back. “I need to go.”

  He moved forward and cupped her cheek. It would have been so easy to kiss her, but he didn’t. “I’m here when you need me.”

  She laughed, but it wasn’t one of happiness. “Everyone says that, but they don’t mean it.”

  “I mean it.”

  “Jake?” Will called from the office. “What about bean bag chairs?”

  He stepped away. “My designer has a question. Stay here; I’ll be right back.”

  He walked to the office to look at what had excited Will and found he’d picked out several brightly colored bean bags. “These are washable, so that’s good, right?”

  “Those could work.”

  Natalie appeared at the door. She hid the proof of her tears with sunglasses. “Hey, bud, it’s time to go. We’ve got that list to take care of.”

  Will jumped up and high-fived Jake as he passed. “Are we going to get the bean bags?”

  “Maybe. Let’s plan a trip to Copper Creek and see what they have too.” He turned to look at Natalie. “Care to join us?”

  “I’m always working, but if Will wants to join you, I’m okay with that.”

  He nodded, not ready to press her harder for fear she’d walk away.

  “Are you going home?”

  “We’ve got some things to do, and then yes, we’re headed home.”

  Will laughed. “It’s not really a home. Harry Potter had it better living under the stairs.”

  “Not funny,” she said.

  Jake laughed on the way to the door. “But is it true?”

  Chapter Nine

  “Are you kidding me?” She looked at Mason Van der Veen with disbelief. “There’s a hole in the middle of the floor.” She leaned over and watched a mouse scurry across the dirt into the darkened corner.

  “It’s the only house I have that’s not on the docket for refurbishing this year.” He started for the door. “You said you were desperate.”

  “For a new place. Not a broken leg or hantavirus.”

  “Can’t help you then.” He waited for her to step outside. When she did, he turned to lock the door.

  She couldn’t figure out why he felt the need. There was nothing to steal. The avocado-colored countertops hadn’t seen use since the seventies. Half the lights were missing. When she turned on the water, it came out looking like pumpkin puree.

  “This is what I’ve got for what you’re willing to pay.”

  “Nope, this won’t work.” She rushed to her car before she had a meltdown in front of a complete stranger.

  It had been a week since the social worker’s visit. Each day, she fit in time to look at a rental. Anything affordable was outside of town, which didn’t fit Will’s need for socialization. This one seemed promising until she drove up and saw the sagging porch and broken windows. Even that didn’t dissuade her. She could figure out how to get new panes. Maybe even ask Baxter or Wes if they could shore up the porch. She’d find a way to make payments, but the hole in the living room floor was too much.

  She leaned her head against the steering wheel and took deep breaths hoping they’d slow down the thundering of her heart. When it continued to flutter, she turned the key and listened to her Subaru choke and spit before the engine caught and lurched forward.

  She got one block before the check engine light glowed red like a demon’s eye, and the car lost power and rolled to a stop by the curb.

  “Not now!” she screamed and beat the steering wheel with her palms.

  Her chest hurt, and her lungs seized. She struggled to take a breath and felt everything tighten as if a fist were twisting her organs. Certain she was nearing death, she opened the car door and fell out. The asphalt cut into her knees, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her chest. She scrambled to her feet and took off. It was a half run, half stumble until she fell through the pharmacy door and collapsed on the entry floor.

  Agatha lifted up from her chair to see her. “Doc,” she yelled. “We’ve got a live one.”

  She moved around the counter to kneel beside Natalie, who held her chest and sucked in gulps of air. “I’m dying.”

  “Who’s dying?” Doc asked as he lumbered toward her, wearing his bright orange Crocs. When he saw Natalie on the floor, he turned and yelled. “Lydia, I need your help.”

  Natalie wasn’t sure what would kill her first, the embarrassment or the pain.

  Dr. Lydia ran to the front, followed by her sister Sage who was the nurse for the clinic. They took in the scene in front of them.

  “I’ll get the gurney,” Sage said and turned to leave.

  “No, help me up.” Natalie raised a hand. “I can make it.”

  Doc glanced down his crooked nose. “Then why are you cleaning my floor with your clothes?”

  She breathed in choppy breaths and let out a wail that would make a dog howl. “I’m sorry. I don’t …” She attempted to stand, but her will to push forward was gone, and she fell to the floor again.

  “Here you go.” Lydia helped lift her from one side while Sage got the other. Between the two women, they managed to get her to the exam room.

  She looked around and found Peter Larkin sitting on the chair in the corner.

  “You read that karmer suter too?”

  Doc handed him a tube of Bengay and a bottle of ibuprofen. He pointed to the door. “It’s Kama Sutra. Now, go home, Peter, and stop twisting yourself into knots. You’re eighty, not eighteen.”

  He pointed at Natalie. “Maybe, but at least I walked in here by myself.”

  Natalie climbed onto the table and curled into a ball on her side. Lydia checked her pupils while Sage measured her blood pressure. She was convinced she’d had a heart attack and was nearing a stroke.

  As soon as Peter left, Doc took his seat. “You want to tell me what brought on this attack?”

  Through sobs, she said, “Too much fried food?”

  “Not likely at your age.” He pulled the chair forward, so they were face to face while Lydia put away supplies, and Sage walked out the door.

  “Talk to me, Natalie.”

  “Am I having a heart attack?”

  Lydia stood at the head of the exam table. “No, you’re having a panic attack.”

  Sage walked inside the room, holding a bottle of water.

  “That’s it? I came here thinking I was dying, and it’s just a panic attack? How am I supposed to pay you, fix my car, and find an appropriate place to live?”

  “Let’s figure it out,” Doc answered. “What’s got you spun up?”

  He opened a floodgate with his question. Normally she would have said nothing and walked away, but she knew if she rolled off the exam table, she’d hit the floor and never rise again. Will needed her, and she was failing him.

  “I don’t know where to start.” She curled into a tighter ball.

  Sage offered her the water. “Sit up, and let’s take it from the beginning.”

  She rolled to her bottom and took in a shaky breath. After a drink of water, she lifted the floodgates and let her problems spill out.

  “This was a mistake. I can’t afford to be here,” she started. “Will should be the one sitting on the exam table. He needs a school physical and shots.” She opened her mouth to continue.

  Doc raised his hand. “No bill. We ha
ve it covered.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  A grumble filled the air. “Because we’re a community, which is just another word for family.”

  She set the water bottle down and rubbed her face with her palms. “I bit off more than I can chew.”

  “Take smaller bites,” Lydia said.

  Doc cleared his throat. “Dr. Lydia is right. When you get a piece of pie, you don’t eat it all at once.”

  Natalie dropped her hands and lowered her head. “You haven’t seen me eat pie.”

  “Okay, problem number one is taken care of,” Doc said. “You’re not dying, and Will will get what he needs. Move on.”

  “My car broke down. I was looking for a house. The social worker will take my brother away if I can’t get a new place where he has his own room.” Her throat closed, and a squeak escaped. “I can’t find a place if I don’t have a car.” Her heart started to race again. Talking about the problems didn’t help. It only pointed out the magnitude of insurmountable issues she faced.

  Doc pulled his phone from his pocket. He punched in a few numbers and waited.

  “Bobby, I need you to tow a car to the garage and figure out what’s wrong with it.”

  Everyone was silent except Doc, who shook his head. “Not my car. It’s Natalie’s car.” He cupped the receiver and asked, “Where’s it at?”

  She shook her head. “Haven’t you heard a word I said? I can’t afford to fix it.” Tears ran down her cheeks.

  “I didn’t ask you how you’d pay for it. I asked where it was.”

  “It’s on Daisy Lane.”

  He relayed the information, hung up, and asked Sage to get the keys and meet Bobby outside.

  Natalie looked at the clock on the wall, and the panic set in again. “Oh my God, I’m late getting back for my shift.”

  Doc called Agatha to the room and asked her to tell Maisey that Natalie wouldn’t be back in for the day, and that it might be better to get Louise to fill in a few of her shifts.

  “No, I need the money.” She was certain the old doctor was deaf or suffering from dementia.

  Doc took her hand and held it in the same manner Jake had. “Everything will work out.”

  It was a caring gesture and nicked at her heart. She’d been in town for over a year and had invested no time in getting to know the people. She knew their names and what they did, but outside of the superficial, she was at a loss. Her head swam with a hundred reasons, none of which made her neglect okay.

  She nearly choked. Was she like her father? What was the difference between abandoning people and living in the same town but ignoring them? Her lack of humanity had to be a family trait.

  Even Jake had tried to get to know her. He’d tried to comfort her, and she ran because the sexy man was like a peanut butter cup. Once she got a taste of him, his kindness, and his care, she’d want more.

  “Okay,” Lydia said. “Will should be fine, and your car will be fixed. What’s next?”

  She could have told them she’d handle it all, but obviously, she couldn’t.

  “The housing situation. I live in a tiny house between here and Copper Creek. It’s like living in a matchbox. It worked when I was alone, but it won’t long-term. I’ve been searching for an affordable rental.” She let her head hang. “I don’t make enough money at the diner to afford much. Business is picking up, but …”

  Lydia raised her hand. “Let me see what I can do. I’m married to a home builder. He might have an idea.”

  All the stress of the last week slipped from her body. She could have easily rolled to her side and slept for a week, but that wasn’t an option. Will was at the bookstore with Jake again, and she needed to pick him up and feed him.

  “I’ve got to go. Will is probably driving Jake crazy.”

  Doc lifted from his chair. “Something tells me that Jake can handle a lot. Looks to me like that boy already has.”

  It struck her funny that Doc referred to Jake as a boy. When she looked at him, all she saw was a hot, virile man. If she closed her eyes, she could almost relive the moment when he held her. Being in his arms caused her to want things she had no business wanting.

  Since that day, he hadn’t touched her, but the fire she saw in his eyes each time he looked at her said he wanted to.

  “How do I repay you for all of this?”

  Doc wrinkled his brow. “Next time I’m at the diner, I get a bigger piece of pie.”

  Natalie laughed. “I can do that.”

  Lydia helped her down. On her way out of the exam room, she told her to try to relax and handed her a printout with breathing exercises. “I’ll get back to you about your living situation as soon as I talk to Wes. He’s in Cross Creek helping the Lockhart brothers with a project.” At the door, she stopped and pulled Natalie in for a hug. In the last week, she’d experienced more affection than she had in years—maybe a lifetime.

  She started toward B’s Book Nook to get Will so they could go home when she realized she had no way to get there.

  Chapter Ten

  “Excuse me, what did you say?” Jake’s heart rate picked up as he waited for Matt Steinman, the president of Vision Quest, to continue.

  “Listen, Jake, I know this was not part of the plan, but another candidate presented himself, and it would be irresponsible for us to not interview him. This is a big undertaking—a huge change. Maybe your delay in signing on was actually a blessing.”

  The door opened, and Natalie walked in. She looked as down and depressed as he felt. He covered the phone with his hand. “Will is almost finished with his story hour.” She nodded and took a seat at a nearby table.

  “What does this mean for me?” he asked Matt.

  “It means a few more weeks of uncertainty. I hate to do that to you, but we have to pick the best man for the job.”

  “Who’s my competition?”

  “Fritz Laughlin,” Matt answered.

  Jake let out a heavy sigh. It was a small world at this level of coaching, but Fritz was a solid candidate. Head-to-head, they probably looked evenly matched, but Jake knew he’d come out the victor because Fritz, while good at his job, thrived on notoriety. That was probably his interest in the position. That was part of the allure to Jake too, but only part. Partnering with Vision Quest would make him a household name, but the work was just as important to him.

  “You do what you have to.”

  They said goodbye, and he hung up and walked around the corner to where Natalie sat at the table near the door.

  “Hey, how are you?”

  She pulled herself up to sit taller. “I’m okay.”

  He hadn’t seen her much since that day in the stacks where she’d cried, and he had offered comfort. Outside of his breakfast visits in the diner and her picking up Will, he had had little time with her, and yet, somehow, he missed her. Missed her wit, and also her intelligence. She was smart and well-read.

  “You look like you could use another hug.” He pulled out the chair and sat beside her.

  “By the sounds of your conversation, it seems like you need a hug too.”

  He chuckled and smiled. “Are you offering?”

  She shouldered him but stayed leaning against his side. “I’m not much of a nurturer.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. “That’s probably not true, but I imagine you haven’t seen nurturing in action.”

  “Understatement.” She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder while they listened to Will read a Pete the Cat book.

  Will looked up and saw his sister leaning against Jake, and a grin spread across his face.

  “Next time I’m reading Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss,” Will told the kids. All of Louise’s kids were present, as was Bowie and Katie’s daughter Sahara, and Bailey Brown, who sat in the front so Will could make sure nothing ended up inside her nose. “See you next time.”

  Louise, Katie, and Mallory appeared from the aisles and swept up their kids. As they walke
d out, Agatha walked in.

  She stood before him and Natalie. “Are you giving her and Will a ride back home?” She shook her keys in the air. “Doc sent me over to do the job, but if you got it under control, I’d rather go home and kick up my feet.” She touched her forehead with the back of her hand. “That one gave us a scare today.”

  Natalie sat up and moved away. “No, I’ll call a cab. Will and I are fine.”

  Agatha waved her hand through the air. “You are not fine. If you were, you wouldn’t have crumbled on the floor of the pharmacy.”

  He twisted his body to look at her. “What happened?” He laid his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off and glanced at Will, who was straightening up the books by the reading nook.

  “It was nothing.”

  Knowing Natalie wouldn’t share anything else, he looked at Agatha. “Was it nothing?”

  She stared at Natalie as if debating how much to tell him. “You know, young lady, it’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or incapable. All it means is you need help, and right now, you need a ride.” She turned back to Jake. “Surely you can close early and help her out.”

  He was happy to help. “You bet.”

  Agatha gave them a final glance before walking to the door. “You two look great together.”

  “We’re not …” When the door closed behind them, Natalie turned to him. “Seriously, I can figure it out.”

  He rose from the chair and walked to the entrance, turning the open sign to closed.

  “You could. Of that, I’m sure, but you don’t have to.” He nodded to Will, who was coming back from the office with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Two weeks ago, he would have wanted to look inside to make sure the boy hadn’t stolen anything, but now he wasn’t worried. He’d built a relationship with Will. One that he knew meant more to the kid than a book.

  “But—”

  “But nothing.” He walked around the counter to get his keys and moved to the back door. “Hey, Will, remember that trip to Copper Creek?”

  The kid’s eyes lit up. “Yeah.”