“Yes. The doctor said the bones should heal fine.”
He swings his head toward Nate. “Is that true?”
“Yes, every word.”
Liam nods and lets out a yawn.
“Get some rest before your brother gets home. You know he’ll bombard you with tons of questions.”
“But I’m not tired,” he says through another yawn.
“Sure, you’re not.” I kiss the top of his forehead. “You have your drink and snacks here. And the TV remote.” I figured Liam would be more comfortable in his bedroom for the first few days. Before coming to pick us up, Nate moved the television into their room.
“Thanks, Mom.”
After getting Liam settled, Nate and I file into the kitchen. Awkwardness hangs heavily in the room as we tiptoe around the topic neither one wants to mention.
“Did you want some coffee?” I tug at my shirt to peel it away from my torso. I’m dying to get out of yesterday’s bloodstained clothes.
Nate’s eyes dip to my chest and back up to meet my gaze. “How about I make the coffee while you grab that shower I know you’re dying to have.”
“Do I smell that bad?”
“Not at all. But I can tell you’re uncomfortable.”
“You’re too good to me.” We hold each other’s stare. Those golden-brown eyes bore into me with an intensity that melts my insides. It’s as if he can read my every thought. I have to blink a few times to gain my wits. “I’ll, uh, be quick.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m snuggled up against him on the couch, sipping my coffee. Goose pimples prick my skin as he runs his fingers up and down my arm. Contentment wars with unrest. On the one hand, I hate to disturb this moment, but we can’t move forward until we address what we both want to avoid. And time keeps slipping away, considering he has to pick Nick up from school soon. It’s just, I don’t know exactly how to broach the subject. I take another sip and then tackle the damn elephant in the room.
“So, you’re a surgeon?”
His fingers pause momentarily before resuming. “I am.”
“Why did you tell me you were in freelance?”
“I didn’t want to tell you the truth.”
I pull away and study him. His jaw hardens, and I can tell the subject is hard for him to discuss. “Why? What could be so bad that you didn’t want me to know about your profession?” I stop short from asking if it’s over a patient. If he had someone bleed out on the table, that would be enough to affect an aspiring surgeon, but he certainly isn’t a novice. I suppose it never gets easy.
“I’m retired.” He looks down at his half-full cup and sets it on the table.
“Retired? How old are you exactly?”
He smirks. “I’m thirty-eight.”
“And you’ve retired already?” That’s awfully young. My military theory sounds more of reality with each passing moment.
“I worked as a surgeon in the military. As soon as I got my time in, I retired.”
“And you didn’t want to upset me since my husband was a casualty of war?” It makes sense. I can understand his actions.
“Something like that.” He shifts, turning his body to face me. “Look, I know I should’ve been honest from the beginning, but there’s something I need to tell—”
The quick rapping interrupts us. We eye the door and then look back at each other. The disappointment in his face concerns me.
“Sorry, I’ll try to get rid of whoever it is.”
Nate stands. “That’s okay. I’ll run and get Nick. Do you need anything while I’m out?”
This man. He’s always willing to help. “I can’t think of anything.”
“Sorry, I can’t stay after I drop Nick off.”
“That’s fine. I don’t expect you to.” And I don’t. Yes, I’ve gotten complacent with him being around, but we’re technically not dating. Are we? I don’t know how to label us.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, though. I still want to give you time to your studies.”
I smile warmly at him as he walks with me to the front door. We linger by it, neither one of us wanting to make a move to end our time together. That is until another rapid knock jars us to move.
“You better get that.”
I don’t want to. I want to snuggle back on the couch, tucked in Nate’s arms, and finish our conversation.
“Sis, let me in the door.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“Do you want me to stay?”
Yes. “No, it’s more important to pick up Nick. I can handle Jordan.”
He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. “I know you can. I just don’t like leaving you here.”
I glance up into his eyes that are filled with concern mixed with adoration. This beautiful, brooding man shows nothing but love and respect toward me. We’ll persevere through anything. I know we will. Or at least until he leaves. I push back against that thought and plant a chaste kiss on Nate’s lips. My thanks comes out in a hushed whisper.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Sis, come on. I know you’re home.”
I give Nate a sly smile while grabbing the door handle. “Here we go.”
I swing the door open and toss a glare at my brother. With flushed cheeks, an unrecognizable expression, and disheveled hair, he looks like shit. Perhaps I should let him explain.
As Nate slides past him, they hold each other’s stare. I stop breathing as testosterone pops around us. I stand—arms crossed and feet firmly planted while barricading the door—until Nate makes it to his car.
“You’re not welcome here.” I glance over Jordan’s shoulder and watch as the taillights pull away. Please hurry back, Nate. He may not plan to stay long after dropping Nick off, but his presence will deter Jordan enough to make him leave.
“I know you’re mad and want nothing to do with me, but I’m truly sorry. I didn’t think—”
“That’s the problem with you, Jordan. You never think.” I step outside, forcing him to step back down the stairs. I don’t want to take a chance of Liam overhearing this conversation.
“Maybe so, but all I wanted was for him to have fun. You coddle him too much. The boy needs to grow.”
“He does fine. He loves soccer, and thanks to you, he may not play again. You ruined the one thing that was making him happy this year.”
“Fine, blame me. Hate me. Do whatever you want. But trust me when I tell you your boyfriend is playing you.”
I heave a frustrated sigh. “We’ve circled back to this? My boyfriend helped save Liam’s life. The only one playing anyone around here is you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Fair? Don’t even get me started about things being fair.”
“His full name is Nathanial Dixon-Anders. Did he tell you that?”
No.
When I don’t say anything, Jordan continues, “He’s from San Diego. Not San Francisco. That’s why I wasn’t able to find anything on him.”
“Maybe he lived there when he was a kid. Many people stake claim to towns they grew up in when they were little.”
“That’s possible, but get real. There’s a reason for him dropping Anders. His dad is sitting in prison. Did he tell you that?”
That draws me up short. By the way he talked about him, I could tell something was amiss, but he never mentioned prison. Even after my admission about my dad. “For what?”
“Money laundering. It seems like dear old dad liked to screw people out of their money. I’m telling you. He’s after your death gratuity. You need to protect yourself, sis. Either sign over the accounts in my name or at least add me to them. I don’t trust him.”
“You’re crazy if you think he’s after my money. Newsflash, Jordan. I don’t have any.”
“But you will. It’s just a matter of time. Don’t you find it odd that this guy shows up out of the blue, sniffing like a hound?”
I’d like to think I’m the reason for him hanging around. Unless he’s one hell of an actor, the way
he looks at me proves to me he wants me. Ethan never looked at me the way Nate does. There’s no way he’s using me.
“I’ll admit, the circumstances are odd. But Nate’s been nothing but helpful. Besides, he arrived in town three months after me. And each time we met was coincidental.” As if fate had stepped in. “And he’s a surgeon, for Pete’s sake. He wouldn’t be after my money.”
“He’s a surgeon who is currently unemployed.”
Fair point.
“I’m sure he has his reasons for not working.” And I got a feeling he was about to tell me right before we got interrupted. Another wave of irritation surges through me. Just a few minutes ago, I was feeling so confident about the direction of our relationship. Now, my brother has successfully instilled doubt. But Nate can’t be using me. He just can’t be. I stare at my brother, who has always been a pain in the ass. “Honestly, who are we to judge when it comes to fathers? Our dad ran a scam, and we’re not thieves.”
He lets out a frustrated growl. “I can tell you’re too enamored by him to see reason. But be careful.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about. I can take care of myself. What you need to do is listen to what I tell you.”
Remorse coats his eyes. “I am sorry about Liam. I shouldn’t have taken him there before his lessons.”
“Don’t ever go against my wishes again.”
He nods and hangs his head. Backing the rest of the way down the stairs, he says, “Watch yourself, sis.”
“I will. Stop worrying.”
I lean my back against the door once I’m inside. When did my life become so chaotic? I push from the door and check on Liam. I think some quality one-on-one time with son number one is in order.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mackenzie
The door chime buzzes as new customers barge through the door. Great. As if my mood wasn’t bad enough. This is my first day back since Liam’s accident, and a week isn’t enough time for me to deal with people yet. There is one highlight though, the death gratuity finally got deposited into my account. So there’s that.
“Mackenzie. I’m sorry about Liam. His teammates were pretty shaken.” Mark leans a hip against the counter as his mom flanks his side. I force a smile. Of course, my smile would be more genuine if Mrs. Morgan wasn’t here. I don’t have a problem with Mark.
“Thanks. He’s going to miss playing.”
“I imagine he will.”
“Who’s taking care of him now? I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be working already.” Judgment drips from every syllable Mrs. Morgan speaks. The woman cannot play nice.
I grip the edge of the countertop in hopes of gaining control of my emotions. Last I checked, it is still frowned upon to punch an old lady. But given who we’re dealing with, I wonder if anyone would even care.
“Nate’s with them.”
“The stranger in town?”
“He’s not exactly a stranger to us. Besides, he helped save Liam. I certainly can’t trust my brother now, can I?” There’s a bite to my tone, but I don’t need this woman’s judgment. Not today. Not after I stewed over Jordan’s words all week. The day he voiced them, I felt sorry for myself and ended up not getting a good night’s sleep. Part of me wondered if it’s because I had missed Nate. He never called or texted after dropping Nick off. He has shown up every day since, but it’s like he’s distracted.
“I suppose.”
“Mom, I can vouch for Nate. He’s a standup guy.”
Mrs. Morgan’s lips flatten. I don’t know what it is about this woman, but she grates on my last nerve. My gaze flicks to Mark. He mouths, “Sorry.” That earns him a tiny smirk. Maybe he was aware of how she treated me when we were together.
“What can I get you?” I ask, trying to get them out of here faster.
Once I gather their to-go order, they’re almost to the door when Mark tells his mom to meet him in the car.
“I forgot Jeanine’s order.”
She eyes him for a moment before telling him she’ll meet him outside.
He beelines it to the counter. When the door closes, he shakes his head. “I’m so sorry. She can be a bit judgmental.”
“A bit?” I quirk my eyebrow.
He chuckles. “Okay. A lot. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way she always looked down at you. It’s worse now since she blames you for Toby being born.”
That admission has me jerking back. It’s what I always presumed, but to hear Mark call his mom out is jarring. “I didn’t realize that was a bad thing.”
He sighs. “It’s not, but since I tried screwing you out of my mind, it led me down a different career path. You know how Mom wants all of us working at the winery.”
“But you never wanted that.”
“Yeah, but I never told her. I always used Toby as an excuse.”
“And I’m indirectly blamed.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“There’s no point now.” I laugh to lighten the conversation. “What can I get Jeanine?”
“Aw, yes. She’ll kill me if I don’t return with a caramel latte and blueberry muffin.”
“We can’t have that. Your mom would blame that on me too.”
“Touché. Is Nate back at the house?”
“Yeah.”
He nods. “I need to get a hold of him. Are you guys going to Hooligan’s Friday night?”
“We hadn’t planned on it. Why?”
“They’re celebrating Dylan McCoy’s latest record’s success. It’s basically an excuse for everyone to get together and drink. As if we needed one of those. But it’d be a good chance for Nate to meet more townspeople. The more he warms up to the locals, he’ll seem less elusive to them.”
“I heard she was married to a Malone. Someone is going to have to fill me in on that story.”
“What? Cathy doesn’t come in here enough?”
My smile stretches wide. “I’ve been shamelessly avoiding her. I make Jill wait on her whenever she comes in.”
Mark laughs, and the familiarity from it puts me at ease. I hadn’t realized I’ve been on edge until now.
“It’s true. Don’t think she’s joking,” Jill says as she carries a case of Styrofoam cups. She sets the box on the ground and smiles up at Mark. “How’s Toby? He like his chocolate strudel I made him?”
“He did.” Mark blushes before directing his attention to me. Interesting. “Well, think about going Friday. A good way to get the town folks to rally around him is for them to get to know him. He pretty much stays aloof. Gets people talking.” He glances behind his shoulder at the door. “Like certain old women.”
He gives me that grin and wink that made my seventeen-year-old self fall for him shortly after moving to Sunnyville. Funny how that look doesn’t conjure the same effect. But when I glance at Jill, she’s staring at him a little dreamily.
“I’ll think it over. My only stumbling block will be a sitter.”
“Hopefully, I’ll see you there.” He glances back at Jill. “And you too.”
“What was that?” I ask as soon as the door closes.
“What? That wasn’t anything.” She reaches for the gift bag under the counter that I hadn’t noticed before.
“Oh, I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
She laughs and hands me the bag. “I got you a little something when I was out. Call it The Enticer.”
I give her a questionable look but snatch the bag. “What have you done?”
Once I open the bag and pull out a black lace number, I shove it back in the bag. “Oh my God. You didn’t.”
She lifts one shoulder into a shrug. “My cousin had another one of those sex parties. She hosts them all the time, and unless I want a butt plug, there isn’t much else for me to buy. I figured you didn’t have anything like this, so . . .”
As her voice trails off, I take another peek at the negligee. The ensemble is rather sexy. “Um, thanks?”
She laughs. “Oh, you’ll be thanking me,
all right. Once you entice that sexy ass man to stay.”
Not quite knowing how to respond, I do what any normal, horny woman would do. I pull out my phone and dial Mom’s number. “Mom, I need a favor for Friday night.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Nate
“You ready to meet the town?” Mackenzie flashes her smile that has brought me to my knees from day one. The streetlights shine in her bright green eyes as they look up at me while cheers and music filter through the glass doors.
“I’ve met some of them.”
“Yeah, but this time will be different. After saving Liam, you’re on their radar. Be prepared to be bombarded with questions or pats on the back.”
Lovely.
There’s no doubt I’ve been a loner my entire life, so yeah, the extra attention will be uncomfortable. But there isn’t anything I can’t handle. “I’m with you. Nothing else matters.”
By the way her eyes darken and take on a serious expression, I think she liked hearing that.
“And you know what?” I draw her next to me. Her warm breath skates across my chest in reassurance we should be together. It’d be so easy to kiss her right here and now. I want to go back to her house and be alone rather than share her with the entire town.
“What?”
“Not one single person compares to you either.” I brush a soft kiss against her lips. It’s all I offer because anything more intimate will have me dragging her away from this place. My willpower is weakened since she hasn’t been naked beneath me ever since Liam’s accident.
“I think you’re just sweetening me up so we could leave.”
I laugh. “I meant what I said, but leaving may have crossed my mind.”
She gives me the sexiest grin. “We don’t have to stay long.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” I suck in a breath and disclose a piece of myself. “Crowds aren’t my thing.”
“Come on, Mr. Fix It. Once we get through this, then you can bring me home and fix me.”
“Hmm, I like that option. Very much.”
With those words, we push through the door. The bar thrums with excitement. Laughter fills the air along with clinks of glasses and music I assume is Dylan’s latest album. However, you couldn’t prove it by me. Keeping up on artists and their latest hits wasn’t a thing in Afghanistan. My gaze wanders around the bar and to the people milling about. The place is packed. The tempo is more upbeat tonight than the last time.
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