Twenty-three #2
I returned my attention to the gift, pulling the frame out of the box to get a better look.
Natalia had gotten an overhead shot of the entire Sandstone Heart property, complete with the pond, cabins, trees, trails, and buildings.
And over the office building where we both worked, there was a small red heart.
It was easily the most thoughtful gift anyone had ever given to me.
Feeling wonderful, I wrapped my arm around her back, curled her into my body, and kissed her.
“I love this, Natalia. Thank you.” I kissed her on the cheek before reaching for her second gift.
“This is something I thought you might find fun in a couple of months. It’s unlikely there will be much time, with the weather getting so cold, to be able to use this now. ”
She took the gift from me, her mind working behind her eyes as she tried to come up with ideas for what could be inside. Eventually, she must have realized it’d just be easier to open it up and see.
Once the wrapping paper littered the floor around us, Natalia marveled at the thin box. “Is this…”
“It’s a streetboard,” I confirmed.
“Reid, this is nice. I’m grateful. But… But I don’t know how to use it,” she worried.
I rested my hand on her knee, stroked my thumb along it, and assured her, “I’ll teach you.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “If I’m honest, there was a small part of me that wanted to ask you to join me that day I showed you mine. I wish I would’ve.”
The corners of her mouth tipped up in a smile. “You really did like me all that time and just couldn’t handle it, could you?”
“There’s no use in denying it.”
Natalia’s palms drifted over the box containing her gift she likely wouldn’t be able to use until the weather got nicer out again. “For what it’s worth, I really liked you, too. And I wish you would’ve asked me to join you that day. I would’ve loved nothing more.”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t. If I could go back and change it…”
She lifted her hand to the side of my face and leaned in. “It’s okay. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters to me. I’m so happy, Reid. So unbelievably happy.”
Without waiting for me to respond, to let her know I felt precisely the same, Natalia touched her lips to mine and kissed me.
We spent the rest of our morning stealing kisses and touches as we worked together in the kitchen.
Technically, it was mostly Natalia who was working.
She’d insisted on bringing something to my parents’ place, refusing to go empty-handed, so I offered help whenever she needed it.
But the reality was that I spent the majority of my time trying to keep my hands and mouth off her.
And now, we were here.
We’d just made it to my parents’ house, and I got the sense that something was bothering Natalia.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
She nodded as we made our approach. “Yes. I’m just nervous.”
Grinding to a halt, I turned to face her, one hand still holding hers. “Nervous? You’ve been here before, and it’s not like you don’t already know my parents.”
“Yes, but your parents have known me for years as Natalia Barton, general manager and executive director at Sandstone Heart. They’ve never known me as Natalia Barton, the woman who holds their son’s hand and kisses him.”
I arched a brow. “Well, that’s not all you’re doing to me.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m serious, Reid.”
Releasing her hand, I wrapped my arm around her and tugged her toward me, so I could kiss her forehead. “It’s going to be fine. Trust me, they like you.”
“But they might have thoughts about my integrity or something. I mean, I’m sleeping with my boss.”
I stroked my fingers through her hair, allowed my hand to settle at the back of her head, and insisted, “I don’t think we need to go in there telling them about our sex life, Natalia.
They don’t need that many details. And if they have a problem with you getting involved with me, they’ll have to have the same problem with me for getting involved with you.
Please don’t upset yourself. There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”
It took her a moment, but she eventually nodded her understanding. “Okay. I’m sorry. It’s just that…for the first time in a very long time, I’m really happy, Reid. I don’t want anything to happen that’s going to change that.”
She smiled at me and gave me a kiss before turning toward the house again. I took her by the hand and led her to the front door, but all the good vibes that I’d been feeling for weeks now began to evaporate.
Natalia was so happy. There was so much to figure out, to work out, when it came to how things would progress between us.
The reality was that I lived and worked two and a half hours from here.
I didn’t expect Natalia would be willing to leave Sandstone Heart to join me in another city, in another state.
Truthfully, I didn’t think there was anything that could ever make her want to leave her job at the retreat.
Unless, of course, the place no longer existed, and she needed to find a new job.
But I didn’t expect she’d willingly follow me somewhere else if I was responsible for a place that meant so much to her being demolished. She’d never forgive me. She’d likely never speak to me again.
I needed to get this contract situation with my dad worked out, so I could figure out my next step. Things were still new between Natalia and me, but given the circumstances and the timeline for my stay here in Cardinal, it was never too early to consider every aspect.
We walked inside—my parents left the door unlocked, knowing that we were on our way—and when Natalia and I stepped into the family room with our fingers linked, both Barrett and Sylvia noticed. Their eyes dropped to our hands, shifted to our faces, and darted to one another.
In the most bizarre twist of events, they grinned broadly at one another. “Merry Christmas, darling,” my dad said to her.
“Merry Christmas, honey,” she rasped in return.
With tears shining in her eyes, my mom turned her attention to Natalia and me once again. My dad did the same with a bright smile in lieu of the tears. Natalia had gone as still as a statue beside me, so I figured it was up to me to set the record straight.
“Mom, Dad, Natalia and I have some news we’d like to share.” I squeezed her hand. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, and as it turns out, we enjoy it. So, we’ve started seeing each other romantically.”
“Oh, I’m so happy about this,” my mom bubbled, making her way toward us.
Dad was right beside her, and when they came to a stop in front of us, I didn’t see an ounce of the disappointment I was accustomed to seeing in his expression. He appeared to be filled with pride. “I think this is excellent news. Merry Christmas, to the both of you.”
The tension eased out of Natalia’s frame as the relief swept in.
After a round of hugs and Christmas greetings, my parents ushered us into the family room.
From there, it was question after question about things at the retreat.
Though it appeared they were interested in the business, it was difficult to see what they were most curious about—anything and everything to do with my new relationship.
Natalia, to her credit, was her usual self almost immediately, and she was quick to share things in a way that I knew left my parents feeling great about the state of things.
Despite the tension I’d been feeling from the moment I realized how happy Natalia was and how desperate I was not to break her heart, it eased throughout the day. There was time. I knew I’d figure it out.
The four of us had a wonderful day together. It was the best Christmas I’d had in a long time, but that wasn’t only where Natalia was concerned.
Something shifted for me.
And I could admit that so much of the tension and animosity that had been present between my father and me for so long was nowhere to be found.
Maybe it was the holiday. Maybe it was the good news Natalia and I had delivered.
Or perhaps it was something else. But whatever it was, I was glad to see it was possible for us to get somewhere that felt a lot better than it had been in years.
Before we left for the night, I decided to give my dad an extra gift. “Natalia and I are going to head out now, and I don’t want to discuss work on the holiday, but I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you about the retreat.”
Surprise washed over him. “Sure. You let me know when, and I’ll make it happen.”
My arm was wrapped around Natalia’s back, my hand resting on her opposite shoulder.
I gave her a squeeze, curling her slightly into my chest. Then I said, “Well, we’re going to enjoy the next day or two off with one another.
And I got a text from Cole earlier today.
He’s planning to come out for a visit in a couple of days.
But after he leaves, maybe right after we get into the new year, we can have that discussion. ”
“Of course. As long as there’s nothing pressing, I’m fine with that.”
Dipping my chin, I said, “Perfect. We’ll talk then.”
Whether he knew what I wanted to discuss, I didn’t know. But a big smile spread across his face as his eyes shifted between Natalia and me. “I’m so happy for the two of you. This was the best Christmas.”
I smiled back at him. “Yeah, it really was.”
We said goodnight to my parents and were out the door. And once we were in the car on the way back to the retreat, Natalia asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Perfect. Why?”
“With the retreat. You didn’t tell me you had anything you needed to discuss with your father about it. Is something wrong?”
I glanced over at her and covered her hand with my free one. “Nothing’s wrong. I just have an idea or two for the retreat I want to discuss with him.”
“An idea?”
Lifting her hand to my mouth, I kissed the back of it. “Don’t worry about it now. I’ll tell you after I talk to him.”
“Okay. Then can I tell you how relieved I am they were happy about us?”
Laughter spilled out of me. “You can tell me anything you like.”
Natalia dove right in, talking nonstop the entire way back to Sandstone Heart. And when I drove a little slower and took the long way back just so I could listen to every word she had to say, I needed no more convincing that I had fallen hopelessly in love with her.